Looking back on 10 seasons of FIM Endurance World Championship promotion by Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports, FIMEWC.com is today highlighting the 2018-19 campaign, reflecting on who won what, who came out on top in the championship chase as well as pinpointing some of the key moments and achievements.
HIGHLIGHTS
From 20 full-season entries representing seven countries in 2015 to 42 teams representing 12 countries for the 2018-19 season underlines the appeal of the EWC, which is again contested over five rounds.
F.C.C. TSR Honda France brings in Mike Di Meglio, a four-time winner with GMT94 Yamaha, to partner existing riders Freddy Foray and Josh Hook as it goes for back-to-back titles.
Niccolò Canepa starts his YART adventure alongside Marvin Fritz and Broc Parkes (below), while Team 3ART Moto Team 95 and Viltaïs Racing step up to the Formula EWC category with Viltaïs recruiting ex-MotoGP rider Xavier Siméon.
After five seasons in Superstock, Tati Team Trick Star, makes the move to Formula EWC ahead of the 24 Heures Motos
Team SRC Kawasaki France adds David Checa and Erwan Nigon to its attack. Checa, the triple EWC champion, had been a GMT94 Yamaha rider since 2003.
NRT48 is renamed ERC-BMW Motorrad Endurance and includes Julien da Costa, Kenny Foray and Mathieu Gines in its ranks.
After 39 years in charge of Suzuki Endurance Racing Team, Dominique Meliand retires from service.
Once again changes are made to the sporting regulations, including points being handed out to the fastest five teams in qualifying.
In front of 69,000 fans, F.C.C. TSR Honda France begins its pursuit of a second consecutive EWC title by winning the Bol d’Or (above) with a 54-second margin over YART. Yamaha Wepol Racing completes the podium despite its riders Matthieu Lagrive, Sheridan Morais and Danny Webb getting the first glimpse of their new bike on the Tuesday of race week.
Armed with a 2019 version of the ZX-10RR and having completed more than 4000 kilometres of testing during the winter, Team SRC Kawasaki France wins the 24 Heures Motos ahead of Honda Endurance Racing. Pole-sitting Team ERC-BMW Motorrad Endurance retires after an engine issue causes a crash shortly after midnight. Two crashes restrict F.C.C. TSR Honda France to 35th.
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Prior to the start at Le Mans (above), Warner Bros. Discovery Sports (known then as Eurosport Events), signs a 10-year extension to its contract with the FIM to promote the EWC. Newly-elected FIM President Jorge Viegas performs race start duties.
YART Yamaha leads the 8 Hours EWC Slovakia Ring (top) from start to finish for its second consecutive victory in the event as Junior Team Le Mans Sud Suzuki tops the Superstock classification.
Moto Ain wins the Superstock category and takes the FIM Endurance World Cup title in the 8 Hours EWC Oschersleben (below), which takes place on a Sunday for the first time. F.C.C. TSR Honda France wins outright as Team SRC Kawasaki France claims the championship lead. There’s a first EWC podium for Viltaïs Racing (VRD Igol Pierret Expériences).
Kawasaki Racing Team Suzuka 8H’s all-star line-up of Leon Haslam, Toprak Razgatlioglu and Jonathan Rea halts Yamaha Factory Racing Team’s unbeaten run in the Suzuka 8 Hours, (below) which had stretched back to 2015. In a dramatic final few laps, Rea crashes on oil as the red flags wave with three minutes remaining. However, when the results are backdated one lap in accordance with the rules, Kawasaki Racing Team Suzuka 8H takes victory, while the Kawasaki celebrations continued when Team SRC Kawasaki France secures the 2018-19 EWC title, a first for Gilles Stafler’s squad. The event attracts 109,000 spectators across three days.
CALENDAR
Bol d’Or, 13-16 September 2018
24 Heures Motos, 18-21 April 2019
8 Hours EWC Slovakia Ring, 9-11 May 2019
8 Hours EWC Oschersleben, 6-8 June 2019
Suzuka 8 Hours, 26-28 July 2019
RACE WINNERS
Bol d’Or
Formula EWC: F.C.C. TSR Honda France (Josh Hook, Freddy Foray, Mike Di Meglio), Honda CBR 1000 RR, 698 laps
Superstock: Gert56 German Endurance Racing Team (Julian Puffe, Stefan Kerschbaumer, Filip Altendorfer), BMW S1000RR, 688 laps
24 Heures Motos
Formula EWC: Team SRC Kawasaki France (Jérémy Guarnoni, David Checa, Erwan Nigon), Kawasaki ZX 10R, 839 laps
Superstock: Motors Events (James Westmoreland, Johan Nigon, Adrien Ganfornia), Suzuki GSXR-1000, 821 laps
8 Hours EWC Slovakia Ring
Formula EWC: YART - Yamaha (Broc Parkes, Marvin Fritz, Niccolò Canepa), Yamaha YZF-R1,
218 laps
Superstock: Junior Team Le Mans Sud Suzuki (Louis Rossi, Hugo Clere, Alexis Masbou), Suzuki GSXR-1000, 213 laps
8 Hours EWC Oschersleben
Formula EWC: F.C.C. TSR Honda France (Josh Hook, Freddy Foray, Mike Di Meglio), Honda CBR 1000 RR, 308 laps
Superstock: Moto Ain (Roberto Rolfo, Robin Mulhauser, Stefan Hill), Yamaha YZF-R1, 303 laps
Suzuka 8 Hours
Formula EWC: Kawasaki Racing Team Suzuka 8H (Leon Haslam, Toprak Razgatlioglu, Jonathan Rea), Kawasaki ZX 10R, 216 laps
CHAMPIONS
Formula EWC: Team SRC Kawasaki France, 175.5 points (+8 points) (above
Superstock: Moto Ain, 45 points (+0 points)
Up next: Season 2019-20
Original Source [ FIM EWC ]
