Suzuka 8am – The SERT will give everything to Suzuka for Dominique Meliand’s last race! – Used SUZUKI

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SERT will give everything to Suzuka for Dominique Meliand’s last race !

Suzuka 8am - The SERT will give everything to Suzuka for Dominique Meliand's last race! - Used SUZUKI

This weekend in Japan, Gregg Black, Etienne Masson and Vincent Philippe will do their best at the Suzuka 8H for the last round of the endurance world championship, which will also be Dominique Meliand’s last race as team manager…

Dominique Meliand, the emblematic team manager of SERT, is preparing to take a well-deserved retirement after 15 titles of world endurance champion … The riders of the official Suzuki team are therefore preparing to pay him the most beautiful tribute whoever, by aiming for a 16th world title on Sunday in Japan !

  • MNC special file :
  • Dominique Meliand video interview :

At Suzuka, "my teammates Etienne Masson, Vincent Philippe and I will have to score some important points", explains Gregg Black: "we have to make a smart race and finish 4 places in front of the No. 11 Kawasaki and a few places behind the TSR Honda n ° 1. It would be a perfect scenario for us ".

The No. 2 Suzuki of SERT is in fact second in the provisional standings before the Japanese final, 5 points behind the No. 11 Kawasaki SRC and 18 points ahead of the No. 1 Honda reigning world champion….

Top 10 Objective

"We just came back from the official 8H Suzuka testing which went well and we had our fastest lap in 2.08.6 with race tires," Gregg continued. "Of course, this race is always difficult for us, the European teams, because the Japanese teams have their teams in full force and test their bikes all year round with tires specially dedicated to this race"…

"Our main objective is therefore to finish in the top 10", warns the pilot: "we have tested new parts on our Suzuki GSX-R1000R as well as new software updates and in particular many tire compounds (Dunlop, Editor’s note) in order to find the best configuration for the race ".

"It’s not going to be easy!"

"We will all do our best to bring back another world title, in particular for the last race with our team manager, Dominique Meliand", concludes Gregg Black while Etienne Masson confirms that "the feeling was there during the three days of testing at Suzuka: two days in dry conditions allowed us to improve our motorcycle / tire package and the last day, which was much wetter, gave us good sensations in these conditions ".

For his part, admits that "it’s not going to be easy!"

"Forecasts are difficult to make at Suzuka because of the weather conditions and the Japanese who are playing for a race and not for the championship", explains Dominique Meliand: "the Kawasaki has an easy position at the top of the standings. ‘to follow us to take the title. Our only possible strategy is therefore to tighten the throttle fully. It was not necessary to reach Suzuka at the top of the standings "…

"But our common problem with the Kawasaki SRC is the strategy of the No. 1 Honda", continues the fine strategist of world endurance: "they have nothing to lose and they will do anything to get on the podium. The race will be interesting from the outside, but stressful from the inside with, in addition, the multiplier of points to be taken at Suzuka which can tilt the classification….

Relive the 2018/2019 World Endurance Championship

Ranking at the EWC World Championship before the Suzuka 8H 2019

  1. TEAM SRC KAWASAKI FRANCE (Kawasaki) FRA: 132 points
  2. Suzuki Endurance Racing Team (Suzuki) FRA: 127 points
  3. F.C.C. TSR Honda France (Honda) JPN: 109 points
  4. WEPOL Racing (Yamaha) GER: 101 points
  5. YART – YAMAHA (Yamaha) AUT: 88 points
  6. Honda Endurance Racing (Honda) GBR: 79 points
  7. Bolliger Team Switzerland (Kawasaki) SUI: 73 points
  8. VRD IGOL PIERRET EXPERIENCES (Yamaha) FRA: 53 points
  9. MOTO AIN (Yamaha) FRA: 45 points
  10. GERT56 by GS YUASA (BMW) GER: 45 points
  11. BMRT 3D MACCIO RACING (Kawasaki) FRA: 39 points
  12. FANY GASTRO BMW MOTORRAD- by MERCURY RACING (BMW) CZE: 38 points
  13. WEBIKE TATI TEAM TRICKSTAR (Kawasaki) FRA: 36 points
  14. Team 33 Coyote Louit Moto (Kawasaki) FRA: 32 points
  15. Junior Team LMS Suzuki (Suzuki) FRA: 30 points
  16. Wójcik Racing Team 2 (Yamaha) POL: 28 points
  17. No Limits Motor Team (Suzuki) ITA: 28 points
  18. 3ART- MOTO TEAM 95 (Yamaha) FRA: 27 points
  19. National Motos (Honda) FRA: 25 points
  20. MOTORS EVENTS (Suzuki) FRA: 24 points
  21. Motobox Kremer Racing # 65 (Yamaha) GER: 24 points
  22. Wójcik Racing Team (Yamaha) POL: 23 points
  23. Team ERC-BMW Motorrad Endurance (BMW) GER: 14 points
  24. Team 18 Sapeurs Pompiers (Kawasaki) FRA: 12 points
  25. Team LRP Poland (BMW) POL: 12 points
  26. MACO RACING Team (Yamaha) SVK: 12 points
  27. JMA MOTOS ACTION BIKE (Suzuki) FRA: 8 points
  28. OG MOTORSPORT BY SARAZIN (Yamaha) FRA: 7 points
  29. Zuff Racing Team (Honda) SUI: 6 points
  30. AM Moto Racing Competition (Kawasaki) FRA: 5 points
  31. MOTOTECH EWC TEAM (Yamaha) BEL: 4 points
  32. PITLANE ENDURANCE (Yamaha) FRA: 3 points
  33. GSM RACING (Suzuki) MON: 2 points
  34. Slider Endurance (Yamaha) FRA: 1 point
  35. Falcon Racing Rennes Motos (Yamaha) FRA: 1 point
  36. SET Racing (Yamaha) SWE: 1 point

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