However, in order to do so, he needs to win with his Suzuki #12 from Yoshimura SERT Motul. With a 61-point deficit behind the championship leader, F.C.C. TSR Honda France (138 points), the French team will have to step up their game.
Il n’y a pas d’autre alternative que de gagner la course…
However, in order to do so, he needs to win with his Suzuki n°12 from Yoshimura SERT Motul. With a 61-point deficit behind the championship leader, F.C.C. TSR Honda France (138 points), the French team will have to step up their game.
Il n’y a pas d’autre option que de gagner la course, qui rapporte 85 points au vainqueur.
It is always a pleasant and well-known challenge, so it is always enjoyable to come back here.
Joined a week before the final round of the championship, the Charentais reflects on the season and shares his racing ambitions.
Comment vous sentez-vous avant d’aborder le Bol d’Or, la dernière course du championnat ?
« I feel really good and I’m excited to be there. This is a race that is important to us and has often been successful for us, except for last year when we had to abandon. It’s a track where our team, both the riders and the bike, perform well. It’s always a friendly and well-known event, so it’s always nice to come back here and reconnect with the audience. »
Avez-vous pris part aux essais préliminaires du Bol ?
Not this year because there were no official trials. However, we have a big trial day on Tuesday with all the other teams, which is enough for us to be prepared.
Do you enjoy the Le Castellet track?
Yes, a lot. It is a track that is unique and really different from the other three. Le Castellet has its own specificities. It is a circuit with long straight lines, which put a lot of strain on the mechanics and require a certain type of driving. One must always stay focused because we reach speeds of 350 km/h in a straight line and the braking points are not the same due to the speed. Also, we must be cautious about the drafting phenomenon with other motorcycles, which is more significant, and especially the mistral wind that can easily push us off course. Unlike other circuits, it is a track that is flat and smooth, so it is always enjoyable to ride on.
e et votre 10e match, vous avez obtenu 2 victoires, 2 défaites et 1 match nul. Comment expliquez-vous cette irrégularité ?
Au début de la saison, vous avez déclaré que votre objectif était d’être régulier. Cependant, lors de vos 7e et 10e matchs, vous avez remporté 2 victoires, subi 2 défaites et obtenu 1 match nul. Comment pouvez-vous expliquer cette absence de régularité ?e place au Mans, les soucis mécaniques à Spa qui vous privent du podium et cette malheureuse chute à Suzuka qui vous relègue à la 12eQuel est votre avis sur ce début de saison contrasté ?
I’m not going to hide from you that we are a little disappointed with this year’s results. But what we take away from it is that we are extremely strong in qualifying and in the race, always at the forefront, playing for victory in every event. Indeed, we can say that the first three races of the championship are contrasting because we can see that we have the performance, but we lacked that little bit of luck to be able to win. However, we much prefer to be successful, even with a bit of bad luck, rather than the other way around.
What explains these underperformances?
In endurance racing, a significant amount of luck and success is required. However, this year, we have clearly had none, making the championship challenging for us. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans, I was hit by an overly optimistic competitor, causing us to lose the race entirely. At Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium, we experienced a technical issue with the motorcycle, forcing us to return to the pits for over ten minutes, resulting in a significant loss of time. And at Suzuka, the rain arrived at the wrong moment while I was still using slick tires. I made a small mistake by touching the wet white line and ended up falling. This is the nature of endurance racing and the unpredictability of a race. It is important to accept the lows and appreciate the highs as it is part of the game to face difficulties.
Est-il encore possible pour vous de remporter un troisième titre de champion du monde avec le SERT, alors que vous êtes actuellement classé quatrième du championnat ?
Each race seems more and more complicated to us despite our performances. Now, nothing is set in stone yet. The winner of the event can earn 85 points and we are only 61 points behind the championship leaders. If luck comes back to our side, we definitely have the possibility to compete for the title, or at worst, a position as vice-world champions.
Vous êtes obligé de remporter la course, n’est-ce pas ?
Absolutely. Our goal has been clear from the start: to win the race. It is our only solution to hope to win the world title. We know it won’t be easy because there are very strong teams ahead of us. So it will be up to us to stand out from the competition and go for the victory.
Quels sont vos buts pour la prochaine saison ?
I am still in discussion with the team, but things are going well to extend the adventure with SERT. We really hope to continue together for the next season and once again, fight to win a title.
