Marvin Fritz has set a new lap record in First Qualifying for the 8 Hours of Spa Motos, breaking his own benchmark time for Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team.
Riding the #7 Yamaha YZF - R1 on Bridgestone tyres, Fritz clocked a 2m18.273s best to beat his previous standard of 2m18.551s, set 12 months ago.
However, BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team has claimed the unofficial provisional pole position for round two of the FIM Endurance World Championship season followed by F.C.C. TSR Honda France and the Austrian YART squad, the winner of the 2024 8 Hours of Spa Motos.
Honda No Limits is on the provisional Superstock pole ahead of Champion-MRP-Tecmas and Wójcik Racing Team. Green Team 42 Lycée Sainte Claire set the Production category pace ahead of Team Moto Ain and Team Super Moto Racing. Both categories are supplied exclusive by tyre partner Dunlop.
How First Qualifying unfolded
Alan Techer was rapid from the outset in the Blue Rider group and was on top of the order with a 2m19.70s effort when the session was red flagged five minutes in after Leandro Mercado (Champion-MRP-Tecmas), on his return to the EWC after missing the season opener at Le Mans, crashed at Speaker Corner. Riding for F.C.C. TSR Honda France, Techer then lowered his benchmark time to 2m19.005s to complete the session at the head of pack, 0.030s in front of BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team’s Sylvain Guintoli with Yoshimura SERT Motul’s Gregg Black next up after he posted a 2m19.887s best. Karel Hanika was fourth for Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team followed by MAXXESS by BMRT 3D Pirelli Motul’s Isaac Viñales, ERC Endurance rider Illya Mykhalchyk and EWC newcomer John McPhee (Tati Team AVA6 Racing). Making his comeback from injury, Christian Gamarino crashed, albeit unhurt, his Kawasaki Webike Trickstar entry at the entry to Pouhon Double Gauche – but not before he’d set the eighth fastest time – while Bálint Kovács was forced to park his Hungarian Endurance Racing Team by Moto-Jungle BMW on the exit with a reported brake caliper fire. Milan Merckelbagh was a faller for JMA Racing Action Bike at Les Combes. TRT27 AZ Moto’s Tom Ward set the standard in the Dunlop-equipped Superstock division on a 2m22.113s best. Kevin Calia, part of the Team Aviobike by M2 Revo line-up that claimed FIM Endurance World Cup gold at Spa 12 months ago was second fastest ahead of Team 18 Pompiers Igol CMS Motostore’s Enzo De La Vega. Julien Bonnet (Green Team 42 Lycée Sainte Claire) was the rider to beat in the new-for-2025 FIM Endurance World Trophy ahead of Team Moto Ain’s Jordy Manneveau and Firmin Prodhomme (Team Super Moto Racing).
Marvin Fritz left it to final six minutes of the Yellow Rider group to smash his existing lap record of 2m18.551s with a 2m18.273s charge. Markus Reiterberger was second for BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team, 0.289s slower than Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team rider Fritz. Corentin Perolari was third fastest for F.C.C. TSR Honda France with Hugo Clère fourth for Tati Team AVA6 Racing. Yoshimura SERT Motul’s Étienne Masson was fifth quickest, one place in front of ELF Marc VDS Racing Team/KM99’s Jérémy Guarnoni. EWC newcomer Milan Pawelec topped the Dunlop-equipped Superstock category for Wójcik Racing Team in a fine seventh overall followed by Danny Webb (Team LRP Poland) and ERC Endurance’s Kenny Foray. Hannes Soomer (Champion-MRP-Tecmas) and Roberto Tamburini (Honda No Limits) were second and third quickest in Superstock as Green Team 42 Lycée Sainte Claire’s Corentin Garcia topped the Production ranking ahead of Team Super Motor Racing’s Bastien Mejane and Team Moto Ain rider Pierre Galas. Belgian rider Arnaud De Kimpe crashed PRD Team CL Racing’s Kawasaki after six minutes.
BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team’s Steven Odendaal knocked Dan Linfoot off the top of the Red Rider ranking with 12 minutes of the final 20-minute session remaining with Linfoot then falling behind home hero Loris Cresson (MAXXESS by BMRT 3D Pirelli Motul) and Jason O’Halloran (Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team). But Linfoot, who missed the 24 Heures Motos through injury, hit back in the final five minutes, posting a 2m18.985s best to reclaim first place for Yoshimura SERT Motul. Kaito Toba was quickest in the Dunlop-supplied Superstock class for Honda No Limits, one place ahead of category rival Kazuki Watanabe (Team Étoile). ELF Marc VDS Racing Team/KM99’s Randy De Puniet, Kawasaki Webike Trickstar’s Grégory Leblanc and F.C.C. TSR Honda France’s Taiga Hada were next up as Alex Toledo completed the top 10 for Team Bolliger Switzerland with Jan Bühn third quickest in Superstock for Champion-MRP-Tecmas. Thomas Wolfarth came out on top in the FIM Endurance World Trophy Team for Moto Ain followed by Paul Barre (ARTEC #199) and Green Team 42 Lycée Sainte Claire’s Gabriel Sanchez.
With the final EWC qualifying order taking into account the average time of the fastest two riders from each team, it won’t be until the completion of Second Qualifying, which is scheduled for 16h25 CET, that the final grid will be determined.
Original Source [ FIM EWC ]
