BMW bosses celebrate Suzuka triumph: “Our riders have achieved something historic!”

Third place at the Suzuka 8 Hours sparked great excitement at BMW. For the first time since the inaugural running of this historic endurance classic in 1978, a European manufacturer had made it onto the podium. The reactions from BMW Motorrad boss Markus Flasch and Head of Motorsport Sven Blusch were understandably emotional.

“An absolutely incredible race!” enthused Flasch after the number 37 bike, ridden by Markus Reiterberger, Michael van der Mark and Steven Odendaal, crossed the finish line. “I am more than proud of what the whole team has achieved here in Suzuka.”

The BMW boss particularly emphasised the significance of the race. “This race is the most important event for the Japanese manufacturers, and they compete here with stars from MotoGP and the World Superbike Championship. Now BMW Motorrad, with our regular team from the World Endurance Championship, has also managed to finish on the podium.”

With Michael van der Mark, Markus Reiterberger and Steven Odendaal, the BMW works team prevailed against numerous teams featuring top-class riders. For Flasch, this historic success is therefore above all the reward for a united team effort.

“In absolutely adverse conditions, Mickey, Markus, Steven and the entire team led by Werner Daemen have achieved something historic. BMW is the first European manufacturer on the Suzuka podium. Thank you to everyone for their absolutely determined effort!” said the BMW Motorrad CEO.

Sven Blusch speaks of a “historic day” for BMW

Motorsport Director Sven Blusch also spoke of a milestone in the history of BMW Motorrad Motorsport. “This is a historic day for BMW Motorrad. After 47 years, we have become the first non-Japanese manufacturer to make it onto the podium. That fills us with an incredible sense of pride.”

Blusch particularly praised the team’s work and the riders’ flawless performance under the most challenging conditions. “The team on site did a brilliant job and the riders kept their cool even under the most challenging conditions.”

With third place, the BMW works team – as the highest-placed team permanently entered in the Endurance World Championship – also secured valuable points in the title race. As a result, BMW significantly reduced the gap to leaders YART ahead of the season finale at the Bol d’Or. Ahead of the final race of the EWC season, just 19 points separate YART and BMW. The circuit layout at Le Castellet, with its long back straight, plays much more to BMW’s strengths than to those of the leading Yamaha team.

“This success is incredibly important for us,” emphasised Blusch. “We were determined to get on the podium here; we’re back in the title race and have proved that the BMW M1000RR is competitive even in Honda’s home country.”

Despite all the joy, the head of motorsport did not forget to congratulate the winners. “Congratulations to Honda on a strong victory.” However, BMW does not intend to celebrate this historic success for long. Their focus is already on the decisive World Championship round at Le Castellet.

“From Monday, our full focus will be on the season finale at the Bol d’Or,” announced Blusch. “A special thank you goes to our three riders, who kept their cool – and especially to Mickey, who confidently brought the race home in the closing stages. We’re simply incredibly proud!”

The final results of the 2026 Suzuka 8 Hours:

1. Honda HRC (Rea, Takahashi, Chantra), Honda CBR1000RR-R, 188 laps

2. Yamaha Factory Racing (Nakasuga, Miller, Locatelli), Yamaha R1, +1:34.280 minutes

3. BMW Endurance (Reiterberger, Odendaal, van der Mark), BMW M1000RR, +1:44.087

4. YART (Hanika, Fritz, Mercado), Yamaha R1, +3:44.444

5. AutoRace Ube Racing (Uramoto, Guintoli, Ponsson), BMW M1000RR, +3:46.113

6. SERT (Black, Linfoot, Atsumi), Suzuki GSX-R1000R, +2 laps

7. Suzuki CN Challenge (Tsuda, Mizuno, Masson), Suzuki GSX-R1000R, +2 laps

8. SDG Team HARC-PRO Honda (Kunii, Nagoe, Abe), Honda CBR1000RR-R, +3 laps

9. Honda Asia-Dream Racing (Atiratphuvapat, Pawi, Putra), Honda CBR1000RR-R, +4 laps

10. Team ATJ (Iwata, Suzuki, Kunimine), Suzuki GSX-R1000R, +4 laps