Historic title in the World Endurance Championship: BMW sees this as just the beginning

BMW made history with its victory at the Bol d’Or. Markus Reiterberger, Michael van der Mark and Steven Odendaal secured the German manufacturer’s first World Championship title in the World Endurance Championship. Following the bitter end to the 2025 season, the BMW works team completed its mission at Le Castellet this time round.

BMW put in a near-perfect performance over the decisive weekend. The team had already secured pole position with the M1000RR in qualifying. During the race, the number 37 bike also scored the maximum number of points in the intermediate classifications and ultimately capped off the weekend with victory at the Bol d’Or.

“I don’t think any of us has really taken it all in yet,” explained BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director Sven Blusch after the historic success. Blusch had tears in his eyes as he crossed the finish line. “The whole week – from the first practice session to the final lap – was a demonstration of BMW and of what the BMW M1000RR is capable of.”

Sven Blusch pays tribute to Werner Daemen

For BMW, the title holds special significance, not least because of the difficult years that have gone before. Time and again, the team had shown its potential, yet that one major success had eluded them. In 2025, the World Championship title was lost in dramatic fashion at the season finale.

Weltmeister: Teamchef Daemen mit Reiterberger, Odendaal und van der Mark

Foto: BMW

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“We are incredibly proud to bring home BMW’s first world championship title in endurance racing – especially after the very difficult years we have been through,” emphasised Blusch.

He attributes a significant share of the success to Head of Motorsport and Team Manager Werner Daemen. The Belgian and his team have continuously developed the BMW project over the past few years. “Special thanks go to Werner Daemen, who has done an incredible job over the past few years. I believe blue-and-white blood runs through his veins. We could hardly imagine a better brand ambassador by our side,” praised Blusch.

Blusch: “Nobody puts themselves in the spotlight”

However, it was not only the technical development of the M1000RR and the team’s work that were decisive for Blusch. With Reiterberger, van der Mark and Odendaal, BMW also had a trio of riders who prioritised the common goal over their personal interests.

BMW Motorsport Direktor Sven Blusch

Foto: BMW

“We’ve put together a perfect team that has delivered an extremely strong performance in every race. The riders, too, are a worthy world champion trio. Nobody puts themselves first; everyone prioritises the team’s interests,” emphasised the BMW Head of Motorsport.

This is precisely where Blusch sees one of the new world champions’ key strengths: “What’s outstanding is that they’ve always raced as a team. As a result, we didn’t give our opponents a chance.”

Third consecutive BMW World Championship title

The triumph in the World Endurance Championship continues a remarkable run for BMW. After the manufacturer had celebrated the riders’ title in the Superbike World Championship twice in a row with Toprak Razgatlioglu, the next international title has now followed with the M1000RR – a reward for the great efforts invested in racing with production-based motorbikes.

“Following two consecutive World Championship titles in Superbike, winning the Endurance World Championship marks another chapter in the history of BMW Motorrad Motorsport,” explained Blusch. “I believe we are only just getting started. We want to continue making history and have now laid the foundations for that.”

Erleichtert und stolz: Nach dem Drama im Vorjahr holte BMW den WM-Titel

Foto: BMW

Blusch also made sure not to forget the numerous staff working behind the scenes: “It is very important to thank the whole team – everyone at the racetrack as well as in Munich, Berlin, Belgium and England.”

For BMW, the season thus ends with a historic milestone. Blusch summed up the significance as follows: “We are world champions once again – for the third time in a row. We can be very proud of that.”