The upcoming weekend (19th to 21st July) marks the only overseas race and a true classic for Markus Reiterberger and the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team in the 2024 FIM Endurance World Championship (FIM EWC). The 45th edition of the Suzuka 8 Hours in Japan is the third round of the FIM EWC season. Together with his teammates Ilya Mikhalchik and Sylvain Guintoli Reiti aims to repeat its strong performance from last year in a field full of Japanese teams. In 2023, the #37 BMW M 1000 RR finished sixth, making the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team the best European team and earning them the corresponding Le Mans Award.
The Suzuka 8 Hours has always been the most important race of the year for Japanese manufacturers, who field numerous well-staffed teams. In preparation for the weekend, the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team has already completed two test days at Suzuka in June which will be followed by additional test sessions this Wednesday. One challenge for everyone at Suzuka is the climate; high temperatures combined with very high humidity are a hallmark of this race event.
Qualifying for the 45th edition of the Suzuka 8 Hours will take place on Friday, 19th July. On Saturday, 20th July, the top ten grid positions will be determined in the Top 10 Trial. The eight-hour race starts on Sunday, 21st July, at 11:30 local time (04:30 CEST), with the finish at 19:30 (12:30 CEST).
Markus Reiterberger:
"We are travelling to Suzuka with a lot of excitement and motivation. We already had a very positive test there, where we had a lot of riding time and received a lot of information. We were able to make improvements to the chassis and suspension. I think that Dunlop Japan has a few more tyre options that should bring us closer to the top. They already supported us very well during the test. Overall, we are aiming for a similar result to last year. Achieving more there is a challenge, but we are giving it our all. The bike is working well, we have made some improvements again, the team is strong and we will do our best. Suzuka is always something special and we are looking forward to it."
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