Marvin Fritz (YART) expects a rain lottery at Suzuka: “We’re in a great position!”

The two official test days for the Suzuka 8 Hours, the third of four rounds in the 2026 Endurance World Championship (EWC), were a success from the perspective of defending champions YART. Whilst Tuesday was completely dry, rain on Wednesday provided valuable insights under changeable conditions. For Marvin Fritz, one thing is clear: the pace in 2026 is significantly higher than it was a year ago.

“It’s not quite as warm as usual this year. But it’s brutally humid, and it’s raining a lot,” the German reported in an interview with SPEEDWEEK.com. YART used the first day of testing to further develop the bike under consistent conditions. “On the first day of testing, it was completely dry. We were able to test intensively and had six hours on each of the two test days. In the dry, we were very quick, even on used tyres. That was really positive.”

On Wednesday, the conditions changed drastically. Rain set in around midday, which meant the focus shifted to set-up for wet conditions. “That allowed us to complete plenty of laps in the wet. We completed a number of long runs of around 15 laps per stint. There were plenty of crashes and abandoned runs. Nevertheless, we were able to test extensively and have improved on last year’s set-up.”

Marvin Fritz very fast on used tyres

Fritz was particularly pleased with the consistency within the trio of riders. His team-mates Karel Hanika and Leandro Mercado were keeping up the same pace. “We were all fast and were clocking lap times that were identical down to a tenth of a second.” The 33-year-old was also feeling optimistic about his own pace. “I set my personal best on used tyres: 2:05.2 minutes. That was really fast.”

According to the German, several factors are combining this year to result in a significantly higher race pace. “The race pace is one and a half or two seconds faster this year because it’s not quite as hot. That makes a huge difference.” Added to this is the completely resurfaced track. After the first half of the circuit had already been resurfaced last year, the second section has now also been given a new surface. “That makes a big difference too – about half a second per lap. So the pace is higher.”

YART ist für alle Bedingungen gut vorbereitet

Foto: YART

As well as the competition, the weather is likely to be the decisive factor. Meteorologists are forecasting heavy rain for Friday and, in particular, Sunday. “From Friday onwards, there’s an increased chance of rain. Heavy rain is forecast for Sunday in particular. A lot can happen over eight hours in the rain. We all know that.”

Can YART seal the World Championship title early?

As leaders of the World Endurance Championship, YART is primarily pursuing a strategic goal at Suzuka. “That’s why we want to focus on our work. Our aim is clear: just as at Spa, we want to pick up as many points as possible so that we can maintain our lead or perhaps even extend it. That would be a dream with the Bol d’Or in mind.”

The mood within the team is correspondingly positive. “We’re in a great position and feeling really good,” said Fritz. A packed programme awaits as early as Friday, featuring free practice, two qualifying sessions and night practice. “It’s going to be a tough day,” said Fritz.

Fritz’s attention is also focused on the Top 10 Trial scheduled for Saturday. The YART rider has fond memories of the individual time trial, having secured pole position there in 2024 ahead of MotoGP race winner Johann Zarco. This year, however, he considers it unlikely that it will go ahead.

“For the Top 10 Trial, we need two hours of stable conditions, and that’s not what we’re seeing at the moment. The weather changes every ten minutes. That’s why I think the Top 10 Trial will be cancelled this year and we’ll have a normal qualifying session for the top 10.”