#7Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team
- MachineYZF-R1
- TyresBridgestone
The YART Yamaha Official EWC Team contests the Endurance World Championship (EWC) full-time with former rider and team manager Mandy Kainz at the helm. As their name indicates, the parent organization of this group of endurance racing specialists is the Yamaha Austria Racing Team (YART) based in Austria. The team began racing in 2001 and started full-fledged EWC competition in 2002. After ranking 3rd in the 2005 season, they consistently challenged for the title, placing 2nd, 3rd and 2nd again in the championship before finally clinching the title in 2009 with four victories.
In recent years, YART has displayed extremely fast pace across the board, taking pole positions and consistently fighting for podium places, making them a consistent championship contender. At the 2022 Suzuka 8 Hours however, a crash while in contention for a first ever Suzuka 8 Hours podium finish only added to a season already plagued by incidents and bad luck, and put the title even further out of reach.
For the 2023 season, the team’s roster remains unchanged since 2020, with Karel Hanika, Marvin Fritz, and Niccolò Canepa lining up. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans season opener, the team suffered a number of minor issues including a crash, but made a solid recovery to take 2nd place. It was the first time since 2009 for the team—and the first time since 2017 for Yamaha—to make such a strong start in the season toward taking the EWC title.
YART’s main partner for this year’s Suzuka 8 Hours is Yamalube, maker of Genuine Yamaha engine oils, and the team’s YZF-R1 machine will feature a special livery based on Yamalube’s new bottle design for its newly-updated flagship RS4GP engine oil.
Yamaha Motor will provide YART’s YZF-R1 with technical support and assist with team operations throughout the event. The goal is to achieve the team’s first podium finish at Suzuka and use that to propel them further toward their quest to lift the EWC title this season, which will conclude with the Bol d'Or event in France in September.
EWC Team Results
| 2003 | 7th |
|---|---|
| 2004 | 4th |
| 2005 | 3rd |
| 2006 | 2nd |
| 2007 | 3rd |
| 2008 | 2nd |
| 2009 | Champions |
| 2010 | 3rd |
| 2011 | 5th |
| 2012 | 6th |
| 2013 | 5th |
| 2014 | 6th |
| 2015 | 10th |
| 2016 | 6th |
| 2017 | 3rd |
| 2018 | 16th |
| 2019 | 4th |
| 2020 | 2nd |
| 2021 | 6th |
| 2022 | 6th |
*Information current as of June 1, 2023.
Karel Hanika
- NationalityCzech
- BornApril 14, 1996
Karel Hanika started racing minibikes at the age of 7 before becoming the 125cc Austria and Czech Republic Champion. In 2012, he joined the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, finishing third in his maiden season with three victories. The following year, the Czech rider beat several top-class riders to take the title with seven victories. At the same time, Hanika was also crowned the 2013 European Moto3 champion, earning himself a ride in the 2014 Moto3 World Championship. His Moto3 career did not progress well, and he ended it in 2016. In 2017 he entered Moto2 as a wildcard.
After joining YART for the 2019-2020 season, he was part of the winning lineup at the Sepang 8 Hours and Estoril 12 Hours, and contributed significantly to the team's second place finish in the championship. He has remained with YART since 2021, bringing even more speed to the EWC squad, but he has yet to win a title.
Racing Career
| 2010 | Alpe Adria 125GP Champion Czech 125GP Champion Austria 125GP Champion |
|---|---|
| 2011 | Czech 125GP Champion Austrian 125GP Champion |
| 2012 | 3rd in Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup |
| 2013 | Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Champion |
| 2014 | 18th in Moto3 World Championship |
| 2015 | 18th in Moto3 World Championship |
| 2016 | 37th in Moto3 World Championship |
| 2017 | Moto2 World Championship wildcard |
| 2018 | Superbike World Championship wildcard |
| 2020 | 2nd in Endurance World Championship |
| 2021 | 6th in Endurance World Championship |
| 2022 | 6th in Endurance World Championship |
Marvin Fritz
- NationalityGerman
- BornApril 20, 1993
Marvin Fritz is a rider hailing from Germany whose primary battleground was the International German Motorcycle Championship (IDM). He started racing in motocross at the age of four, but switched to road racing in 2002 when he was nine and won a national minibike championship the following year. From 2006 to 2010, he polished his skills in the IDM 125 Championship, taking his best result in the class with 2nd in 2009.
After stepping up to the 600cc European Championship in 2012, he returned to IDM the following year, then went on to win the series’ Supersport 600 championship in 2014 on a YZF-R6. He was crowned champion in the IDM's premier Superbike class in 2016, and at the same time began competing in the EWC as a regular rider for YART in the 2016-2017 season. He quickly adapted to endurance racing and became a vital member of the team, standing on the podium several times to date. In recent years, he has been increasing his experience with wildcard appearances in the Superbike World Championship and remains a driving force within the YART squad thanks to his remarkable skills.
Racing Career
| Year | Results |
|---|---|
| 2006 | 11th in IDM 125 Championship |
| 2007 | 3rd in IDM 125 Championship |
| 2008 | 4th in IDM 125 Championship |
| 2009 | 2nd in IDM 125 Championship |
| 2010 | 6th in IDM 125 Championship |
| 2012 | 23rd in European Superstock 600 Championship |
| 2013 | 15th in IDM Supersport 600 Championship |
| 2014 | IDM Supersport 600 Champion |
| 2015 | 4th in IDM Superstock 1000 Championship |
| 2016 | IDM Superbike Champion |
| 2017 | 3rd in Endurance World Championship |
| 2018 | 16th in Endurance World Championship |
| 2019 | 4th in Endurance World Championship |
| 2020 | 2nd in Endurance World Championship |
| 2021 | 6th in Endurance World Championship |
| 2022 | 6th in Endurance World Championship |
Niccolò Canepa
- NationalityItalian
- BornMay 14, 1988
In addition to winning the FIM CUP Superstock 1000 title in 2007, Niccolò Canepa has competed in MotoGP, Moto2, and the Superbike World Championship. He brings both skill and experience to the YART team. In recent years, he has continued to build a solid career by using his experience as a test rider for Yamaha’s superbike teams in addition to competing in the MotoE World Cup.
While doing this, Canepa has also been very active in the EWC. He was a member of the GMT94 team, previously one of Yamaha’s endurance teams, for three seasons starting in 2016, and helped them win their third title in the 2016-2017 season and finish second overall in the 2017-2018 season. Joining YART for the 2018-2019 season, he has fought in top positions many times and is a pillar of the team. He will line up with teammates Hanika and Fritz to compete with the elite Japanese and international teams in the 2023 Suzuka 8 Hours.
Racing Career
| Year | Results |
|---|---|
| 2005 | 4th in European Superstock 600 Championship |
| 2006 | 2nd in European Superstock 600 Championship |
| 2007 | FIM CUP Superstock 1000 Champion |
| 2008 | 32nd in World Superbike Championship |
| 2009 | 16th in MotoGP World Championship |
| 2010 | Moto2 World Championship |
| 2011 | 5th in FIM CUP Superstock 1000 Championship |
| 2012 | 20th in World Superbike Championship |
| 2013 | 24th in World Superbike Championship |
| 2014 | 13th in World Superbike Championship |
| 2015 | 16th in World Superbike Championship |
| 2016 | 2nd in Endurance World Championship 19th in World Superbike Championship |
| 2017 | Endurance World Champion |
| 2018 | 2nd in Endurance World Championship |
| 2019 | 4th in Endurance World Championship |
| 2020 | 2nd in Endurance World Championship 9th in MotoE World Cup |
| 2021 | 6th in Endurance World Championship 9th in MotoE World Cup |
| 2022 | 6th in Endurance World Championship |
YZF-R1
