F.C.C. TSR Honda France banked FIM Endurance World Championship points as its revamped rider line-up took to the track in competition mode for the first time during the 24 Heures Motos at Le Mans earlier this month.
With Mike Di Meglio and Josh Hook leaving the EWC title-winning outfit at the end of 2024, replacements Taiga Hada and Corentin Perolari joined forces with existing F.C.C. TSR Honda France rider Alan Techer.
Having led earlier in the race, a spate of crashes restricted the team to seventh place in the Formula EWC ranking in eighth overall.
“The race wasn't easy, but what I’ll take away from it are the many positive points,” said Techer. “Last year, we didn't score any points. Today, we proved our potential. From the start, Corentin set an excellent pace despite the mixed track conditions. After that, I managed to bring the bike back and we were in the lead after the toughest first two hours. The other big positive point is that Corentin and I set a very good pace overnight, despite the fact that we were only racing together from 10pm to 7am. We showed that the bike was fast, that the team was performing well and I think that was reflected in the times. Unfortunately, we didn't manage to get the result we wanted, but I think we'll be even stronger for the next race at Spa.”
Perolari said: “From the start in the rain, I knew how to be careful and I brought the bike back without making any mistakes, which Alan also did. Taiga was a little slower and during the night we double stinted with Alan. We had a good pace with the slick tyres despite the damp patches. We were very quick at night and throughout the race. Unfortunately, we made a few mistakes at the end. But that's what happens in racing and there are positive things for the rest of the championship. It was a negative race in terms of the result, but positive in terms of the pace and everything we showed on track and in the pits. Alan was very quick at Spa last year and I love this circuit so we should have a good race.”
After racing at Le Mans for the first time, Hada added: “It was a very difficult race because the grip on the track changed a lot. I had to deal with conditions that I wasn't familiar with and it was easy to crash. First it started to rain while I was on slick tyres. The second time, the track had dried out and I crashed with very worn rain tyres. I'm really sorry for the team and my team-mates. It was a very complicated race. I'm now concentrating on the next race at Spa.”
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps hosts round two of the EWC season from 6-7 June. Ticket information is available HERE.
Original Source [ FIM EWC ]
