Reigning World Champion Yoshimura Suzuki was back in action as preparations for this season’s EWC fired up in Le Mans.

The famous Bugatti Circuit in France played host to 48 teams across the championship’s classes with Gregg Black, Sylvain Guintoli and Xavier Simeon returning to their #1 Suzuki GSX-R1000R.
The team, which has won numerous races at the 4.2km track, focused on technical innovations alongside Bridgestone’s newly supplied tyre allocation and while the time spent on track was not for pure performance, the trio rounded out the action third overall.

While a crash by Black in the changeable conditions at the end of the first day prevented him riding on Wednesday, thanks to a sunny spell, Guintoli and Simeon improved the team's time with a 1’36'250 lap as the test came to a close. Ensuring 2021’s 24 Heures Motos winner looks well prepared to defend the title for this year’s spectacle on April 16th.

“It's a good test for us,” Suzuki Ecstar MotoGP test rider Guintoli confirmed from Le Mans. “It was my first time on the bike since the final in Most (Czech Republic) so it was good to test the new stuff.

“We worked mainly on the new tyres and the rear of the bike. We are also happy that we could ride in all conditions; hot on the first day and wet/ dry on the second day to be ready for the race.”

“The first day went well, in dry conditions with sunshine,” Black continued. “We were able to set good lap times on relay tyres, so in race conditions. We are quite satisfied with the new settings and the evolutions on the bike. It bodes well for the race.

“I had the only opportunity of the day to start on new tyres to do a fast lap but I had a high side between the Dunlop bend and the Chapelle corner. It was a pretty fast crash and then it started to rain. Having a little pain in my ankle I didn't ride the second day to recover and be in shape for the race.”

“It was two very productive days for us!” Simeon concluded. “The weather conditions were peculiar; we were lucky to do the first day almost 100 per cent dry but it was rather wet/ dry conditions for the second.

"We were able to validate a lot of things because in endurance racing, the race does not stop with the rain and we have to take the right decision at the right time. This test also confirms the good feeling we had in Almeria in February.

“The package is still very good and we are on the same wavelength with Sylvain and Gregg about the settings, so I think we are ready for the race. I can't wait for it to start!”