This weekend the celebrated ‘Bugatti’ circuit at Le Mans plays host to the final round of the FIM Endurance World Championship.
At the top of current standings is Michelin partner team Yamaha France GMT 94, and they will be looking to help Michelin secure their 15th title in the series. The team have recorded consistent podium finishes at the Bol d’Or and the Oschersleben 8 Hour, as well as a 9th placed finish at the Suzuka 8 Hour which sees a huge surge in entries from Japanese teams for the single round.
However, Le Mans is very much the pinnacle of the season, and lasts a grueling 24 hours.
Nothing can be taken for granted, however, and Michelin Motorsport’s bike racing manager Piero TARAMASSO explains that the mission at Le Mans will be to win and not just manage the situation in the title chase. “Our intention is to win the 24 Heures Moto. That’s the best way to make sure we earn the 2014 title. It would be a mistake to adopt a defensive strategy. That would probably be the surest way of failing to achieve our objective.”
It’s the littlest things that can make a big difference in long endurance races. With that in mind the technical staff have developed new tyres for the weekend’s action. Piero Taramasso says: “Pre-race testing allowed us to sign off new rear tyres. In endurance racing, we know that performance is not the only important parameter that needs to be taken into account. We consequently focused our development work on consistency, grip and versatility. The results were excellent over the two-day run. Yamaha Racing France GMT 94 has done a splendid job and the three riders form a nicely balanced line-up in terms of their lap times, whatever the conditions. There is good reason to feel confident in our chances of winning and of claiming the title therefore. I am naturally conscious of the fact that you can never be sure of anything in such an exacting 24-hour race; nor can we discount the potential of our partner’s rivals. They will all be highly motivated, too, but I believe we have the key to success in our hands.”
If you think you could stay awake for a full 24 hours, why not watch it from start to finish?
