Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team’s run of FIM Endurance World Championship victories at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps might have come to an end but Team Manager Mandy Kainz is not treating the Austrian outfit’s recent loss as a defeat.
After winning the 24H SPA EWC Motos in 2023 and the first running of the 8 Hours of Spa Motos in 2024, Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team’s trio of Marvin Fritz, Karel Hanika and Jason O’Halloran had to settle for third place in Belgium’s EWC counter earlier this month after two falls and a stop-and-go penalty cost it vital time.
Despite YART’s run of success ending, Kainz was full of praise for his riders. He said: “It was a superb performance from the whole team. We had really good pace in all conditions, with Marvin and Karel spearheading the attack in the dry, and Jason showing everyone what he is capable of in the wet. We had worked so hard to build a lead, and we were still in front even after Marvin’s little crash.
“Unfortunately, we had a stop-and-go penalty for a small mistake, which cost us over 40 seconds, but Jason managed to retake the lead before his crash. He was unlucky, as he was caught behind a slower bike during a yellow flag, and it was the kind of crash that could happen to anyone; we are just grateful he is okay. After that, Karel put in an amazing double stint at the end to catch and overtake the team in third, and we can be happy with our sixth podium in a row, plus extending our championship lead.
“I am proud of each member of the team for their efforts, plus the R1 and the Bridgestone tyres worked amazingly, so we are already looking forward to Suzuka.”
The 46th Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race takes place from 1-3 August. Click HERE for more information and click HERE to view the latest EWC standings.
Original Source [ FIM EWC ]
