This Bol d'Or continues to impress us, and the official Suzuki team can attest to this. Indeed, a collective fall involving seven motorcycles has just taken place between the Signes curve and the Beausset double right, an extremely fast sector. While Yamaha faces a water temperature problem, it is now Yoshimura SERT Motul who suffers the horrors of the race but fortunately for the Franco-Japanese team, the GSX-R can start again.
The Bol d'Or does not spare Suzuki
It was a little before 11:15 a.m. that the accident occurred. At 200 km/h here, the error is unforgivable but the drivers have nothing to do with it; a puddle of oil traps many unfortunate people including Randy de Puniet (Kawasaki ZX-10R #11 Kawasaki WeBike Trickstar), Then, Greg Black (Suzuki GSX-R #12), back to back. The latter immediately gets up from his fall from the front, and runs to get his motorcycle while others fall behind. Fortunately, no one is affected by the sinking motorcycles. Moreover, the leader of the Superstock ranking (Honda #55 National Motorcycles) is also on the ground! It can start again after changing the fairing. It was very hot, so the race was in no way a matter of course. While the safety car is out while the marshals clean the track, the Suzuki re-enters. The mechanics changed the handlebar ends, a few aesthetic parts but the Ricard bitumen didn't damage the beast too much. Three laps are lost, she is still in the lead. Be careful though: this is the second fall of Greg Black, a Sylvain Guintoli is no longer available ! Etienne Masson perhaps holds the key to this 86th edition of the Bol d'Or for Suzuki.
See the accident right here, which (miraculously) didn't hurt anyone:
At least 7 bikes down! 😱
Including Bikes 12, 11 & 55!
Oil on track > 🚨 Safety car 🚨#Gold bowl #FIMEWC pic.twitter.com/PQlgwUOQfW— FIM EWC (@FIM_EWC) September 17, 2023
Standings for the Bol d’Or FIM EWC 2023 at 11:40 a.m.:
Classification credit: FIM EWC/itslive
Cover picture : FIM EWC