SERT will not compete in the 2009 Endurance World Championship…

Budget restrictions oblige, Dominique Meliand and his men from SERT could remain on the edge of the track in 2009 … An incredible setback on which returns the most successful man in World Endurance: interview and overview.

A global phenomenon: an overview of sports budgets

At the forefront of the arguments put forward by manufacturers to revise their sports investments downwards is naturally the ambient economic gloom. A "crisis" which gradually affects manufacturers and which forces Suzuki to consider not participating in the 2009 world endurance championship (read our interview with Dominique Meliand on the previous page)…

Some might see it as a pretext to withdraw from Endurance, a category that Suzuki flies over almost too easily – most of the teams not having the means to compete in the entire championship – but the investments of the emblem of Hamamatsu in other championships would also be in the hot seat.

In MotoGP for example, the men of Paul Denning would not yet have completely completed the 2009 budget. It is even rumored that the pundits of Hamamatsu are starting to question the need to continue the development of a GSV-R which did not win a single race of the season…

But this reasoning also applies to Kawasaki. More than ever in the sights after a calamitous 2008 season, Michael Bartholemy and his team have strict instructions for 2009: no question of continuing to swallow millions of euros to finish among the last classified! In fact, the Greens’ Endurance program is not yet clearly established and we come up against the same radio silence from Kawasaki France concerning the French Superbike championship….

Even Honda could go to one knee: after announcing the withdrawal of its troops in F1 due to difficult economic conditions – a saving estimated at nearly 500 million dollars per year! -, the world’s leading manufacturer confirms that everyone will have to be attentive to spending in 2009, again starting with the endurance program, the initial ambitions of which could be revised downwards (read).

At Yamaha on the other hand, apart from the prices announced higher by approximately 3.5% on the 2009 models (read), the crisis does not seem to compromise the manufacturer’s involvement, although unofficial, in Endurance and FSBK: "our projects for 2009 are not called into question, but it is true that we have several partners", says Christophe Guyot, team manager of GMT 94.

"There is no question of budgetary restrictions on the part of Yamaha and the GMT will be present at Le Mans and at the Bol d’Or (where we will run Erwan Nigon), in the World Superbike with David Checa and in FSBK with Sebastien Gimbert for defend our colors", Christophe assures us. The GMT team manager also said himself"saddened to see competitors unable to run"and hope that"mechanics and pilots will not be left behind"… To be continued … Stay connected !

Interview by Alexandre BARDIN

Related articles

• 24 Heures Motos – SERT will not compete in the 2009 Endurance World Championship … – Interview with Dominique Meliand, team manager of the Suzuki Endurance Racing Team (SERT)

  SERT will not compete in the 2009 Endurance World Championship… Budget restrictions oblige, Dominique Meliand and his SERT men could stay on the edge…

• 24 Heures Motos – Calendar of the 2009 World Endurance Championship –

  Calendar of the 2009 World Endurance Championship The 2009 World Endurance Championship, which will have six events and will bring together a maximum of…

• 24 Heures Motos – Interview with Mike di Meglio about the new Honda in the EWC World Endurance Championship – Used HONDA

  Interview with Mike di Meglio about the new Honda in the EWC World Endurance Championship Site interviewed Mike di Meglio, driver of the new 2020 Honda…

• 24 Heures Motos – Space Moto 37, 11th in the endurance world championship! –

  Space Moto 37, 11th in the endurance world championship ! A 100% volunteer team, Space Moto 37, has just discreetly achieved at Le Mans a feat that many…

• 24 Heures Motos – Six events and 17 teams in the World Endurance Championship –

  Six events and 17 teams in the World Endurance Championship 17 teams are entered for the entire 2007 World Endurance Championship over six events. But…

• 24 Heures Motos – Erwan Nigon: “I am keen to win the endurance world championship” – KAWASAKI Occasions

  Erwan Nigon: I have at heart to win the endurance world championship Back in the official Kawasaki SRC team to replace Randy de Puniet, Erwan Nigon…

• 24 Heures Motos – An Anthony Delhalle Trophy in the endurance world championship –

  An Anthony Delhalle Trophy in the endurance world championship The 2017 24 Heures Motos du Mans will inaugurate a new Anthony Delhalle trophy in memory…

• 24 Heures Motos – Interview with Freddy Foray about the new Honda in the EWC World Endurance Championship – Used Honda

  Interview with Freddy Foray about the new Honda in the EWC World Endurance Championship Site interviewed Freddy Foray, driver of the new 2020 Honda FCC…

• Bol d’Or – Yamaha Austria favorite for the endurance world championship –

  Yamaha Austria favorite for the endurance world championship The 73rd Bol d’Or at Magny-Cours on September 12th and 13th, 5th and penultimate round of…

• Race – Ranking of the 24H Motos 2017 and the World Endurance Championship –

  Ranking of the 24H Motos 2017 and the World Endurance Championship Winner of the 24H Motos 2017 twelve years after its victory in 2005, the Yamaha of GMT…