Marc VDS ahead of the two Yamaha works teams: “A massive success!”

The Marc VDS team (De Puniet, Marino, Delbianco) caused a sensation at the Suzuka 8 Hours. The Belgian team, which also enjoys success in the Superbike World Championship and the Moto2 World Championship, qualified for the endurance classic in an excellent third place on the grid.

This meant that Marc VDS was not only the best Yamaha team, but also finished ahead of defending champions YART (Hanika, Fritz, Mercado) and the Yamaha works team, which featured MotoGP rider Jack Miller, World Superbike star Andrea Locatelli and Suzuka legend Katsuyuki Nakasuga.

Alessandro Delbianco fastest Yamaha rider in qualifying

The team’s exceptional pace at the Suzuka Circuit was already evident during the practice sessions. Alessandro Delbianco, in particular, impressed in qualifying with a strong lap in the red group. The Italian used BMW works rider Michael van der Mark as a benchmark, capitalising on his pace to set his personal best time.

“It’s an absolute dream for me to be here,” said Delbianco. “Taking part in the Top 10 Trial was a big dream of mine. Unfortunately, the rain meant the time trial couldn’t go ahead, which I think is a real shame. The good news, though, is that we’ll be starting the race from third on the grid tomorrow.”

The Italian believes his team is well prepared. “I managed a really good lap in qualifying. My team has provided a very good motorbike. We’re a really good team and well prepared for the race.”

Randy de Puniet plays down expectations

Former MotoGP rider Randy de Puniet was also impressed by the team’s performance. “It’s really great, because we’ve been very fast here right from day one – all three riders. The team has worked really well all week and hasn’t made any mistakes.”

The Frenchman is particularly proud that Marc VDS was able to hold its own against the factory Yamaha competition. “For us as a privateer team, it’s a massive success to be starting here right behind the factory teams and holding our own against the Yamaha factory team. That’s a very strong performance.”

Despite the excellent third place on the grid, de Puniet remains realistic. “I’m hoping for a consistent race without any technical problems. A finish between fifth and seventh would be great. If things go better, we’ll take that, of course. But we’ll stay focused and realistic.”

Florian Marino: Yamaha and Bridgestone work together perfectly

Florian Marino also emphasised that signs of this strong performance had been evident early in the week. “Things went well here right from the first lap; we had a great feeling from the start. The team is working very well and the bike works superbly with the tyres on this circuit.”

The Frenchman even surprised himself with his fast lap in qualifying. “I put myself in a good position for a fast lap. My lap time surprised me. Making it into the top 10 was absolutely brilliant. Unfortunately, it was cancelled. But we’re starting from third on the grid. What more could we have asked for?”

Marino is keeping a cool head ahead of the race. “Tomorrow we want to get off to a good start. We realise we’ve been presented with a great opportunity. But it’s going to be a long race. We need to be clever and make the most of our experience.”

Following strong test performances and a convincing qualifying session, the Marc VDS team has so far been one of the biggest surprises of the Suzuka weekend. The fact that the Belgian team is on the grid as the top Yamaha team, ahead of the works team and the reigning EWC world champions from YART, impressively underlines the potential of this privately entered team.