Outside of Europe, we doubt we could find many motorcyclists who would know which team is currently leading the FIM Endurance World Championship. We will save you the struggle, and tell you outright that it is the F.C.C. TSR Honda France squad.
Technical Sports Racing (TSR), is based out of Japan, but is partnered with Honda France for endurance racing, hence the name. From Europe, they have launched an assault on the 2018 FIM Endurance World Championship, with riders Josh Hook, Freddy Foray, and Alan Techer.
Each season, TSR is a team to watch, and this year is no different.
It is of note however that F.C.C. TSR Honda has never won the EWC title, but they go into the Suzuka 8-Hourswith a 10-point advantage over the GMT94 Yamaha outfit – and TSR does have a winning history at Suzuka.
The 2006, 2011, and 2012 winners of the Suzuka 8-Hours, the F.C.C. TSR Honda France team is vying for the championship on its home turf, as the Suzuka Circuit is just a handful of kilometers from its Japanese base of operations.
Closely tied to Honda, F.C.C. TSR Honda France is factory-supported team in the Endurance World Championship, which is both a blessing and a curse. When the team wins, its victories are attributed to HRC, however when the team loses, its defeats are its own.
So far this season, TSR has won two races (Le Mans & Oschersleben), stood on the podium in Slovakia, and finished 6th at the Bol d’Or season-opener.
Besides a lead advantage and a strong rider lineup, F.C.C. TSR Honda France has a secret weapon over the GMT94 Yamaha team – its Bridgestone tires. While the Yamaha is using the popular Dunlop rubber for its FIM EWC season, F.C.C. TSR Honda has been on Bridgestone tires.
At most circuits, this makes less of a difference, but at the Suzuka 8-Hours, it is a huge factor. Of note, all the one-off Suzuka teams will be using Bridgestone tires on race day, and it is not just because they share a nationality.
This makes the F.C.C. TSR Honda France team the favorite to win the 2018 FIM World Endurance Championship (keep an eye out for their blue bike), and before someone stops you on the street and asks you about them, we thought you could use this insightful video below, which just makes you want to cheer for TSR even more. Enjoy!
Source: FIM EWC
