2025 FIM EWC Round 4 — Bol d’Or 24 Hours | Private Test Report (September 16)
The Bol d’Or, the final round of Team Étoile’s second season. The team got going from the pre-race-week private test, running two bikes to gather their first feel for Paul Ricard.
Team Étoile enters the final round of our second year competing in the EWC. We participated from the private test held on Tuesday, September 16, before race week. Each team was able to run two bikes simultaneously, and while all teams participated, we were unable to complete the planned running as intended.
Sessions of two hours each were scheduled for morning and afternoon, but multiple red flag interruptions occurred, with each red flag period requiring several tens of minutes to process, making it difficult to accumulate running distance. Therefore, an additional session was added around noon. The afternoon red flag was not caused by a crash but by fire alarms going off throughout the pit building, though there appeared to be no actual problem with the circuit.
Although we could not complete our planned running program entirely, being in our second year with accumulated data from other rounds, we were able to lap faster than last year and got off to a smooth start. There were no crashes or particular troubles, and we were able to proceed steadily without any setbacks.
Communication in English between engineer Julian and the riders has also become more familiar and is proceeding smoothly, with good information exchange among the riders as well.
Wednesday will be scrutineering day, where we will continue our preparations before Thursday's qualifying.
Rider & team principal comments
Rider
Hikari Okubo
"The test ended on a good note. I only did the first three laps from the start and a semi-long 13-lap run, but my time entered the 1:54s on the third lap, and during the semi-long run I was able to run in the 1:55-56 range. Our average times have improved from last year, and I was able to achieve times close to my personal best. My three teammates are also running well."
"Despite many red flags and short running time, thanks to the team doing their job properly, I think we were able to complete the minimum setup and preparation for qualifying. I want to rest well on scrutineering day and work hard toward Thursday's free practice and first qualifying session."
Rider
Kazuki Watanabe
"There were too many red flags, so we couldn't execute our planned session at all, which caused some difficulties. After discussing with Julian, the base setup we brought was working relatively well, and when we tried to improve it, we went in the wrong direction, so we reverted back. The Suzuka setup worked well here too, so we have about one or two more tries toward Thursday, but as a rider, I don't feel any discomfort."
"The straight-line speed is still fast, and the cornering with the setup we built at Suzuka is working well, so it was good to have a base when the available time was being reduced. Hikaru and I are progressing with the setup, and we're looking in roughly the same direction. Now it's about how much the other two, Motoharu and Kyosuke, can adapt and improve their times. I think it's not a bad situation, so I hope we can continue without any troubles."
Rider
Motoharu Ito
"There were many red flags and things didn't go according to the team's plan, but I was able to achieve times better than my personal target, which we obtained as data. I could compare with others through video, and I can approach Thursday's running with more of a step-up than I had imagined, so it was a fulfilling day."
"My impression of the course is that the famous straight feels very fast, but the other corners are on a circuit that also hosts four-wheel racing, so you have to turn very quickly at high speed and technically, and subtle banking angles are very important for this course. It's about halfway between my preference for Spa and Le Mans."
Rider
Kyosuke Okuda
"We safely completed the first day's running. Last year I came as a refueling crew member, but this was my first time riding in two years. Since it had been a while, I wanted to learn the course, but red flags occurred repeatedly with very long processing times. I did about four out-in laps, but only had one timed lap."
"I didn't know what kind of times I was running, so I was a bit anxious, but in the afternoon I was able to do a long run, and I could run with better average times than during the race two years ago, so that was good. I haven't updated my best time yet, so I want to increase the pace a bit more in free practice before qualifying."
Team Principal
Takashi Ichikawa
"As the final round of our second year in the EWC, this test demonstrated the maturity of our entire team. We were able to respond calmly to unexpected red flag interruptions and make maximum use of the limited time, which was only possible because of last year's experience. It was impressive to see each rider understanding their role and contributing to the team strategy. Particularly, Okuda steadily improved his pace despite not having ridden for two years, and Ito recorded times exceeding his targets - the individual growth of each rider is remarkable. I'm confident that this accumulation of experience will become our strength in the long battle of the 24-hour race."
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