Bol d’Or (20h): YART steps up the pressure – BMW manages its lead

After the second intermediate classification at the 16-hour mark, the sky was slowly brightening once more over the Circuit Paul Ricard during the finale of the 2026 World Endurance Championship. With two-thirds of the race completed, BMW had everything under control and was on course for the world title.

Defending champions YART were sitting in fourth place, behind SERT and F.C.C. TSR. The situation was clear: if BMW won, YART would have to finish at least second to retain the title.

Despite being a lap down: YART attacks BMW on the track

The YART team were well aware of the situation and stepped up the pressure. A heated moment unfolded on the track when Karel Hanika overtook Steven Odendaal and the BMW rider had to lift his M1000RR slightly. Hanika, who was two laps down, was unable to pull away after the manoeuvre, however.

Odendaal drew level several times on the Mistral Straight and even glanced over at the YART R1, but refrained from making a move. Given his comfortable lead, there was no reason for the BMW rider to take any unnecessary risks in this duel.

Karel Hanika überholte die führende BMW

Foto: YART

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BMW had a comfortable cushion at this stage. With consistent lap times and thanks to its efficiency advantage, the number 37 had built up a lead of one lap. Behind them, however, an exciting battle for second place was unfolding.

The German Yamaha team Motobox Kremer were forced to retire from the Bol d’Or early. The R1 suffered an engine failure, which took Lennox Lehmann and his team-mates out of the race.

SERT on course for second place – YART catches up with Honda

SERT were among the night’s winners. However, as temperatures rose, the Suzuki was unable to quite match the pace of the F.C.C. TSR Honda, as the team confirmed. Yet even for the third-placed Honda, things were far from running smoothly by then.

F.C.C. TSR Honda befindet sich weiterhin auf Kurs zu einem Podium

Foto: Honda

John McPhee reported that, as the race wore on, the Fireblade became more difficult to ride than at the start. His team-mate Corentin Perolari had to cope with running off into the tarmac run-off area a good five hours before the end of the race. As a result, F.C.C. TSR lost some ground on SERT, but remained in a podium position.

Meanwhile, an engine failure on the PMS Racing Yamaha (Laville, Monfort, Poirier) caused oil flags to be waved. The organisers reacted quickly, meaning a safety car period was not necessary. Further problems also befell Tati, which once again had to pull in for repairs.

BMW-Pilot Michael van der Mark fuhr fehlerfreie Stints

Foto: FIM EWC

Meanwhile, the leading BMW M1000RR ran like clockwork. Reiterberger spoke of a “nearly perfect race” and, after his stint with five hours to go, reported only minor issues with rear-wheel grip. By this stage, it was clear that the BMW works riders were deliberately avoiding unnecessary risks and managing their lead.

The situation was quite different at YART: Marvin Fritz, Karel Hanika and Leandro Mercado kept up the pace and closed in on F.C.C. TSR throughout the morning. After the Honda’s 23rd pit stop, the number 1 Yamaha finally overtook it. The Fireblade’s comparatively high fuel consumption thus made itself felt once again. The order changed after the Yamaha came in for its stop. There was a gap of a good 20 seconds between third and fourth place.

Electronics problem: Kawasaki replaces the wiring harness

Kawasaki, too, was set back by reliability issues at the Bol d’Or. Bolliger had already retired, and Kawasaki Webike Trickstar also struggled repeatedly with technical difficulties. After 19 hours and 15 minutes, intensive work was carried out on the ZX-10RR. At that point, the team was still in sixth place, whilst ERC Endurance was closing in rapidly from behind.

Kawasaki Webike eventually had the entire wiring harness replaced. The repair cost them further time and saw the team drop back to 9th place.

Kawasaki Webike Trickstar verlor durch ein Elektronikproblem viel Zeit

Foto: FIM EWC

The final four hours of the 2026 EWC season were set to decide which team would finish the year as world champions.

The provisional standings after 20 hours of racing:

To follow shortly.