BMW Wins Bol d'Or, Takes 2026 EWC Title
· Yahoo Sports
The first European manufacturer to win endurance championship
Photos by BMW, Yamaha, and the FIM EWC.The #37 BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team ran a flawless 89th Bol d'Or at Circuit Paul Ricard, converting a perfect weekend into the FIM Endurance World Championship and becoming the first European manufacturer to capture the EWC crown. Michael van der Mark, Markus Reiterberger and Steven Odendaal scored the maximum 65 points across qualifying and the 24-hour race, edging the Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team by four points in the final standings.
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The YART team led by 19 points heading into the finale, before the BMW team took pole position and the 5 points that came with it, bringing the margin down to 14. The #37 M 1000 RR then led at both the eight- and 16-hour checkpoints for 10 points apiece before Reiterberger took the checkered flag for the 40-point win. YART qualified seventh, missing out of any points awarded for the top five, putting them at an immediate disadvantage.
Reliability and fuel efficiency did the rest. The M 1000 RR burned less fuel than its rivals, letting the team make fewer stops and bank time over 24 hours. The 2026 Bol D'Or proved to be a reversal of fortunes for BMW compared to last year's race, where a mechanical problem with less than 30 minutes left on the clock robbed the squad of the title.
"I couldn't be happier. We have been trying to win this World Championship for a very long time.," said Odendaal. "To lose it the way we did last year was simply heartbreaking. That makes winning it this year all the more special. We are three very strong riders in a fantastic team."
Though the YART team lost the championship, Yamaha did not leave empty-handed. YART's team of Marvin Fritz, Karel Hanika, and Leandro Mercado overcame four crashes during practice and qualifying to salvage a third-place finish. That podium helped Yamaha wrap up a third straight EWC Manufacturers' crown, with a 179-point tally, 12 points ahead of BMW.
"We gave everything, and I could not have asked for more from the riders or the team," said Mandy Kainz, YART team manager. "After four crashes and all the work required to rebuild the bikes, completing 24 hours without a crash or technical issue and finishing on the podium says everything about the character of this team."
The Yoshimura SERT Motul squad of Gregg Black, Etienne Masson, and Dan Linfoot qualified in third and finished the race second, putting them third in the championship with 137 points.
2026 Bol D'Or Endurance World Championship Results
Pos.
#
Team
Riders
Distance
Points
1
37
BMW MOTORRAD WORLD ENDURANCE TEAM
M. Reiterberger
S. Odendaal
M. van der Mark
742 Laps
65 pts
2
12
Yoshimura SERT Motul
G. Black
E. Masson
D. Linfoot
741 Laps
53 pts
3
1
YART Yamaha Official EWC Team
K. Hanika
M. Fritz
L. Mercado
740 Laps
42 pts
4
5
F.C.C. TSR Honda France
A. Techer
C. Perolari
J. McPhee
734 Laps
42 pts
5
11
Kawasaki Webike Trickstar
R. Ramos Alvaro
C. Gamarino
G. Leblanc
718 Laps
32 pts
6
99
Elf Marc VDS Racing Team/KM99
R. De Puniet
F. Marino
A. Delbianco
668 Laps
24 pts
7
14
MACO RACING Team
M. Vugrinec
D. Juhász
M. Prasek
714 Laps
22 pts
8
53
Mana-au Competition
M. Fetz
K. Aebi
N. Vasta
712 Laps
20 pts
9
98
TEAM PMS99 YAM SERVICE
M. DELESTRE
R. Maher
F. Mincione
696 Laps
15 pts
10
4
Tati Team AVA6 Racing
H. Clere
M. Di Meglio
I. Viñales
640 Laps
14 pts
11
6
ERC Endurance #6
M. Schrötter
K. Foray
D. Checa Carrera
629 Laps
9 pts
12
8
Team Bolliger Switzerland #8
N. Thöni
A. Toledo Romero
V. VALTONEN
331 Laps
4 pts
13
76
AutoRace Ube Racing Team
N. Uramoto
S. Guintoli
H. Soomer
140 Laps
4 pts
2026 Endurance World Championship Final Standings
Pos.
#
Team
Riders
Points
1
37
BMW MOTORRAD WORLD ENDURANCE TEAM
M. Reiterberger
S. Odendaal
M. van der Mark
158 pts
2
1
YART Yamaha Official EWC Team
K. Hanika
M. Fritz
L. Mercado
154 pts
3
12
Yoshimura SERT Motul
G. Black
E. Masson
D. Linfoot
137 pts
4
11
Kawasaki Webike Trickstar
R. Ramos Alvaro
C. Gamarino
G. Leblanc
105 pts
5
76
AutoRace Ube Racing Team
N. Uramoto
S. Guintoli
H. Soomer
64 pts
6
6
ERC Endurance #6
M. Schrötter
K. Foray
D. Checa Carrera
62 pts
7
5
F.C.C. TSR Honda France
A. Techer
C. Perolari
J. McPhee
61 pts
8
53
Mana-au Competition
M. Fetz
K. Aebi
N. Vasta
49 pts
9
8
Team Bolliger Switzerland #8
N. Thöni
A. Toledo Romero
V. VALTONEN
43 pts
10
14
MACO RACING Team
M. Vugrinec
D. Juhász
M. Prasek
37 pts
11
65
Motobox Kremer Racing by 321
M. Stauffer
L. Lehmann
M. Kofler
36 pts
12
30
Honda HRC
T. Takahashi
J. Rea
S. Chantra
35 pts
13
99
Elf Marc VDS Racing Team/KM99
R. De Puniet
F. Marino
A. Delbianco
34 pts
14
24
MAXXESS By BMRT3D
D. Sanchís Martinez
T. Edwards
M. GREGORIO
33 pts
15
4
Tati Team AVA6 Racing
H. Clere
M. Di Meglio
I. Viñales
31 pts
16
90
LRP Poland
E. Boulom
S. Morais
D. Webb
28 pts
17
21
YAMAHA FACTORY RACING TEAM
K. Nakasuga
J. Miller
A. Locatelli
25 pts
18
98
TEAM PMS99 YAM SERVICE
M. DELESTRE
R. Maher
F. Mincione
25 pts
19
73
SDG Team HARC-PRO. Honda
Y. Kunii
T. Nagoe
K. Abe
14 pts
20
88
Honda Asia-Dream Racing with Astemo
N. Atiratphuvapat
K. Pawi
M. Putra
13 pts
21
40
Team ATJ with NTT docomo Business
S. Iwata
K. SUZUKI
T. Kunimine
12 pts
22
95
S-PULSE DREAM RACING SUZUKI
S. Nishimura
J. Folger
J. Guarnoni
11 pts
23
50
MARUMAE TEAM KODAMA
Y. Kodama
M. Stauffer
T. Takahashi
10 pts
24
116
Kingtyre Fullgas Racing Team #116
B. Ubl
V. GAUTHEREAU
L. Cirard
8 pts
25
23
KRP SANYO KOGYO & RS-ITOH
Y. Sano
K. Sano
R. Sugawara
7 pts
26
17
Astemo Pro Honda SI Racing
K. Nozane
T. HADA
K. ARAKAWA
6 pts
27
20
Honda Suzuka Racing Team
B. Young
G. NAKAJIMA
M. Watanuki
3 pts
28
45
SHINSYUREN with TOTEC
H. Nakajima
K. Okuda
I. Higashimura
2 pts
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