In search of a first victory on the Paul-Ricard circuit in Le Castellet (Var), the Ducati brand was still leading the 85th edition of the Bol d’Or on Sunday morning, followed by Kawasaki, which remained on the lookout after more than 17 hours race.
After a turbulent Saturday, marked by the abandonment of the favourites, the Suzuki N.1, defending champion and leader of the World Endurance Championship (EWC) standings, the Yamaha N.7, third in the EWC, and the BMW N.37, starting on pole, the positions froze in the cool and windy night of the Castellet circuit. The Ducati N.6, ridden by Briton Chaz Davies and Spaniards Javier Fores and David Checa, preceded the Kawasaki N.4 by almost a minute and the Yamaha N.77 by more than two laps, as the riders performed over 500 loops. But the leading trio remains threatened by the Yamaha N.333 (+2 laps) and the Honda N.5 (+4 laps), which is currently achieving an excellent deal in the classification of the World Endurance Championship (EWC). ) of which she takes the lead.
Honda took advantage of successive retirements from Suzuki and Yamaha, hit by mechanical problems during a singularly tormented start to the race. Suzuki’s withdrawal marked the end of a more than four-decade partnership with Yoshimura SERT, which produced 18 Bol d’Or victories, nine of which were won by Frenchman Vincent Philippe, the record holder. A total of 85 points are distributed to the winner of the Bol d’Or, the last round of the EWC world championship calendar, after the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 24 Hours of Spa, which took place in June, and the 8 Hours of Suzuka, contested in early August. For the Ducati N.6, a success at the Bol d’Or would erase the disappointments born of a mixed season, which materialized by a fall at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and a retirement at the 24 Hours of Spa in June, its inconsistency resulting in a 14th place finish in the EWC standings.
In the Superstock category, which brings together motorcycles less powerful than the machines classified in EWC, the Honda N.41 took the lead ahead of the Kawasaki N.24. The Bol d’Or, the oldest 24-hour motorcycle endurance race, is celebrating its centenary.