Historic triumph at the Bol d’Or: BMW are EWC world champions for the first time!

The BMW works team turned the tables once again at the season finale of the World Endurance Championship, securing the world title with Markus Reiterberger, Michael van der Mark and Steven Odendaal. At the Bol d’Or, the team with start number 37 scored the maximum number of points and dethroned defending champions YART, featuring Marvin Fritz, Karel Hanika and Leandro Mercado.

The number 37 M1000RR dominated the 24-hour race for long stretches and set itself apart from the competition, thanks in particular to its strong pace, high reliability and efficiency. Following a commanding performance, BMW maintained its comfortable lead right to the finish line and were crowned endurance world champions for the first time.

Michael van der Mark fuhr für BMW den Startstint

Foto: BMW

At the traditional Le Mans start, Gregg Black got off to the best start on the SERT Suzuki, but Michael van der Mark took the lead on the works BMW as early as the long Mistral straight.

YART, by contrast, did not get off to a good start: Marvin Fritz emerged from the first lap in 16th place, but quickly worked his way back up the field.

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Marvin Fritz auf der YART-R1

Foto: YART

BMW scores with speed and efficiency right from the start

One of the BMW M1000RR’s key strengths was already evident in the first stint. Whilst F.C.C. TSR, AutoRace Ube, YART and SERT had to pit earlier to refuel, the BMW works team was able to extend its stints significantly further.

Nevertheless, a close battle developed on the track between BMW and F.C.C. TSR. Corentin Perolari, in particular, was extremely aggressive on his Honda Fireblade and took the lead on several occasions.

No support from AutoRace Ube and ERC Endurance

In the early stages, AutoRace Ube was also in the mix at the front. Naomichi Uramoto and Sylvain Guintoli were pushing the BMWs at a similar pace to the works team. After three and a half hours, however, the first major setback occurred: Guintoli crashed due to a technical fault, and the heavily damaged M1000RR had to be towed back to the pits by a service vehicle. Later, Uramoto came to a halt at the side of the track with engine failure. After six hours, the race was over for the team, which had started from second on the grid.

Sturzopfer Sylvain Guintoli sprach von einem technischen Problem

Foto: BMW

ERC Endurance was also knocked out of the fight for the top positions early on. Following strong practice sessions and a promising qualifying session, a problem with the gearbox initially set Marcel Schrötter, Loris Baz and Jan-Ole Jähnig’s BMW far back in the field.

A subsequent crash and another pit stop for repairs cost them further laps. During the night, however, the German team fought their way back into the top 10.

Voller Fokus: Marcel Schrötter auf der BMW von ERC Endurance

Foto: BMW

At the front, F.C.C. TSR initially remained the BMWs’ most tenacious rival. John McPhee and Corentin Perolari took the lead on the track on several occasions. However, the Fireblade required refuelling much more frequently. Shortly before the six-and-a-half-hour mark, the BMW works team had managed to avoid a full pit stop for the first time, thereby building up a lead of more than a minute.

SERT consolidated second place overnight

Behind them, a duel between YART and SERT developed that proved crucial to the title race. The defending champions had initially held on to third place after a difficult week of racing, but SERT made up ground during the night. A minor error during the YART pit stop – in which Karel Hanika set off before the rear stand had been removed – cost them a few seconds. SERT eventually moved ahead of the number 1 Yamaha.

SERT-Pilot Dan Linfoot auf der Suzuki GSX-R1000R

Foto: SERT

At the first interim classification after eight hours, BMW secured the maximum ten points. As the night wore on, Markus Reiterberger, Steven Odendaal and Michael van der Mark continued to control the race. F.C.C. TSR and SERT battled behind them for second place, whilst YART, in fourth, was already a lap down.

The night also took its toll on other teams. Bolliger Switzerland had fought its way into the top eight with Alex Toledo, Xavier Artigas and Kylian Nestola, before a connecting rod bearing failure after just over twelve hours meant the end of their race.

Ein Pleuellager-Schaden zwang das Team Bolliger zur Aufgabe

Foto: Team Bolliger Switzerland

Stock World Championship leaders Champion-MRP by MRP were also pushed far back by technical problems: the BMW’s engine overheated, requiring repairs that took over an hour. This put Wojcik Racing in a promising position in the battle for the Stock title.

BMW dominates – YART under pressure

At the second interim classification after 16 hours, BMW once again secured the maximum ten points. YART was only in fourth place and received seven points, reducing the defending champions’ lead in the World Championship to eight points. The equation for the final stages was therefore clear: if BMW were to win the Bol d’Or, YART would have to finish at least second to defend the World Championship title.

YART vs. BMW: Karel Hanika im Duell mit Steven Odendaal

Foto: YART

On Sunday morning, the BMW works team increasingly managed their lead and avoided unnecessary risks. Five hours before the end of the race, Reiterberger spoke of a “nearly perfect race”. Behind them, YART stepped up the pace and closed the gap on F.C.C. TSR. As the race wore on, the Honda had become less manoeuvrable and, due to its higher fuel consumption, had to pit more frequently.

F.C.C. TSR crash: YART moves up to third place

Three and a half hours before the end of the race, John McPhee crashed on the F.C.C. TSR Honda and lost valuable time. The Scot managed to ride the damaged Fireblade back to the pits under his own power. Once there, the bent left handlebar stub, amongst other things, had to be replaced.

The incident saw YART move up to a podium position. However, this was not yet enough to defend the title: SERT remained ahead of the number 1 Yamaha. YART therefore also had to catch up with the Suzuki in order to retain the world championship on their own merits should BMW win.

Die Yamaha R1 von YART beim Tankstopp

Foto: YART

F.C.C. TSR Honda dropped from third to fifth place following the crash. As well as YART, Marc VDS also overtook the number 5 bike. Due to the accident and the subsequent repair stop, the gap to the leading works BMW grew to nine laps.

Hole in the radiator: the Marc VDS Yamaha rolls to a halt

Just how ruthless endurance racing can be became apparent just under two hours before the end of the race: the Marc VDS Yamaha R1, which had been running in fourth place, pulled out with a technical problem. Florian Marino could only push the bike into the escape route.

Marc VDS rutschte durch einen Defekt aus den Top-5

Foto: FIM EWC

Upon returning to the pits, the mechanics set about troubleshooting. It transpired that a hole in the radiator had caused engine failure. Nevertheless, the team did not give up: after a lengthy repair, the mechanics managed to bring the Yamaha back to life and send it back into the race.

For ERC Endurance, too, the Bol d’Or was to end without the hoped-for result. After a comeback already marked by setbacks, the German BMW team was forced to retire due to technical problems.

BMW breathes a sigh of relief: no déjà vu of the 2025 Bol d’Or

The final four hours were to decide the outcome. The leading works BMW remained faultless, and there was no repeat of the dramatic race events from the previous year. Markus Reiterberger rode the M1000RR across the finish line.

BMW celebrated in the south of France as they secured their first Endurance World Championship title, thereby making history: never before had a European manufacturer managed to win the EWC World Championship.

Michael van der Mark auf der Werks-BMW

Foto: BMW

Looking back, the BMW M1000RR proved to be the strongest overall package of the 2026 EWC season. The BMW works team was already in top form at the season opener at Le Mans, before a crash and several mechanical failures prevented a corresponding result.

This was followed by victory at Spa and a podium finish at the Suzuka 8 Hours. At the Bol d’Or, BMW finally went one better: pole position, the maximum points haul in all the intermediate classifications and victory in the race.

Markus Reiterberger jubelte über den Spa-Sieg

Foto: BMW

YART had already expressed serious concerns ahead of the Bol d’Or and knew that the long Mistral straight would play into the rivals’ hands. The loss of the World Championship title was attributable less to mistakes by the team than to the technical disadvantages of the now ageing R1 platform. The demanding circuit layout at Le Castellet highlighted this particularly clearly.

Against the more modern BMW M1000RR, YART had a decisive disadvantage which, despite strong riding performances and almost perfect teamwork, could not be fully compensated for. Thus, the successful title defence came to an end at the very race where the design differences between the motorbikes were particularly evident.

Bol d’Or 2026: Little action, but plenty of tension

The smooth running of the 2026 Bol d’Or was remarkable: the race went without a single safety car period, and the three leading teams did not make any decisive mistakes. Compared with the dramatic editions of previous years, this year’s EWC season finale offered less excitement on the track. In the battle for the World Championship title, however, the tension remained palpable right up until the chequered flag at 3 pm. The relief and jubilation amongst everyone in the BMW pit were correspondingly great.

F.C.C. TSR had to settle for fourth place following John McPhee’s crash. A disappointing result, as in terms of pure pace, the French Honda team was the only serious challenger to BMW for much of the race.

The Kawasaki Webike team, plagued by numerous mechanical issues, benefited from late-race problems at Marc VDS and managed to move up to fifth place. In sixth place came the best stock team: Wojcik Racing, with Jordi Torres, Milan Pawelec and Mateusz Molik, secured the title in the stock class for Honda with their class victory.

The final standings after 24 hours of racing:

To follow shortly.

The final EWC 2026 World Championship standings:

To follow shortly.