The No. 1 Suzuki of the Franco-Japanese team Yoshimura SERT Motul won the 24 Heures Motos for the second consecutive year on Sunday, on the Bugatti circuit, at Le Mans, but this time in public, after two editions behind closed doors.
Starting in second position on the grid, the crew formed by French riders Gregg Black, Sylvain Guintoli and Belgian Xavier Siméon never left the trio of leading machines and patiently built their victory without having to take unnecessary risks. .
A huge congratulations to the team @Yoshimura_SERT who wins the @24hoursmotorcycles for the 2nd consecutive year, under the eyes of the public back in droves on the circuit!@FIM_EWC #24hMotorcycles @FIM_EWC #24hMotorcycles pic.twitter.com/WKh7ToIDr5
— 24 Hours Motorcycles (@24hoursmotos) April 17, 2022
The winners covered 840 laps and Austrian team Yart’s No. 7 Yamaha was second by one lap, followed distantly by TSR France’s No. 5 Honda, third by 14 laps behind the Suzuki. victorious.
After two editions without an audience, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, nearly 50,000 spectators had made the trip, giving this biker meeting its very special atmosphere, all under a bright sun and thanks to mild weather.
Record equaled
The SERT Suzuki, defending champion and 2021 World Endurance Champion, was able to take advantage of the misadventures of Honda n°5 (mechanical problems and crash), the retirement of BMW n°37 (engine failure) and the setbacks of the Ducati n°6 (fall and mechanical problems).
The Yart, which had qualified for the third consecutive year in pole position, managed to catch up, without breaking its engine as in 2021, after having completely missed its start.
The race was marked by numerous interventions by the safety car, right up to the last minutes of these 24 Hours. The most significant took place one lap after the start, following a collision between the BMW n°74 and the Yamaha n°96 in the hands of British rider Bradley Smith, who had come from the motorcycle Grands Prix.
With this victory, Suzuki equals Kawasaki’s record -14 victories on the Le Mans circuit- and takes the lead in the 2022 World Endurance Championship. Next meeting in Belgium, at Spa-Francorchamps.