3...2...1... Engines!

The Yamaha of the Yart led by Niccolo Canepa, Marvin Fritz and Karel Hanika took pole position on Friday, for the third consecutive year, and will therefore start in the best position, but still well parked on the cob as tradition dictates.

Czech driver Hanika even broke the qualifying record of Frenchman Randy de Puniet, who had held since 2017, by "slamming" a time of 1 Hmin 34 sec.

878, almost a second less over a lap.

As in 2021, the Suzuki N.1 of SERT, title holder at Le Mans and world champion, is just behind, while the Honda N.5 took third place on the starting grid.

Behind, the BMW of the World Endurance Team takes 4th position, the Ducati 5th: five official machines from five different manufacturers fill the first five places for this opening round of the motorcycle endurance world championship (EWC).

Belgian driver Xavier Simeon on his Suzuki during a training session at the 24 hours of Le Mans motorcycle, April 15, 2022 JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER AFP

- 52 motorcycles, two categories -

The fight promises to be great between the 52 qualified teams, still divided into two categories: the EWCs, more expensive, more modified, faster.

And the SSTs, very close to normal motorcycles, which are almost not improved.

If the weather keeps all its promises with 22 degrees in the air and bright sunshine over the Sarthe all weekend, the show should be intense.

But it's not just the 4.185 km of asphalt that will be hot.

From Thursday's practice, several hundred people had made the trip and settled in the various campsites that surround the circuit to the great satisfaction of the organizers and the drivers.

“Driving in front of empty stands was unbearable,” says Damien Saulnier, SERT team manager since Dominique Méliand handed over.

As teams and riders prepared to ride for 24 hours straight between Saturday and Sunday, the smell of barbecue and the roar of engines pushed to their limits by endurance fans were already felt and heard, as before. the pandemic.

Frenchman Sylvain Guintoli on his Suzuki during training at the 24 hours of Le Mans motorcycle, April 14, 2022 JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER AFP

"The Quartararo Effect"

The organizers expect 50,000, (70,000 before the Covid), they who feel "the Fabio Quartararo effect", the first French MotoGP world champion, last year.

"Fabio and the French drivers in Grand-Prix are locomotives", welcomes François Ribeiro, director of Eurosport Events, promoter of the world championship.

Thanks to Quartararo and Johann Zarco, "more people are interested and watch motorcycling on TV. We have just resigned our agreement to broadcast the 24 Hours Motorcycles with the L'Equipe channel for three years. It's just that it works , even if we are still very far from the success of MotoGP", he explains to AFP.

"They come to party for four days, they are the soul of the discipline," adds Ribeiro.

The soul, in this half-fair, half-rock concert atmosphere, is the raison d'être of motorcycle racing: spectators represent 80% of revenue.

The Le Mans meeting will be followed by two other 24-hour races on the EWC calendar: the return of the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps in June, in Belgium, and the centenary edition of the Bol d'Or at the Paul Ricard circuit in mid-September. .

Not forgetting the Suzuka 8 Hours in August, an unmissable round for Japanese manufacturers.

In the medal table at Le Mans, Kawasaki leads the way with 14 victories, ahead of Honda and Suzuki, 13 each, and Yamaha only 4.

On Saturday, five-time world champion swimmer Camille Lacourt will give the start of this 24-hour snorkeling, even if the party has already begun.

© 2022 AFP