For its fifth participation in the 24 Heures Motos, Team Falcon Racing is betting on youth. A challenge which could allow the Axon team which is entering a Yamaha R1 to confirm its progression within the very tough Superstock category.
In four participations in the 24 Heures Motos, Team Falcon Racing has continued to improve its results thanks to titanic work: 23rd in the Superstock category in 2016, 16th in 2017, 11th in 2019 and 10th in 2020. Mickael Le Devehat, Team Manager of the team, looks back on the 24 2020 hours of Le Mans Moto: “Last year, we were in the top five during the first hours of the race. We even dreamed of the podium for nine laps before a fall slowed down our pace. This shows that we can achieve a good result. We are becoming better and better organized in our stand. We measure the motorcycle's electronics and tire pressures. We now have a lot of experience and that makes things a lot easier.”
Team Falcon Racing is therefore preparing for a fifth participation in the 24 Hours of Le Mans Motos with an additional advantage: the support of Yamaha France. “It is a reward for the work accomplished in recent years. It is also a mark of confidence because there are many teams which enter Yamaha R1s in endurance”, says the Team Manager.
For pilots, youth takes power. Yamaha R1 number 121 will be piloted by David Chevalier, Théo Eisen, Loïc Millet and Hugo Robert, a quartet whose average age does not exceed 22 years. “The common point between these three riders is that they come from the Yamaha bLU cRU challenge which nurtures and trains the future stars of competition. Endurance appeals to young drivers. It takes teams to get them started. This is one of our main objectives. They train together and it’s positive for cohesion,” comments Mickael Le Devehat.
Regarding tires, Falcon Racing continues with Bridgestone. “We have been with them since 2016. New teams will be equipped with these tires. We will be able to measure ourselves against them. There will also be more feedback on the use of these tires and this will allow us to progress.” Finally, Falcon Racing can count on the support of the Yamaha dealer in Pontarlier, Motos Performance.
The team has scheduled four days of testing in preparation for the 24 Heures Motos. They will allow riders to get to grips with the Yamaha R1 and make the first adjustments before the official tests.
Source: ACO/lemans.org
