Former MotoGP rider supports Marcel Schrötter and ERC at the Bol d’Or

For Marcel Schrötter, an eventful first season in the World Endurance Championship is drawing to a close this weekend. At the historic Bol d’Or on the Circuit Paul Ricard, the 33-year-old will be competing in his second 24-hour race. Riding for ERC Endurance, the Bavarian has a clear goal: to finish in the top five of the overall World Championship standings.

Ahead of the season finale, ERC Endurance sits in sixth place with 53 points. The AutoRace Ube Racing Team, also competing in a BMW M1000RR, is in fifth place with 60 points. Schrötter’s team therefore needs to make up seven points.

The omens are giving the former Moto2 rider cause for confidence. Two weeks ago, ERC Endurance completed a test at Le Castellet, where the combination of the BMW and Dunlop tyres proved competitive. This impression was confirmed again during the test at the start of the race week.

“We were very competitive again. As was already evident two weeks ago, our combination of bike and tyres performs better here at Le Castellet,” reported Schrötter. “Compared with other circuits, we’re not far behind our rivals when it comes to tyres.”

This suggests that the 5.6-kilometre Circuit Paul Ricard ERC Endurance clearly suits them better than some of the previous EWC venues. This is particularly relevant because the team is one of the few in the field to rely on Dunlop tyres, whilst Bridgestone has dominated the World Endurance Championship for years. The track conditions in the south of France are said to favour the Dunlop-shod BMW riders.

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Loris Baz steps in for Kenny Foray

There’s a change to the line-up for the finale. Alongside Schrötter and Jan-Ole Jähnig, Loris Baz will be in the number 6 BMW this time. The experienced Frenchman replaces Kenny Foray, who, of all people, is racing for the AutoRace Ube Racing Team, which currently sits fifth in the World Championship. The newly formed ERC trio already showed great promise during the preparatory test sessions.

For Schrötter, the final also presents an opportunity to round off his first full EWC season on a high note. He made his debut in April at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This was followed by the races at Spa and Suzuka, although the Japanese classic ended on a personally disappointing note for the German.

Following a crash in practice, Schrötter was unable to take part in the Suzuka 8 Hours due to a knee injury. However, the injury did not cause him any major problems during his subsequent appearances in the Euro Moto series.

Now all eyes are firmly on the Bol d’Or. “I’m really looking forward to the final race weekend of the World Endurance Championship. So far, it’s been an exciting season for me as a rookie in this series,” explained the BMW rider.

Schrötter optimistic after testing

The positive impressions from testing are fuelling optimism. “We definitely have a good chance of a strong result,” Schrötter is convinced. At the same time, having completed his first EWC season, the Bavarian knows that a 24-hour race is almost impossible to plan for.

“A lot can happen over that time. That’s why it’s important to get through the race and avoid mistakes,” emphasised Schrötter. “At the moment, though, things are looking pretty positive, because so far everything’s going well and running smoothly.”

The 89th Bol d’Or gets underway on Saturday at 3 pm and finishes at the same time on Sunday. For Schrötter, Jähnig and Baz, the mission for the 24 hours is clear: to get through with as few mistakes as possible and make up the seven-point deficit to fifth place in the World Championship. “My team-mates and I are ready to finish this season on a high and achieve our goal of finishing the championship in the top five.”