FIM EWC Bol d'Or 2023 H+8: A fall for Suzuki, the war of attrition has begun!

Night has now fallen on Paul Ricard. Last round of the EWC championship, the Bol d'Or is in full swing. After eight hours of racing, the situation has calmed down but no team should let their guard down. The long and trying Var night could well undo destinies, as it has for decades. To find the summary of the first four hours, from departure until 19 p.m., click here. 

 

The EWC championship remains to be played in this Bol d'Or

 

 

No need to lie; since the safety car caused by the fall of Javi Fores on the Ducati Panigale V4R #6 ERC Endurance Ducati, the race is very calm. In the EWC category, we witnessed the slow but sure rise of the Suzuki GSX-R #12 Yoshimura SERT Motul on the leading motorcycle, then the Honda CBR 1000RR-R #1 FCC TSR Honda France. The Yamaha YZF-R1 #7 YART-Yamaha is not far from the top either, and cannot be excluded from the race for victory while the title remains to be awarded. The three machines don't really let go of each other, while the BMW M1000 RR #37 BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team is a solid fourth, but somewhat behind. But these hopes are still alive, without a doubt.

However, everything could have turned into a nightmare shortly before 21 p.m. Greg Black, on the handlebars of the Suzuki #12, fell by himself! After his mistake at Suzuka, it's starting to matter a lot. But fortunately for him and the “Sartho-Japanese” training, he manages to get back on his machine very quickly. Lap times do not change; this means that the motorcycle is not damaged. THE joker is grilled for the SERT, be careful not to get (re)trapped during the night.

 

 

Moreover, since then, Greg Black did an excellent job since he already took the lead barely twenty minutes later. Entering the dark night, the Suzuki bearing the #12 seems the fastest. If the Suz' is always the first to stop in the pits, the Honda #1 and Yamaha #7 are extremely close, even to the point of competing for position on the track. Then Honda manages to pass to regain first place while waiting for the return of the Suzuki, in the stoppage game. Magnificent, after almost eight hours of ordeal.

 

 

It's simply impressive. Even if the action on the track is timid, everything is decided by tenths of a second. Note that in the leading trio, the Yamaha #7 is always the last to stop. In the meantime BMW #37 started from pole position, slowly but surely. At 23 p.m., the Suzuki #12 counts, purely on pace, around 50 seconds ahead of its pursuers while the Yamaha #7 and Honda #1 positions are exchanged in due form.

 

The Honda National Motos myth

 

the famous n°55. Honda National Motorcycles, a legendary French endurance team, has led the Superstock category for a very long time now. More than that ; she seems well on her way to winning this title in the Endurance World Cup, the championship dedicated to this class. It must be said that she was helped by two major racing events, even if all the credit goes to her. First, the engine failure (the third this week!) for the BMW #9 Tecmas-MRP BMW after only twenty minutes of racing, then, the elimination of the Honda #44 Honda No Limits by another competitor, the BMW #85 Tone RT SynceEdge 4413 BMW Japanese. Others have experienced many adventures, whether in the Experimental category for the Metis #45, but also, the Yamaha #98 Cap Endurance.

 

 

Another competitor is trapped, but cannot recover his motorcycle calmly! In the middle of the track, the Suzuki #34 JMA Racing Action Bike endangers the other drivers, but not enough to bring in the safety cars.

 

 

Behind, the situation is rather stable. There Kawasaki ZX-10R #33 BRMT 3D MAXXESS Nevers is always second, but often alternates with Yamaha #13 OG World Endurance Team depending on the strategy used.

Standings for the Bol d’Or FIM EWC 2023 at 19 p.m., four hours after the start of the race: 

 

 

Classification credit: FIM EWC/itslive

Cover picture : FIM EWC