BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team driver Markus Reiterberger began qualifying for the centenary edition of the Bol d'Or just as he had completed the morning's unofficial private testing session at the Circuit Paul Ricard, the crew of the Belgian structure having been the fastest in three of the four segments of the session.
The German, double winner in the FIM Endurance World Championship, achieved the fastest lap among the Blue pilots with a time of 1'52”267. Josh Hook took to the track at the end and set the second time for FCC TSR Honda France with a 1'52”511, Niccolò Canepa (YART – Yamaha Official Team EWC) taking third place in 1'52”925. Leon Haslam, who is competing in his first 24-hour race this weekend and has never driven before at Circuit Paul Ricard, finished fourth for TATI Team Beringer Racing in 1'53"117, while a late attempt from Randy de Puniet allowed the Webike SRC Kawasaki France rider to move into the top 5 with a time of 1'53”191 – just ahead of Florian Alt from Viltaïs Racing Igol. Kevin Manfredi justified his status as a Circuit Paul Ricard expert with the best lap in the Superstock category in 1'54”674 for the Wójcik Racing Team, followed at 0”337 by Sébastien Suchet for National Motos Honda. Manfredi's time would remain the fastest of all in Superstock.
Illya Mykhalchyk continued the successful First Qualifying for the Dunlop-equipped BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team, taking the fastest time in the session reserved for Yellow drivers in 1'52”415. Mike Di Meglio took another second place for FCC TSR Honda France in 1'52”630, ahead of Marvin Fritz with a 1'53”307 for YART – Yamaha Official Team EWC. Xevi Fores crashed but not before recording a time of 1'53"470 to earn ERC Endurance-Ducati fourth ahead of Wójcik Racing Team's Sheridan Morais (1'53"642). Étienne Masson placed sixth for Webike SRC Kawasaki France with a lap of 1'53”747. After Isaac Viñales finished seventh for Team Moto Ain in the opening session for the Blues riders, Corentin Perolami did the same for the French private team, clocking a time of 1'53”789. Enzo Boulom (MACO Racing) finished tenth. Valentin Suchet allowed National Motos Honda to finish first in Superstock ahead of Danny Webb of the Wójcik Racing Team, an exchange of positions between these two teams compared to the first segment. Adrien Parassol fell, but the Yamaha Pitlane Endurance rider got up without outside help.
Author of pole at the 24 Heures Motos then at the 24H SPA EWC Motos for the YART – Yamaha Official Team EWC, Karel Hanika deprived the BMW team of a winning hat-trick with the best time in the session of Red pilots. The Czech riding a Bridgestone lap in 1'52”914, a lap 0”044 faster than what Jérémy Guarnoni was able to achieve for the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team. Alan Techer was the third fastest in 1'53”159 for his return to FCC TSR Honda France, and Florian Marino was the fourth fastest in 1'53”190 for Webike SRC Kawasaki France. We saw great performances from the returning Sylvain Guintoli and Bastien Mackels who missed the Suzuka and Spa-Francorchamps rounds, respectively, due to injury. Guintoli was fifth fastest on the No. 1 Suzuki of Yoshimura SERT Motul, Mackels seventh fastest on the TATI Team Beringer Racing Kawasaki. However, Guintoli's 1'53 lap was not the fastest of the trio for the team leading the FIM World Endurance Championship, with that honor going to Gregg Black with a 616' 1”53 – the eighth fastest time – in the Blue drivers' session (Kazuki Watanabe took ninth place for the Japan-based Japanese team in 527'1”54 in the Yellows' session). Returning to the Red riders, Steven Odendaal was sixth fastest among them for Viltaïs Racing Igol, ahead of double Bol d'Or winner David Checa (ERC Endurance-Ducati). Philipp Steinmayr ensured that three different Superstock teams took turns setting the best time, with the Austrian doing it for Team 071 Sapeurs Pompiers CMS Motostore. Furthermore, an accident by Charles Cortot at turn 18, on the Junior Team LMS Suzuki, led to the session being interrupted with a red flag while the safety barriers were repaired.
Kenny Foray set the best time for the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team for a third time in the session Green drivers reserves, the Frenchman achieving an impressive 1'52”717. Lorenzo Zanetti, who was due to contest a full EWC season for ERC Endurance-Ducati before suffering serious injuries in a race in Italy ahead of the Le Mans opener, was second fastest ahead of Christian Iddon (Yoshimura SERT Motul) , Robin Mulhauser (YART – Yamaha Official Team EWC) and James Westmoreland (Viltaïs Racing Igol). The young Hungarian from the Wójcik Racing Team, Bálint Kovács, set the best time in the Superstock.
The qualifying results will be based on the average of the times signed by the two fastest drivers of each crew (the time of the fourth driver is not taken into account) in the First Qualifying, today, and in the Second Qualifying on Friday. All drivers in each crew must qualify within a limit of 108% of the average time of the fastest crew in the category concerned.
The next meeting for EWC drivers and their teams is Night Testing, starting at 20:30 p.m. The Second Qualification will begin on Friday at 9:55 a.m.
BEST TOURS
Blue Pilots:
Formula EWC: Markus Reiterberger (BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team), 1’52”267
Superstock: Kevin Manfredi (Wójcik Racing Team), 1’54”674
Yellow Drivers:
Formula EWC: Illya Mykhalchyk (BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team), 1’52”415
Superstock: Valentin Suchet (National Motos Honda), 1’55”259
Red Drivers:
Formula EWC: Karel Hanika (YART – Yamaha Official Team EWC), 1’52”914
Superstock: Philipp Steinmayr (Team 18 CMS Motostore Fire Brigade), 1m55”571
Green Drivers:
Formula EWC: Kenny Foray (BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team), 1’52”717
Superstock: Bálint Kovács (Wójcik Racing Team), 1’55”859
THE YART LIGHTS UP THE FIRST NIGHT OF THE BOL D’OR WITH THE BEST TIME IN EWC
The Austrian team finished the one-hour night practice session at the Circuit Paul Ricard with the best time in 1'52”977.
Karel Hanika's best lap was 0 seconds faster than the next-placed crew, with BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team, FCC TSR Honda France taking third place. ERC Endurance-Ducati finished the session in fourth position, followed by Webike SRC Kawasaki France and Yoshimura SERT Motul.
TATI Team Beringer Racing placed seventh ahead of Viltaïs Racing Igol, Wójcik Racing Team and Team Moto Ain.
The Wójcik Racing Team crew entered in Superstock was the fastest among the permanent EWC entries in this category, behind Slider Endurance but ahead of 3ART Best of Bike and RAC41-Chromeburner.
Second Qualifying for the decisive round of the 2022 FIM Endurance World Championship is scheduled to begin at 9:55 a.m. tomorrow (Friday).
