Markus Reiterberger dedicates EWC World Championship title to Ralf Waldmann and his grandparents

The BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team were crowned world champions in the FIM Endurance World Championship, securing the first title for a European manufacturer in the history of the FIM EWC. Pole position and victory at the prestigious Bol d’Or in Le Castellet (F) marked a perfect weekend for Michael van der Mark, Markus Reiterberger and Steven Odendaal in the final 24-hour race of the season.

This is not only BMW’s first title win. It is also the first endurance title for the team, team principal Werner Daemen and the riders. Just a year ago, a dramatic turn of events unfolded at the very same venue: even then, the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team had the world championship trophy all but in their grasp. But less than half an hour before crossing the finish line, a technical fault shattered all their dreams. However, this only served to motivate everyone even more for the 2026 season. And where there had been tears of disappointment last year, tears of joy were now flowing.

Putting all their eggs in one basket

At Le Castellet, the team had just one goal: to secure the maximum points haul as the chasing pack. And they achieved this in dominant fashion. Van der Mark, who is a new regular rider for the team this season and had never raced on the French circuit before, was the fastest in qualifying. He and Reiterberger secured pole position and five points based on the combination of their best times. Leading after eight and 16 hours of racing earned them a further ten points, and the victory brought a further 40 points. The keys to success were the riders’ skill and speed, the flawless work in the pits, and the performance, reliability and fuel efficiency of the motorbike. The BMW M 1000 RR’s fuel consumption was lower than that of the competition, meaning the team had to make fewer pit stops over the distance and thus saved time.

After 24 trouble-free hours, Reiterberger crossed the finish line in first place on the #37 BMW M 1000 RR, to frenetic cheers from the team on the pit wall. Rival team YART, featuring, amongst others, former IDM Superbike champion Marvin Fritz, finished the race in third place and were thus beaten by four points in the World Championship standings.

A dream come true

“We’ve finally done it,” said Reiterberger. “Last year we were unfortunately a bit unlucky, so I was a bit nervous during the final stint. But it’s finally worked out. I’m so happy for my team-mates: they were incredibly strong, as was the whole team. I can hardly put into words how we feel right now. Ever since I started out in this sport as a four-year-old boy, my only dream has been to become World Champion one day. Now we’ve finally done it. I’d like to thank everyone who has always had my back over the years, who has caught me when I’ve fallen, supported me and repeatedly encouraged me to keep holding on to my goal – above all my parents, but also my friends, my whole family, my supporters, sponsors and helpers, and everyone who is part of this dream. I’d like to dedicate this world championship title to all of them, but especially to my grandparents and Waldi. Thank you.”

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Werner Daemen, team manager of the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team and also of the Euro Moto Team Masteroil-alpha-Van Zon-BMW, was able to celebrate at the circuit with his family from Belgium. “It’s a rollercoaster of emotions and thoughts,” he revealed. “We started this project together with BMW seven or eight years ago, and we knew it would be difficult going up against the Japanese brands because they have so much more experience. They started back in the 1970s. As a young brand in this racing scene, having arrived here in 2019, we naturally faced many minor problems. We’ve built something – and this is a very important point: we’ve not only built the best motorbike, but also the best team. And together with BMW, thanks to their hard work and the excellent equipment they provide us with, we’ve really been right at the top this year. I’m very proud to have won the title for BMW.”