Two legendary teams join forces to form a new official FIM EWC team. The Japanese Yoshimura team and the French Suzuki Endurance Racing Team join forces and launch the Yoshimura SERT Motul team to win the 2021 FIM EWC World Champion title.
A new association between Japan and France highlights the FIM Endurance World Championship and once again raises the level of performance of the teams present.
Yoshimura and the Suzuki Endurance Racing Team, two historic teams with multiple victories and titles, are joining forces to form a brand new official team, the Yoshimura SERT Motul. The Suzuki GSX-R1000R in the colors of this new Franco-Japanese team will hit the track in 2021 and will aim for the world title.
Yoshimura is celebrating its 66th anniversary and Suzuki Japan is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. The Yoshimura Racing Team has four victories and multiple podiums at the Suzuka 8 Hours. For 40 years, the Suzuki Endurance Racing Team has been winning victories and world titles in Endurance. The French team has just won its 16th FIM EWC World Champion title.
The very promising development of a historic and human partnership
Yoshimura has been a partner of the Suzuki Endurance Racing Team for many years and this technical partnership was strengthened with the arrival of Damien Saulnier at the helm of SERT.
It is also a story of men passionate about competition. Yohei Kato, the nephew of Fujio Yoshimura, director of the company, forms the third generation after Pop Yoshimura, the founder of the brand.
New SERT team manager this season, Damien Saulnier is the worthy successor to Dominique Méliand, founder and boss of the Suzuki Endurance Racing Team for four decades. The title won last September at the 12 Hours of Estoril is proof of this. Yohei Kato and Damien Saulnier will be at the helm of the Yoshimura SERT Motul.
Eurosport Events, promoter of the FIM EWC World Championship since 2015, is particularly proud to have participated in the birth of this new great official team which brings together two nations passionate about Endurance.
Fujio Yoshimura, President of Yoshimura Japan
« The American magazine Cycle featured the Suzuki GS750, the first 4-stroke, 4-cylinder Suzuki, in its fall 1976 issue. My father, Pop Yoshimura, who was in the USA at the time, called me and said, “We’re going to race with this machine!” » . We received technical support from Suzuki and we won the AMA round at Laguna Seca in 1977. This allowed us to win the first edition of the Suzuka 8 Hours in 1978 and since then we have built our history competing with Suzuki. Former SERT manager Dominique Méliand has been a good Suzuki teammate for me and I am happy that Yohei Kato, the third generation of our family, is working with SERT to aim for the EWC title. »
Yohei Kato, Yoshimura SERT Motul Team Director
« During our first meeting with François Ribeiro 5 years ago, he sent us a warm invitation to join the EWC championship. We kept it in memory. SERT and Yoshimura have been involved in Endurance for over 40 years and we are proud of our competitive journeys. We are grateful for this opportunity to unite our two teams to become the Yoshimura SERT Motul to aim for the 2021 EWC world title with the GSX-R1000R. »
Damien Saulnier, Team manager of Yoshimura SERT Motul
« In July 2019, a new chapter was written in the history of SERT with the retirement of the Chief. Following this handover, Suzuki, Yoshimura and SERT joined forces for the development of FIM EWC endurance motorcycles.
Historically, Yoshimura has always worked to make GSXRs even more efficient. A line of conduct that continues with Yohei Kato, our contact at Yoshimura, descendant of Pop Yoshimura. What could be more logical today than to rely on this emblematic endurance trainer. The successful work with a 16th world title is a achievement for the entire team, proving the relationship and the present and future work between the two structures. Today we are proud to present the new colors of the bike and our logo combining Yoshimura, SERT and Motul. SERT thus officially displays its partnership with Yoshimura. »
François Ribeiro, Head of Eurosport Events
« Since our arrival as promoter of the FIM EWC in 2015, we have encouraged new exchanges between the two biggest nations in motorcycle endurance: France and Japan. FCC TSR Honda was the first Japanese team to commit to the entire FIM EWC season with the support of Honda France. He paved the way for Japanese duo Webike Trickstar who teamed up with SRC Kawasaki France. Today is a very big day for the FIM EWC thanks to the announcement of the association of two legendary and successful teams to form a new official Suzuki team: Welcome to the Yoshimura SERT Motul team, new big stage of the climb in power of the FIM EWC.
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