Yoshimura SERT Motul claims victory in first ever race at Le Mans

DENSO is always looking for ways to grow its support of high-performance vehicle manufacturers – and in 2021 it extended that support into two-wheeled vehicles as well. Yoshimura SERT Motul is a new team in this year’s FIM Endurance World Championship, formed as a coalition between Suzuki Motor Corporation and Yoshimura Japan. Proudly sponsored by DENSO, the team just claimed a victory in its first race at the 24 Heures Motos in Le Mans.

Who is Yoshimura SERT Motul?

Motorcycle parts and racing engine manufacturer Yoshimura has been collaborating with Suzuki since 1976, when Yoshimura worked on the Suzuki GS750, the company’s first four-stroke, four-cylinder motorcycle.

Since then, the two manufacturers have regularly worked together on racing machines – but they have also raced under their own banners. Yoshimura Racing Team boast four wins and several podium finishes at the Suzuka 8 Hours, while France-based Suzuki Endurance Racing Team have amassed several Endurance World Championship titles, including being the reigning champions from the 2020 season.

Therefore, it was major news when the two companies announced they would fully join forces for 2021 under a new brand, Yoshimura SERT Motul, which became Suzuki’s new factory team. Not only would it strengthen the partnership between the two squads, it was also expected to raise the standards in endurance motorcycle racing as a whole.

The team signed up four racers who would target the title: Gregg Black and Xavier Siméon, who were part of the championship-winning team in 2020, as well as Sylvain Guintoli and reserve Kazuki Watanabe, who had been heavily involved with the Yoshimura team as racers and development riders. The Franco-Japanese outfit also produced a new version of the Suzuki GSX-R1000R racing motorcycle in the livery of the new partnership. After extensive testing, it was finally ready for its first race at Le Mans on 12-13 June.

Dominant debut for DENSO-sponsored squad

Having posted the second-fastest time in qualifying, the Yoshimura SERT Motul was set for a good start, but faced a tough challenge to take and keep the race lead. Gregg Black, racing the first ever competitive stint for Yoshimura SERT Motul, opted to use the holeshot to secure a fast start; by the end of a dramatic first lap, he had the lead.

The challenge wasn’t over, however, as Yoshimura SERT Motul found itself in a tense battle for top spot – twice. First, an early contest with Tati Team Beringer Racing, and then a long duel with YART-Yamaha, which lasted until nightfall before the Yahama suffered a technical issue and the Suzuki was able to pull clear.

From here, the team exerted their dominance, with Black, Siméon and Guintoli rotating flawlessly to maintain their advantage throughout the night and the next morning. In total, they completed 855 laps of the Bugatti Circuit at Le Mans, finishing eight laps ahead of their nearest rivals. With qualifying and intermediate lead bonuses to add to their overall win, the team already sits some way ahead of the pack in the 2021 Endurance World Championship rankings.

‘Dream come true’ for elated team

Racers and managers alike were delighted at a near-perfect first race for the new team. Yohei Kato, Yoshimura team director, summed it up: “It was a really special moment to win the Le Mans 24H race, and I don’t know how to express my feelings. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our plans were rescheduled since the project was started and it was not so easy until we came here.

“However, our four riders and team crews did a perfect job through the weekend and we got a valuable victory because of everyone’s efforts. The Suzuki GSX-R1000 has been strong and reliable and it made the whole race really smooth. We had no issues today and we really had a perfect race.”

Sylvain Guintoli added: “The collaboration between SERT and Yoshimura is already bearing fruit. They are entities I have worked with in the past and we got along very well. These forces are now combined and the association is working perfectly well. With Gregg and Xavier, we are committed to winning. And here in Le Mans, we had an almost perfect race. It's like a dream come true.”

The Suzukis will be in action again in less than a month, at the 12 Hours of Estoril race in Portugal. These championships are far from over, but so far, the new Yoshimura-Suzuki collaboration is living up to all its promise.