POLE POSITION AND LAP RECORD FOR YOSHIMURA SERT MOTUL AT SPA
Yoshimura SERT Motul was in brilliant form today, Friday the 6th of June, for both qualifying sessions of the 2025 FIM Endurance World Championship second round – the 8-Hours of Spa – at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit.
After two intense qualifying sessions, the #1 Suzuki GSX-R1000R secured a new lap record in the hands of the experienced Gregg Black, and pole position for the start of the 8 Hours of Spa.
Gregg, Étienne Masson and, recently-recovered-from-injury Dan Linfoot, approach the 8-Hours event in Belgium with renewed determination following a challenging season opener at Le Mans. The team finished second at Spa in 2024, a mere 40 seconds behind the winners.
On the 6.985 km Spa circuit, Black set an exceptional lap of 02:17’.896, breaking the previous track record and confirming the competitiveness of the Suzuki GSX-R1000R. His teammates also put in impressive performances.Linfoot, back in full form after a fractured humerus, took the fastest time of his first session with a solid 02:18.985. Masson faced several interruptions during his two sessions; however, he made the most of his second qualifying to refine his riding style and recorded a promising 02:19.888, demonstrating encouraging progress ahead of the race.
With the qualifying classification based on the average of the two best lap times per team, Yoshimura SERT Motul ranked first with an average time of 02:18.441, securing pole position on the grid and secured an additional five championship points.
Yohei KATO – Team Director
“Securing pole position is always a great feeling after qualifying, and I’m very pleased with the performance of our riders. They truly delivered and brought great satisfaction to the whole team. Earning the five points associated with pole is also very important for us, especially given our current position in the championship standings. Every point counts, and this gives us a valuable boost.
That said, tomorrow is a new day, with a new challenge. The weather forecast is predicting rain, so we are preparing for very different conditions. Our focus remains clear: we are here to fight for the victory.”
Damien SAULNIER – Team Manager
“What a qualifying session! Gregg put in an exceptional lap in 2’17’’896. I was watching his progress live and you could see his total commitment; legs tight against the tank, elbows locked, never easing up, even through the double left at Blanchimont. He delivered a simply masterful lap, and I think it will take some time before it’s beaten. Breaking the 02’18 barrier here at Spa is a real achievement.
Dan also posted a very good time, while Étienne unfortunately had his sessions disrupted by several red flags. But overall, it’s a very strong performance from the whole team, who delivered a solid and consistent effort. I’m really happy for our technical staff, for Yoshimura, and for the entire team. After the difficulties we faced at Le Mans, this result feels very good. Everyone is smiling tonight, and we’re now looking forward to tomorrow’s race.”
Gregg BLACK – Rider
“I had a very good second qualifying session this afternoon. Yesterday’s private testing was hampered by difficult weather conditions, giving us little chance to run in the dry and fully exploit the bike’s potential. Today, with better weather, we were able to put on slick tires. Unfortunately, my first qualifying session was heavily impacted by traffic, and I couldn’t go as fast as I hoped. So, we used qualifying tires in the second session and, for the first time, I broke the 02’18 barrier here at Spa to set a new lap record. I’m focused on tomorrow’s race, which is likely to be wet, but I’m very happy with this qualifying result that earns us important championship points.”
Étienne MASSON – Rider
“Overall, these qualifying sessions were positive, with good feelings on track. Gregg posted an excellent time in his second session, which clearly helped us secure a good grid position. For my part, my first session was compromised by heavy traffic, which prevented me from fully benefiting from a fresh tire. In the second session, I didn’t have a new tire but I used the time to get my bearings for the race and focus on my riding. I’m quite satisfied as it allowed me to work effectively and improve in certain areas. Tomorrow everything starts anew as the weather is expected to be very different. We’ll have to make the right strategic choices and learn from our experience at Le Mans to try to make up ground in the championship.”
Dan LINFOOT – Rider
“This pole position is the perfect way to conclude qualifying. Gregg delivered an incredible lap! Congratulations to him, it was truly impressive. I’m also pleased with my own performance in the first qualifying session; it was a solid lap time for me, especially considering this is my first race back since my injury. Physically, I’m feeling okay, which is already a positive sign. The weather forecast for tomorrow suggests very different conditions, so we’ll need to prepare accordingly. But for now, we’ll take confidence from today’s result and enjoy this strong start to the weekend.”
The start of the 2025 8 Hours of Spa Motos is scheduled for Saturday the 7th of June at 12:30 CET. Discovery Sport Events will provide live coverage of the entire race in more than 40 countries. Full live coverage of the race will also be available on the Motorsport.TV digital platform.
