With 304 laps completed and over 1,112.64km covered the Honda Endurance Racing team finished the final round of the 2016 FIM Endurance World Championship at the 8 Hours of Oschersleben, in fourth place and fourth overall in the championship standings.
The race got underway at 14.00hrs local time and starting from ninth place on the grid Freddy Foray quickly got to work aboard the Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP chasing down the front group. By the first pit stop the team were sitting in third place.
After an issue with the brake caliper sticking during the pit stop, which lost crucial time the team was down in seventh place. Julien Da Costa was out on track next and during his stint pushed hard to make up the lost places and had moved into fifth place by the second pit stop.
Taking over the reins of the Fireblade next was Sébastien Gimbert, however drama unfolded on track and an oil spill caused by a three-bike crash brought out the safety car. During this time the team opted to pit early and replace the brake calipers to prevent further pit stop complications.
Returning to the track in seventh place Gimbert, who is nursing badly bruised ribs after a crash in practice, masterfully rode the CBR back into fifth position. With super-speedy pit stops, the crew worked hard to ensure no more time was lost.
Over the next four hours Honda’s endurance specialists worked hard to ensure the fifth place wasn’t lost. However, in the final 30 minutes it was announced that championship rivals YART had retired, moving Honda Endurance Racing into fourth place.
The final stages of the race saw the Honda team look on as Foray was tasked with bringing the Fireblade home and maintaining that fourth place. After eight hours and 304 laps the Honda Endurance Racing team finished the 8 Hours of Oschersleben fourth.
The team has experience a mixed 2016 season with results, although constantly in the mix with the leading groups over the four races, some little niggles have plagued them from showing their true potential. However the result from today and finishing the season in fourth place, puts them in a good place ahead of the Bol d’Or (16-18 September), which marks the start of the 2017 EWC season in its new championship format.
Freddy Foray
Well fourth, you know it’s not so bad. When I started the race today I knew we had to push to be able to move up the places and we managed this. Of course we always want to finish higher and win, but we’re happy with fourth. The race was good, the Fireblade was faultless and the team as always worked hard to give us the best possible package. It’s been a difficult year at times, but to finish fourth overall is a positive. We will now put our focus to the Bol d’Or where the goal will of course be for the win!
Julien Da Costa
Fourth place today is good and we are happy, we started ninth so to make up the places is good. We don’t fight at the front, which for a rider is the most important thing, but this year we have finished every race and as close to the podium as was possible at the time. Of course Le Mans was a real shame for us as the second-place points, with Portimao and today would have moved us higher in the championship, but you know this is racing! We now have a good energy for the Bol d’Or and we’re looking forward to getting there and fighting for the win!
Sébastien Gimbert
For me the race was difficult, I am struggling with my ribs and it was physically difficult to push. At the start of the race I had a different feeling with the Fireblade setting, which I wasn’t too happy with, but after my second stint I was starting to get used to it and did some very fast laps, which I was pleased with. The pace of the riders in front was very strong, so to start the race ninth and finish fourth is very positive. We finished the championship fourth as well and we now have good motivation going to the Bol d’Or in a few weeks time. All three of us want to win and will push hard to make this happen.
 |
Jonny Twelvetrees
Assistant team manager
So we finished today fourth and fourth overall in the championship, of course we wanted more and to win here, but looking at the pace of the guys in front unfortunately with the small problems we had early on, it meant it wasn’t possible to fight with the front pack – but fourth was a great result considering the circumstances. We’re pleased with both results but there’s also a sense of what could have been. Looking back over the championship, we go to Le Mans where we were running in second place, but a problem put us back and we finished 19th in the end – which had we finished second we would have walked away with 109 points, but it’s racing and there are always what ifs, you just have to bounce back. So to finish the season fourth after the start we had is positive and it has been a great season. We now have three weeks until the new season kicks off with the Bol d’Or, which we’re all looking forward to.