2014 World Superbike Champion Sylvain Guintoli led Yamaha's return to WorldSBK this season, finishing the year with their first podium finish. The Frenchman experienced a somewhat difficult campaign, marked by a serious injury in Imola, forcing him to sit out of many Rounds. Even so, he showed his quality by coming back stronger than ever to guide Yamaha to their first podium with the YZF-R1 in Race 1 at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar.

"This season has been very hectic for me," explained Guintoli. "Since the first round we were able to be fast, particularly in qualifying. It was a brand new project and we worked hard to develop and improve the bike. The start of the season seemed promising before the fall in Imola, which was very damaging for the bike’s development and especially for me!"

Guintoli’s accident occurred during the Tissot-Superpole session on Saturday morning in Imola. The seriousness of his injuries decided his fate, leaving him unable to compete for months. "It was a very complicated time," continued the Frenchman. "I did not talk about it, but the injuries were much more serious than the first tests showed. I suffered nine fractures in all. Besides my ankle, I had three displaced ribs, two fractured vertebrae, and a fractured pelvis. I wasn’t able to move.”

After five months out, Guintoli made a remarkable return at the Lausitzring after the summer break. "I wanted to get back in shape to finish off the season,” said Guintoli. “I am very proud to have achieved that goal and very happy with my results. In Jerez and Qatar I was very close to the riders in front. Taking the first podium for Yamaha this year is symbolic and very important for me, as it reflects the hard work I've done this year. It also reflects the strong motivation I had to come back stronger after my injury. It's a performance I'm proud of and it shows everyone that I'm one of the fastest riders in World Superbikes."

In the overall standings, Guintoli finished ahead of his teammate Alex Lowes, and was the first Yamaha rider home in the order. "It's always important to finish in front of your teammate," explained the 34 year old. “From the start of the year I was already in front of him, both in the classification of the Championship and in the Superpole standings. When I returned to the competition, again I finished in front.”

Reflecting on the first season with the new R1 and how he performed with the bike, Guintoli said, "We knew that it would be difficult to win in the first year against the other bikes that have been in the Championship longer. They’ve had years to develop their bikes, but to achieve a podium means that even with their advantage, we were still competitive."

Guintoli’s journey with Yamaha will not continue in 2017, and while his plans still haven’t been confirmed, he remains optimistic about his future. "Now 2016 is behind us," said Guintoli. "I have given my contribution to Yamaha this year and achieved results. For now, there is nothing decided for next season. I am in negotiations with some teams, just trying to evaluate the best opportunities. It is important to choose the best project and my plans should be decided in the coming days. If the decision is concrete, it may be that I participate in the upcoming WorldSBK test scheduled at the end of the month. Until then I will continue with my training. I haven’t been on a bike in a week and it’s too long! I can’t wait to be riding again!"