Max Neukirchner exclusive: How YART has prepared for all conditions

As defending champions and current leaders of the 2026 World Endurance Championship, YART (Hanika, Fritz, Mercado) are heading into the Suzuka 8 Hours with high hopes. So far, the race weekend has gone well. However, behind that fourth place on the grid lies a labour-intensive week in which the Austrian Yamaha team hardly wasted a single minute.

“The last few days have been extremely intense for us,” crew chief Max Neukirchner told SPEEDWEEK.com. “Since the official test on 30 June and the subsequent test on 1 July, we’ve used practically every minute to optimise our package for the Suzuka 8 Hours.”

YART kann in Suzuka für eine Titelvorentscheidung sorgen

Foto: YART

Labour-intensive: How the test challenged the team

Every detail is crucial on the demanding Suzuka Circuit. That is why YART worked systematically on all aspects of the motorbike during the two official test days. “We tried out numerous set-up variations – from the suspension and tyres to the electronics, fuel consumption and, of course, tyre selection.”

On each of the two official test days alone, there were five sessions on the programme. “From early morning until the evening, we were constantly out on the track, working systematically on our overall package. Days like these are very gruelling for the whole team, but at the same time they’re hugely important for ironing out all the outstanding issues ahead of an 8-hour race and finding the best possible package.”

In the meantime, however, the team had to cope with a bitter setback. Karel Hanika was involved in a crash through no fault of his own and destroyed the motorbike. “We had a write-off,” explained Neukirchner. “The team then did an outstanding job and built a completely new motorbike in no time at all. It’s precisely at moments like these that you see how well a team works together. I’m really proud of that.”

Max Neukirchner erlebt eine arbeitsintensive Woche

Foto: YART

Focus on race pace rather than qualifying lap

Friday was anything but a quiet day for the team either. Following free practice, both qualifying sessions and night practice were on the programme. Whilst the final tyre comparisons and race set-up were finalised during practice, YART gathered further important insights in the evening under the lighting conditions of the night race.

On Saturday, the focus shifted definitively to the race. “We were able to complete a longer stint on our race bike and accurately determine fuel consumption under race conditions. This data is hugely important for our pit stop and race strategy,” explained Neukirchner. A key finding: all three riders are achieving almost identical fuel consumption levels. “We are currently planning for a stint length of around 26 laps.”

Clever move: YART had already run in the wet tyres

When rain set in during free practice, YART reacted immediately. “We ran in several sets of wet tyres. In the past, we’ve repeatedly experienced minor difficulties on the first lap, particularly with new wet tyres. As the weather forecast is also predicting rain for tomorrow, we wanted to be as well prepared as possible for that eventuality.”

The planned top-10 attempt subsequently fell victim to the weather conditions. YART therefore retained fourth place on the starting grid. After the end of practice, the team switched the bike over to race spec and swapped the qualifying engine for the race engine.

Weather chaos: strategy more important than sheer speed

For Neukirchner, it is therefore clear that on Sunday, far more than just lap times at the limit will be required. “The weather forecast continues to predict rain or changeable conditions. That’s why the race will be decided not only by sheer speed, but also by the right strategy, tyre choice and decisions in the pits. That’s exactly what we’ve been preparing for intensively over the past few days.”

Following the preparation days, attention now turns to the start of the third event of the season. “Overall, I’m very satisfied with the work of the entire team. Drivers, mechanics and engineers have done an excellent job over the past few days. Now it’s a matter of putting all that intensive preparation into practice during the race. A lot can happen in an 8-hour race. Consistency, flawless pit stops and making the right decisions at the right time will be crucial.”

YART travels to Suzuka as defending champions and World Championship leaders. The fact that the team has remained calm despite a write-off and a tightly packed schedule could prove to be one of their greatest advantages on Sunday.