De Alessio Piana / Corsedimoto.com
First (crazy) qualification for the 24 2020h Motos at Le Mans: the YART Yamaha with our Niccolò Canepa in provisional pole position ahead of the ERC Team's Ducati V4 R.
A resumption of the FIM EWC world endurance championship as anticipated as it is… tormented. We are not talking about the Covid-19 emergency here, but about the weather. Although postponed from April to August, the 24 Heures Motos at Le Mans saw the first day of qualifying partially wet by rain, with the wrath of Jupiter Pluvius complicating the teams' and drivers' plans. With the starting grid which, in fact, will be decided tomorrow morning, the YART Yamaha is in provisional pole position with our Niccolò Canepa, immediately fast especially in free practice.
THE YAMAHA YART FLIES
Rain, sun, more rain. We can therefore summarize the trend of the first qualifications like this with, probably, the first verdicts intended to be reviewed tomorrow. With pole being decided based on the average of each rider's best times on the team, consistency is paying off at the moment in the Yamaha YART box. Mandy Kainz's team, victorious 261 days ago in the last FIM EWC race (the 8 Hours of Sepang), excelled with an average time of 1'42.225.
This is the result of the time established by Karel Hanika (who fell during pre-qualifying free practice), Marvin Fritz and our Niccolò Canepa, who, despite himself, took part in the only session reserved for drivers from the red group which was completely wet by the rain.
Our standard bearer, winner at Le Mans in 2017 with the GMT94, had the satisfaction of provisional pole and, in the morning, the best time in free practice with an impressive 1'36.879, already below the 2019 qualifying times.
DUCATI SECOND
Although not a very meaningful qualification overall, the ERC endurance team, officially supported by Ducati Corse, secured a provisional second position. The Ducati Panigale V4 R entrusted to Louis Rossi, Julien Da Costa and Randy De Puniet (on the ground in the morning) does not stand out in terms of performance, with some unknowns regarding reliability.
In the provisional ranking, the world champions and holders of the Team Kawasaki SRC trophy with Jeremy Guarnoni, Erwan Nigon and David Checa are in third place. Note for the team, winner of 6 of the last 10 editions of the 24 hours, the absence of Team Manager Gilles Stafler, in hospital due to a heart attack which occurred on July 25. He wanted to be at Le Mans, but the doctors (conscientiously) refused to give him the green light...
CLASSIFICATION PROVISION
Continuing in the ranking, the Wojcik team, 2nd at the 2019 Bol d'Or, is fourth with a Gino Rea wild, the fastest of his group on the gradually drying asphalt. The BMW Motorrad World Endurance Squadron did well with Ilya Mikhalchik (at the head of the yellow group) flanked by
Kenny Foray et Markus Reitenberger and Peter hickman, exceptional reserve for the 24 hours of Le Mans. The No. 37 factory BMW finished ahead of championship leaders Suzuki SERT, Yamaha VRD Igol and the new CBR 1000RR-R of the FCC TSR Honda team, provisionally eighth but with great speed on display during the free trials.
SUPERSTOCK
Speaking of Honda, surprise provisional pole for the RAC41 team in Superstock with the new Fireblade, achieved in record time in the Le Mans paddock. In the Stock, the Italian patrol awaits tomorrow's verdicts with Christian Gamarino et Kevin Manfredi provisionally 5th in its category on Kawasaki Louit Moto, the No Limits Motor Team 6th with Luca Scassa, Luca Vitali and Christopher Kemmer, followed by the Championship leader
Roberto Rolfo with Moto Ain Yamaha (10th in category) and the brothers Christian and Federico Napoli, eleventh with Energie Endurance 91 Kawasaki.
Tomorrow, probably with a dry track for all sessions, the verdict of the second qualifying from 13 p.m. to 14:20 p.m. which will award the first additional points of the weekend.
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