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Utter the word “Spa” in motorsport circles and the first thing that comes to mind is Formula 1. Short for Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, the Belgian roadracing course hosted its first Grand Prix in 1925. After an extended absence due to safety concerns, Spa has been a mainstay on the F1 calendar since 1985. The same can’t be said for motorcycle racing.
The first Belgian motorcycle Grand Prix was held in 1949. The event remained on the yearly schedule until 1990. Thereafter, GP organizers eliminated the round due to suffering attendance numbers. World-class motorcycle racing didn’t return until 2022, when the 4.35-mile track welcomed the Endurance World Championship (EWC). Back for seconds in 2023, the series stormed the fast and flowing circuit for the 24 Hours of Spa EWC Motos.
The race weekend may have been a sight to behold from the stands, but no front-row seat can hold a candle to the view from the YART Yamaha YZF-R1 cockpit.
Published to YouTube by former MotoGP rider and current YART Yamaha pilot Niccolò Canepa, the practice footage demonstrates just how physically and mentally demanding the course can be. Like a cold opening, the video pushes the viewer into the deep end, with Canepa going flat out into the Eau Rouge and Raidillon complex. If the howling inline-four and pounding wind don’t properly communicate the velocity, the curbing's yellow and red striping nearly blurring into orange seals the deal.
Just as impressive is Canepa’s accuracy, consistency, and effortless overtaking. That’s not to say the two-time world champ is faultless. On several laps, he pushes the number 7 Yamaha too deep into the chicane. At another point, he nearly runs off track at the La Source hairpin. However, those mistakes serve as opportunities for the Italian rider to hunt down his opponents yet again; a goal that he repeatedly achieves.
Those lesson-learning practice sessions ultimately paid off, as Canepa and crew hoisted the first-place trophy at the 2023 24 Hours of Spa. Following the latest EWC round (Suzuka 8 Hours), the Yamaha squad trails the reigning champion F.C.C. TSR Honda France team by just 13 points.
With the 24-hour Bol D’Or wrapping up the season in mid-September, the bLU cRU’s world racing hopes rest on the shoulders of its endurance outfit. In MotoGP, 2021 Premier Class Champion Fabio Quartararo regularly expresses his dismay over the current YZF-M1 package. Worse yet, 2021 Superbike World Champion Toprak Razgatlıoğlu will depart the Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team for BMW machinery following the 2023 season.
If the Iwata brand is to save face on the world stage, the YART Yamaha team will need another Spa-worthy performance from Canepa and company at the season finale.
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