Race
EWC 2024
Round 4

Drama at nail-biting EWC finale, as Honda take FIM Endurance World Cup Teams and Manufacturers titles

fr Paul Ricard Circuit
Drama at nail-biting EWC finale, as Honda take FIM Endurance World Cup Teams and Manufacturers titles
  • Double delight for Honda Superstock teams with National Motos Honda FMA taking the FIM Endurance World Cup 2024 title and Chromeburner-RAC 41-Honda as a runner-up

  • Honda seal the World Cup Manufacturers’ crown in season finale

  • F.C.C. TSR Honda France was denied a well-deserved podium finish despite an impressive comeback.

National Motos Honda FMA won the FIM Endurance World Cup for Teams with the Swiss brothers Sebastien and Valentin Suchet, and Frenchman Guillaume Raymond, a well-deserved victory following the late drama in the last half hour of the 2023 Bol d’Or that had prevented the team from securing the title.

Honda #55 started the race with a 53-point advantage in their category. However, with Superstock teams counting their best three results out of the four events, the championship was still undecided, making the final race crucial for securing the title.

Despite National Motos Honda FMA finished the race in tenth place, their 4-point lead over Chromeburner-RAC41-Honda was sufficient to secure the FIM Endurance World Cup 2024 title. Their consistent performance throughout the season ensured they clinched the championship despite the challenges faced in the final round.

Chromeburner-RAC41-Honda started from fourth place in their category, with Chris Leesch aboard the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP. The Honda #41 team managed to position themselves among the front of their category for almost half of the race.

With just four hours remaining, Honda #41 climbed to second place in the Superstock category. Thanks to excellent communication between the riders and team, along with the faultless reliability of the Fireblade #41, Chromeburner-RAC41-Honda secured second place in the 2024 Bol d’Or race. Their strong performance throughout the season earned them the runner-up spot in the FIM Endurance World Cup 2024.

The third team to finish in the Superstock podium was TRT27 AZ Moto, another new Honda-powered squad that ends the FIM Endurance World Cup in 6th position.

With these results, both National Motos Honda FMA and Chromeburner-RAC41-Honda, along with TRT27 AZ, contributed to Honda securing the 2024 FIM Endurance World Cup for Constructors.

Despite a strong start, F.C.C. TSR Honda France had to retire with 4 hours remaining in the 24-hour race.

F.C.C. TSR Honda France started fifth on the grid aboard the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP with Alan Techer. The Frenchman quickly moved up to the second place, setting a lap record of 1:53.578, showcasing an impressive pace and positioning.

However, the team’s hopes for a podium finish for the first time this season were vanished 1 hour and 45 minutes into the race when a rear tire explosion forced Josh Hook to pit due to severe damage to the bike’s rear. Despite the entire team’s quick response, the pit stop took about ten minutes and the team rejoined the race in 41st place.

Later, after four hours of racing, the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP had to make another prolonged pit stop, a traction control problem, likely caused by the earlier tyre problem, dropping down again in the standings.

After overcoming the earlier setbacks, F.C.C. TSR Honda France began a new race. The team's three riders engaged in a long climb up the standings thanks to a series of fast and consistent stints. After 16 hours of racing, they fought their way up to eighth place overall, fifth in the EWC class and securing valuable championship points.

Demonstrating the characteristic fighting spirit of the Honda family, F.C.C. TSR Honda France staged an incredible comeback. With five hours remaining, the team successfully moved the Fireblade #5 into fifth overall and fourth in the EWC class, positioning themselves strongly for the final stages of the race.

Unfortunately, with just four hours remaining, Hook experienced a technical issue that stopped the bike at turn number 9. Back into the pits and despite all the remarkable efforts by all the technical team, F.C.C. TSR Honda France was ultimately forced to retire.

F.C.C. TSR Honda France ends the 2024 FIM EWC season in 12th  place with 33 points. Despite the challenges faced throughout the season, the entire team remains determined to come back stronger and fight for another world title in the next season.

Tati Team Beringer Racing started strong from sixth place on the grid, with Corentin Perolari leading the race for several laps. However, a gear selector issue after the second hour forced Hugo Clere into the pits. Later, a prolonged stop by Randy Krummenacher caused further delays, but the team managed to maintain a solid sixth position at the halfway point, thanks to strong lap times from the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP.

Unfortunately, a mechanical problem with the Honda #4 forced the team to retire midway through the race. Despite this setback, Tati Team Beringer Racing finished in an impressive 5th position in their first season aboard the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP.

Honda Viltaïs Racing team, the runner-up in the 2023 Bol d’Or, nearly executed a perfect race. However, a technical issue with the Honda #333 forced the team to retire just as they entered the final three hours of the race.

Leandro Mercado started from 4th place on the grid and, during the race, the Argentinian rider battled at the front, contending for top positions for several hours.

Thanks to the team's concentration and consistency, the Honda #333 secured a firm third place by the end of the 8th hour of the race, earning an additional 8 points towards the championship.

The Honda Viltaïs Racing team’s efforts, both on the track and during refueling, were kept throughout the night. As a result, the Fireblade #333 climbed to second place after 14 hours of racing.

As the race entered its final quarter, Florian Alt encountered a breaking issue, causing the Honda #333 to make a pit stop while running in 3rd place. The German rider handed over the handlebars to Steve Odendaal, who rejoined the race in fourth place.

Unfortunately, an additional problem while holding third place, forced the Honda #333 to return to the pits. Despite the team's extensive efforts to repair the bike, the Honda Viltaïs Racing team was unable to complete the race.

 


Josh Hook
Josh Hook 5
F.C.C. TSR Honda France
It's an unfortunate result that reflects our season as a whole. We were all looking forward to this race to finish on a high, especially as we had the pace to win. The technical team did a great job, but it’s just the way it goes sometimes. We had a terrible year and one to forget.

Mike Di Meglio
Mike Di Meglio 5
F.C.C. TSR Honda France
It's been a very complicated season for us, and we were really hoping for a good result in this final round. We worked very hard together to come up with a very good bike. Unfortunately, the tyre problem penalized us by limiting our choices, but we still managed to ride fast and climb up the standings. The season ends as it began, and I'm disappointed for the team who deserved at least a podium.

Alan Techer
Alan Techer 5
F.C.C. TSR Honda France
This race is a huge disappointment. The 3 riders had a very good race pace and the mechanics did an excellent job throughout the week. Unfortunately, we had a tyre blow out during Josh's first stint and then a technical problem which led to this result.

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