Lennox Lehmann produced a superb ride to win Race 1 of the Yamaha R7 European Cup SuperFinale on Friday at the Bol d’Or in France, with the 18-year-old German rider waiting until the last three laps to pounce and secure victory by 3.128s ahead of Italian Davide Conte and Ioannis Peristeras from Greece.
Lehmann took control of the Yamaha R7 European Cup SuperFinale with a convincing win from pole in Race 1, putting him in the driving seat to become champion and win a brand-new R7 as the ultimate prize, with the best-combined points tally from the two races counting towards the final result.
After qualifying on Thursday, 28 riders from 11 countries that had impressed in their respective national R7 Cups and Challenges took to the grid at Circuit Paul Ricard for Race 1 on Friday afternoon, with the SuperFinale forming a part of the 2024 FIM Endurance World Championship season finale. However, the windy conditions, with gusts up to 75km/h, made things tricky for all the competitors.
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 around the historic 5.637km Le Castellet circuit.
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.
The leading trio got to take to the podium in front of the fans on the main straight, with Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team Team Manager Mandy Kainz presenting the trophies, and each rider also recieving a free pair of race tyres from Pirelli.
The grid remains the same for Race 2 on Saturday, which starts at 13:30 local time (UTC+2), and with another 25 points up for grabs, the Yamaha R7 European Cup SuperFinale champion is far from being decided. You can relive all the action from Race 1 on the Yamaha Racing YouTube channel here, and you can also watch Race 2 live by clicking here.
Yamaha R7 European Cup SuperFinale Race 1 Results
Lennox Lehmann
Yamaha R7 European Cup SuperFinale Race 1 Winner
“It was a difficult race because of the wind, and there were a lot of crashes, especially in Turn 2. At the start, I tried to stay out of trouble and just follow the other riders, and then during the last three laps, I pushed to make a break, and fortunately for me, it worked out to perfection. I am already looking forward to Race 2, and I will aim to try and win again!”
