The eagerly anticipated 2023 FIM Endurance World Championship is officially underway with Free Practice, First Qualifying and Night Practice for the 24 Heures Motos all in store during a packed day of track action on the Circuit Bugatti at Le Mans.

Here’s a reminder of what’s happening today (13 April) and when (all timings are CET):

10h00-12h00: Free Practice

16h00-16h20: First Qualifying (Blue Rider)

16h30-16h50: First Qualifying (Yellow Rider)

17h00-17h20: First Qualifying (Red Rider)

17h30-17h50: First Qualifying (Green Rider)

20h30-22h00: Night Practice

Grégory Leblanc is convinced his new-for-2023 team-mates Hugo Clere and Baptiste Guittet have what it takes to make the grade in the FIM Endurance World Championship’s Formula EWC category.

Clere and Guittet have stepped up from the Superstock division after winning the 2022 FIM Endurance World cup alongside Philipp Steinmayr at Team 18 Sapeurs Pompiers CMS Motostore.

Despite their lack of experience of TATI Team Beringer Racing’s Pirelli-equipped Kawasaki ZX-10R, Leblanc is “confident” his younger Frenchmen can perform.

“For sure the rhythm is different and they need to learn the bike because it’s completely different [from the Superstock bike],” said 37-year-old Leblanc. “It has more power, the setting is different, the chassis but, for the moment, honestly all is okay and I am confident for the race.”

Leblanc is a five-time 24 Heures Motos winner and was part of the TATI squad that finished second in last June’s 24H SPA EWC Motos before going on to star in the Bol d’Or in September. 

“It is difficult for us to fight with the factory bikes but if you look at Spa, where we finished second, and in the Bol d’Or where we are world champion if we don’t break the engine, honestly I am confident that if we don’t have a technical problem and don’t crash maybe we can finish on the podium,” said Leblanc.

Asked what advice he had given Clere and Guittet ahead of the 24 Heures Motos, Leblanc said: “I try to learn them my experience but they don’t have the pressure even if the rain will arrive for Thursday and Friday. We will try to make a good setting for the rain and then a dry setting for the race because normally it will be dry.”