EWC: Interview with Gilles Stafler (Kawasaki SRC 1st in the 24 Hours) “We hope to race the 8 Hours of Suzuka to compete in the Championship, but that is not yet certain”

During one of the most exciting editions of the 24H Motos in decades, right up to the final minutes of battle on the track due to a safety car worthy of a Hollywood scenario, the Team SRC Kawasaki France of Gilles Stafler is finally imposed thanks to the efforts of Jérémy Guarnoni, David Checa and Erwan Nigon in an apotheosis that we will not soon forget.

Thanks to this victory of Team SRC Kawasaki France which will remain one of the most contested and breathtaking in the history of Endurance, Kawasaki won after a memorable duel with the Honda Endurance Racing who was not unworthy.

Gilles, in Le Mans qualifying, were you surprised to be 4th behind the BMW-ERC, the YART Yamaha and the Pierret ex-Viltaïs Yamaha, but ahead of many favorites?

“No, I wasn't surprised that much as with the multiplicity of tire manufacturers, it was going to be a little complicated, especially with David (Checa) who couldn't pass a qualifying tire” .

“For qualifying, we knew we were going to have to put a racing tire on it, which was a bit of a disadvantage. Now, in the last four 24-hour races, we had four pole positions and we had never won any of these four races…”.

“I told myself that fourth was fine, as the important thing is not to be left behind at the start. And then we see based on our race.”

Very quickly, the fight for victory was concentrated between your Team SRC Kawasaki and Honda Endurance Racing, with the Suzuki of SERT a little further away. Has the disappearance of the theoretical favorite, the FCC TSR Honda France, changed your strategy?

“No, it didn't change anything in this area because we could see throughout the week that the Bridgestones didn't seem to be working that well. The proof is that normally the YART extension, who is also in Bridgestone, should have been in front from the start of the race, but that was not the case. I think we had a little tire advantage over them there.”

You were blocked three times by safety cars due to bad luck. I imagine you must not have been very calm when your Kawa was stuck 2 seconds behind the Honda, behind a fourth safety car, 15 minutes from the finish?

“Yes, it’s true that on the first three safety cars, each time I lost half a lap. So a lap and a half in total.”

“It’s true that when the safety car came out for the last time very close to the finish, I was far from calm. Especially since we were really approaching the very end of the race and I wasn't really sure that they were going to be able to clean the track properly to be able to restart the event. An arrival under safety car would have been dramatic! ".

Given the weather and track conditions, didn't the design of the Pirelli make it easier to restart quickly and efficiently after safety car interventions (like that of Guarnoni at the end of the race for example)?

“Yes, it’s true that we had a definite advantage when the safety car came out, because we in the second corner after the safety car came out, we could reaccelerate fully and our tires picked up very well” .

“During night testing, we tested the rubber that we were going to use for the race. Usually, when the safety car goes out during night testing, the bike goes in. We purposely left David on the bike during the four safety laps to be really sure that his racing tire started again very well immediately after safety. And it’s true that it paid off.”

Being in the lead of the World Championship after only finishing 7th in the first race of the Championship at the Bol d'Or changes everything. You said in January “We must not forget that our team will only go to the Suzuka 8H if it is well placed to compete for the title at the end of the season. The 24 Hours of Le Mans race will therefore be doubly important for us ". What do you think of the situation now since you are currently in the lead?

“Yes, it is certain that we have become leader of the World Championship with a 16-point lead (Editor's note: with 102 points against 86 in Suzuki Endurance Racing Team). But for the moment we are not at all sure about going to Suzuka. We will calculate the total points after Germany (Editor's note: The 8 Hours of Oschersleben on June 9) and even if we are leading the Championship at that time, if we don't have help from the factory directly, I think it will be very complicated for us to be able to travel there, whatever our place in the Championship”.

Video: Kawasaki #11 regains the lead of the race 5 minutes from the end

Kawasaki #11 SRC wins the 42nd edition of the 24 Heures Motos after an epic finish

Podium of the 24 Hours Motorcycles!

Photos © Kawasaki, Team Kawasaki SRC, [email protected]