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Canepa: “The secret? Perfect strategy and SBK pace”

Niccolò led the GMT94 team to victory in Portugal, the first for him in Endurance

Canepa: “The secret? Perfect strategy and SBK pace”

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Twelve long hours and a result that came down to the last lap and a photofinish: the second round of the World Endurance, which ran at Portimao in Portugal, offered all the thirlls of a sprint race, with the GMT94 team declared the winners, crossing the line just 0.008 of a second ahead of second-placed Suzuki Sert.

The Yamaha GMT94 team triumphed with a trio of riders composed of David Checa (Carlos' brother), Frenchman Lucas Mahias and our very own Niccolò Canepa, 28 years old with extensive experience spanning MotoGP, Moto2, SBK and now Endurance, considered by many to be a “minor” championship but where, on the other hand, passion and technical competence abound.

The race lasted 12 hours over a distance of 393 laps and almost 2000 kms. It was a hard-fought race, with fast laps and duels similar to a SBK race and Niccolò told us about it: “David did the start, like the 24 Hours at Le Mans, as he's the most expert, when he came in to change bike he was already third... I went out knowing that we had a good chance”

You were fourth on the grid and Checa did well to make up a place, but it was you to dictate the pace…”Yes, I pushed to the max right from the start, as if it were a sprint and not endurance, I found myself first for my whole stint but it wasn't easy, at a certain point I felt like I was at Portimao for the Superbikes and not Endurance”.

What was your strategy?

"Us riders and the team knew that our R1 consumes more fuel than our rivals, and we needed one more stop than Suzuki; this is why me and my two teammates pushed to the limit in every stage, just like an SBK race: we needed to build a lead of 45-50 seconds which is more or less the time needed for a pit stop in which, as well as refuelling and changing tyres, we'd swap riders”.

So you calculated it all perfectly! Your team's experience served you well, but your speed also made the difference…

“(Smiling), yes, I pushed hard, every stage involved 31 laps and I pushed to the max, sometimes riding alone, sometimes battling and passing others... as well as pace, it was essential to consider lapping, which happens all the time in endurance”.

Only a few of you reached the line, less than half the grid retired from the race, was it a tough one?

Yes, because as well as its length, 12 hours, and the reliability of the bikes, the riders and mechanics also have to be alert and today it was hot too; add to this the fact that Portimao, with its undulations, is a physical test for riders - this is why we were only a few at the end”.

The Kawasaki team had a technical problem that forced them to retire, thus keeping your championship open? 

”Yes, they were lying fifth and had to wave the white flag, something broke on the bike that was hard to repair, and so with our zero at Le Mans, we're not close in the standings and still in the fight for the title”.

You guys led the race almost all the way until…In reality Checa started his final stage 11 seconds down on the leader, before making it up in the final 30 minutes of the race... in the last 5 laps David began battling for the win, getting the best of our rivals' Suzuki and crossedthe line with a 0.008 second lead, basically half a wheel length, maybe less. A race finale that was similar to a Moto3 race, we set record lap times”.

This prestigious win sees you return to winning ways and, after the podium achieved at Donington in Superstock, it seems you're having a really fun season, right?

“Definitely! The Donington podium, third, gave me a boost and this endurance win, hard fought right to the line, is even more satisfying. I'm really pleased about my career right now. The team and I have received congratulatory messages from Yamaha Europa and even in Japan they're very happy. The next race is the Suzuka 8 Hours and it wouldn't be bad to finish in the top three. But I know it will be tough, over there”.

Why will it be tough? The hot climate, your new rivals including Hayden and Jacobsen, the other bikes?...

All of those factors combined, for the Japanese the 8 Hours is almost more important than MotoGP and there will be some full factory teams there with fast, expert riders on top level bikes with factory tyres. Scoring a podium there is like a win in other places, but we on team GMT94 Yamaha are ready and have shown everyone this here in Portugal”.

This is a strange year for you, you jump from one bike to another, without suffering from the technical differences or tyre changes. Where will we see you before Suzuka?

“My next race is the Supertock 1000 at Misano where I'll fight for the podium - it would be great for me, the team and Yamaha: thanks to them I'm excited about racing again, I'm having fun, the atmosphere is very familiar and at 28, after a long and complicated career, this is what I needed to get make to the level at which I see myself: having fun and racing to win”.

 

Translated by Heather Watson
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