Niccolò Canepa gave an interview to Corsedimoto, confirming his desire to achieve an important result at the Suzuka 8 Hours.
About Mattéo Bellan / Corsedimoto.com
This weekend takes place the prestigious 8 Hours of Suzuka, third and penultimate stage of the 2022 World Endurance Championship. Due to the Covid-19 emergency, the race was canceled in 2020 and 2021 and therefore all the teams have a great desire to do well.
Among the most anticipated protagonists, there is certainly the Italian Niccolò Canepa, who races for the YART Yamaha team with his teammates Marvin Fritz et Karel Hanika. The 34-year-old Ligurian was very fast both in free trials whether qualifying tests, he holds the lap record for an Italian and also that of Yamaha. For him, it is a great satisfaction and he now wants to do well in the race, and to conquer this podium which has until now always eluded him in this EWC event.
Face to face with Niccolò Canepa
At the end of the qualifying day, Niccolò Canepa told us of his expectations for these 8 Hours.
Niccolò, what type of race are you expecting and what goal have you set for yourself as a team?
“Ours is not a factory team and we are fighting against giants, with incredible teams and riders. To be able to fight with them and get these results is incredible. We have a much smaller team, with fewer people and fewer resources. It's good to be in a good position. The objective of the race is to get on the podium. The YART team never managed to do it at the Suzuka 8 Hours and neither did we drivers. So if something better comes along, it's a gift, a dream, something more. »
Which rivals do you think will be the strongest? Some predict a Honda-Kawasaki duel…
“It is certain that HRC and Kawasaki are the strongest on the track, they are without a doubt the benchmark.”
What kind of trap could there be in Sunday's race?
“It's a very difficult race, because the conditions change very quickly and unexpectedly here. We had two days of testing with incredible heat and full sun, now we are into the race weekend with slightly lower temperatures, so we have to evaluate different tire compounds and other things. Plus it's rained and stopped at least ten times today. In the race, it will be difficult to manage everything if we have another day like this. As it's a long track, it happens that it rains in some places and others are dry, so it's very complicated. »
You are the fastest Yamaha rider ever at the Suzuka 8 Hours: what pride does that give you?
" A lot. We came here knowing we had the bike like the 2019 one, and then we made some changes. The electronics have improved so much, it's changed from three years ago and allowed us to take an incredible step forward. Before we had the electronics kit, now we have the same as for the Superbike. We also have more people in the box, like Andrew Pitt, Andrea Locatelli's chief technician in the world championship. There are high-level people helping us and the result is there. This makes me proud, because I know how important this race is and how difficult this legendary track is. Being the best Yamaha rider of all time is an exciting thing. »
What are your strengths before the race?
“In general, as a team we have a lot of experience in endurance racing, whereas those who come from Superbike are perhaps a little less experienced. Although there are drivers like Lowes, Haslam and Rea who have already raced and won the Suzuka 8 Hours… But as a team and as drivers we have a lot of experience that we must try to build on. 'use to our advantage to make as few errors as possible and save time. »
How did you prepare for the Suzuka 8 Hours?
“I train constantly and I have the chance to participate in several championships. I ride a lot of motorbikes, it's the best training. I do a lot of miles and it helps me stay in shape. Since the beginning of the year, I have hardly had any days off, I have always been busy and that is important. The Suzuka 8 Hours is the most difficult race of the year, also because the track is very physical, so Sunday will be difficult. »
The race for the title of world endurance champion has become complicated, what do you expect from the championship final?
“At Spa we had a hard blow, we were winning the race, and then to find ourselves not finishing it, it was a shame. But anything can happen, we have to take advantage of being fast at Suzuka to score as many points as possible, even if it's an eight-hour race and the points are less. Then we'll go all out at the Bol d'Or. Winning the title will be difficult, but we are not giving up. »
A final comment on Jonathan Rea, six-time Superbike world champion and present with Kawasaki at the Suzuka 8 Hours to repeat his 2019 success?
“He's a very strong driver, it's great to be able to race with him and see us doing similar times. It’s a great satisfaction. I respect him enormously, he has incredible tenacity. In the World Championship, it's great to see that a youngster like Razgatlioglu managed to beat him last year and is giving him a tough time in 2022 as well. I will of course encourage Toprak and, in the meantime, I will try to beat Johnny on Sunday, even if it will be difficult.”
On Sunday, August 7, the long-awaited round of EWC 2022 will begin at 4:30 a.m. PT, with the checkered flag waving at 12:30 p.m. Live TV coverage is planned on Eurosport 2. On Corsedimoto you will not only find all the news in real time, but also exclusive videos of the most exciting highlights.
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