Image: Supplied.

Australia’s Josh Hook and the F.C.C. TSR Honda France team opened their Endurance World Championship (EWC) title defence in commanding fashion with victory at Le Mans’ prestigious 24 Heures Motos.

F.C.C. TSR Honda France took control of the race after four hours with perfect pit stops and constant lap times, extending that advantage throughout the night when the temperatures dropped.

The outfit kept the lead until the 16 hours mark to grab an additional 10 points, before further strong pit stops and consistently fast lap times ultimately saw the trio of Hook, Mike De Meglio and Alan Techer take the victory.

Out of the 65 possible points, F.C.C. TSR Honda France collected 63 points and it is now leading the championship, with YART Yamaha completing the event in second, and the BMW Motorrad World Endurance team third.

Notably, last year’s 24 Heures Motos winners Yoshimura SERT Motul finished seventh, and the Tecmas MRP BMW Racing Team was the leading Superstock outfit. Anthony West was part of the MACO Racing team, which was classified 32nd in the amended rankings for the event.

Round two of the 2023 World Endurance Championship, the 24H Spa EWC Motos, takes place on 16-18 June.

Detailed results