2011 FIM Endurance World Championship
With its third-place finish at the fifth and final round of the 2011 FIM World Endurance Championship at Qatar, Suzuki Endurance Racing Team (SERT) took the championship.
Suzuki competed at the 8 Hours of Doha with only two riders aboard the GSX-R1000 – Vincent Philippe and Anthony Delhalle. The team’s usual third rider, Daisaku Sakai, was sidelined due to a mid-week injury.
This was SERT’s 11th title, the Suzuki team finishing nine points ahead of BMW Motorrad 99 France.
SERT qualified fourth for the 8 Hours of Doha, and lead for a few laps ahead of eventual race-winner Yamaha Racing France GMT94 iPone, BMW and Monster Yamaha (YART). But as the lead changed, Yamaha Racing France would complete 231 laps to take the 8 Hours of Doha win.
Arriving 30.134 seconds behind Yamaha Racing France was the BMW Motorrad 99 Team, with SERT taking the final podium position 49.023 seconds back.
Suzuki says: "the Suzuki team made good use of pit stops and with consistent lap times – and a faultless performance by the GSX-R1000 Superbike – played a tactical race to ensure that it stayed ahead of the BMW team on points; BMW entered the fifth and final race nine points adrift of SERT in the Championship standings.
"The only significant position change was at the seven-and-a-half hour mark when SERT pitted, dropping the team back into third position, but with less than 50 seconds separating the three top teams, it was a well-timed maneuvering that helped seal Suzuki’s success again at the top-level of World Endurance racing."
During the season, SERT won the opening EWC round, the 24 Hours of Bol D’Or, third at the 8 Hours of Albacete, ninth in Suzuka 8 Hours, second in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and third at Qatar.
2011 Endurance World Championship: 8 Hours of Doha Qatar Results:
- Yamaha France GMT 94 iPhone (Yamaha) 231 laps
- BMW Motorrad France 99 (BMW) – 30.134 seconds
- SERT (Suzuki GSX-R1000) – 49.023 seconds
- Monster Yamaha YART (Yamaha) – 1 lap
- Honda TT Legends (Honda) – 4 laps
- YMES Folch Endurance (Yamaha)
- DGS Sport (Yamaha), 8 Motors Events Bodyguard (Suzuki GSX-R1000)
- QERT (Suzuki GSX-R1000)
- MCS Racing iPhone (Suzuki GSX-R1000)
2011 Endurance World Championship Final Point Standings:
- Suzuki Endurance Racing Team: 90 points
- BMW Motorrad France 99: 81
- Team SRC Kawasaki: 63
- Yamaha France GMT 94 iPone: 46
- Ymes Folch Endurance: 39
