Yamaha R7 European Superfinale:
Lennox Lehmann crowned winner
The third edition of the Yamaha R7 European Cup SuperFinale saw 28 of the top riders from the national R7 Cups and Challenges from across the globe battle it out for the chance to be crowned champion at the final round of the 2024 FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC), the legendary Bol d’Or at Circuit Paul Ricard, France.
Race 1
As soon as the lights went out, a group of eight riders engaged in a great battle at the front, with the lead changing hands numerous times.
The R7 riders provided some spectacular racing to keep the fans in the grandstands and those watching live on YouTube entertained during the nine-lap race, but with three laps to go, it was Lehmann, a former WorldSSP300 rider, who made a break at the front of the field, timing it to perfection.
Behind him evolved an incredibly tight fight for the podium as the chasing group battled amongst themselves, with the following six riders crossing the line separated by less than a second. Conte held on to second in the sprint to the finish, just 0.061s ahead of former FIM R3 bLU cRU World Cup rider Peristeras in third.
Race 2
After a superb late victory charge during Friday’s Race 1, 18-year-old Lehman once again pounced at precisely the right moment to secure his second win of the weekend and ensure he would be the overall winner of the Yamaha R7 European Cup SuperFinale.
Once more, the 5.777km Circuit Paul Ricard layout, which saw the R7 riders riding the full track with the chicane halfway down the Mistral straight, provided the perfect setting for some dramatic racing action thanks to its fast, flowing nature.
Starting from pole, Lehmann got a superb jump off the line to lead into the first corner and over the opening laps, there was an intense battle at the front, with a leading group of 14 separated by less than 2.8s and constantly swapping places, as the slipstream down the Mistral straight allowed for any breakaways at the front to be quickly countered.
In the early stages, Manuel Margarito, Eric Molina, and Devis Bergamini looked to be in control at the front, with Lehmann dropping down as low as ninth at one point. As the race progressed, Peristeras and Folger manoeuvred themselves into podium contention, and slowly but surely, Lehmann started to pick off the riders in front. The German rider hit the front, with his compatriot Folger in hot pursuit and Peristeras chasing hard,just before the red flag came out on lap seven due to a crash.
Having completed two-thirds race distance, that meant the results were based on the riders’ positions as they crossed the line at the end of lap six. This saw Lehmann awarded the victory by 0.387s ahead of last year’s winner Folger and Peristeras in third, just 0.736s off the win, with the Greek former R3 World Cup rider repeating his result from Race 1.
In the Yamaha R7 European Cup SuperFinale, the points from both races are combined to give the overall standings. After winning both races, Lehmann was crowned the winner with 50 points, while Folger, who finished fourth in Race 1, was second overall with 33 points, and Peristeras was third with 32 points, as the overall results matched the podium from Race 2.
