6 Hours of Most Qualifying

YART–Yamaha Official EWC Team were the only team to have three riders come in under the 1:33 mark at Most overnight. Thus of course it is YART that claimed pole position once again with the Austrian team ahead of BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team and Yoshimura SERT Motul, the current standings leader.

On Saturday YART will have to attempt to convert this into a win after a tough season during which they were forced to withdraw twice and crashed at the end of the race at Estoril. 

Mandy Kainz – YART Team Manager

“It’s been a long but good day for us. We secured another pole position, five from the last six races! I think we are well prepared for Saturday’s race. We came to Most as the team to beat and there was a lot of expectation on us to get pole position. To be honest I wasn’t so sure because we haven’t been here with the Bridgestone tyres, but they are working really well with the R1 here at Most. All three riders rode incredibly well but especially Niccolò who has been really sick over the last few days, I didn’t expect him to ride today if I’m honest! But he rode really well and like Karel and Marvin put in a brilliant lap time. All three riders managed more or less the same lap time and we were the only team to have all three riders in the 33’s, which is a confidence boost for us! The 6 Hours will be a sprint compared to the usual races this season with two 24-hours and the 12-hour, but I think we have the right bike, tyres and for sure the right riders, but all we can do now is prepare as well as we can and we’ll see what happens on Saturday.”

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BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team, who once again had to do without Javier Forés after his crash during testing at the Bol d’Or, will start from 2nd on the grid with riders Markus Reiterberger, who posted the day’s fastest lap of all, a 1m33.191s, Ilya Mikhalchik and Kenny Foray. 

Markus Reiterberger – Team BMW Rider

“So far, the days here in Most have been really good, and the qualifying sessions also went very well. We set the fastest qualifying lap of the entire field, which is something I am very proud of. We have consistently improved the bike, which is now in very good condition, both for a flying lap and over the full race distance. I really like the track in Most. It is very cool, but the conditions are superb for fast laps. We are excellently equipped for the race. We hope we get off to a good start, that the weather plays ball, and that we get through the race without any problems. Then we will really have a chance to challenge for the win.”

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After a working session in the first qualifying, Yoshimura SERT Motul’s Gregg Black, Xavier Simeon and Sylvain Guintoli posted the third-fastest time of the afternoon.

Damien Saulnier – Team Manager SERT

“The days were very busy and intense. But the results are there. This third place in qualifying is almost like a pole position; we are the first of those who have never ridden at Most! The Bridgestone tyres work well here, the riders and the Japanese technicians are satisfied, so everyone is happy. Now we remain very focused on the race. We will have to manage our lead, without making any mistakes. It would be a big mistake to think that it is a foregone conclusion. We are all well aware of that.”

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F.C.C. TSR Honda France will start from 4th on the grid on Saturday morning ahead of Poland’s Wójcik Racing Team in their YZF-R1, who seem very much at ease at Most.  Hook was the quickest of the Honda squad but all three riders were very close on times.

Then it is Webike SRC Kawasaki France Trickstar and VRD Igol Experiences. The independent French team, who might still be able to wrest the 2021 title from Yoshimura SERT Motul, are preparing to race and seize their chances depending on what happens during the race. 

Moto Ain, ERC Endurance-Ducati and Tati Team Beringer Racing round off the Top 10 on the starting grid. 

Team 18 Sapeurs-Pompiers CMS Motostore, who are 11th on the grid, were the fastest Superstock team in qualifying with riders Hugo Clère, Johan Nigon and Philip Steinmayr (who has replaced an injured Bastien Mackels).

Maco Racing will start from 12th with only two riders, Anthony West and Ondřej Ježek. Westy was 1.5-seconds faster than his team-mate, but two-seconds off the pace of pole sitters YART.

On Friday the track will be taken over by cars competing in the FIA WTCR races. Motorcycles will return to the track on Saturday.

2021 FIM Endurance World Championship
6 Hours of Most Qualifying Results

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Source: MCNews.com.au