At the Bol d'Or in Le Castellet, BMW Motorrad Motorsport and the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team experienced all the toughness and dramatic intensity of endurance racing in the finale of the 2025 FIM World Endurance Championship season (FIM EWC).
With 28 minutes to go before clinching what would have been BMW's first ever world title in the discipline, the cruelty of endurance racing struck again, wiping out the efforts of the #37 M 1000 RR driven by Markus Reiterberger (GER), Sylvain Guintoli (FRA) and Steven Odendaal (RSA).
Starting from second place on the grid, the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team entered this marathon tied on points with YART (Yamaha). After the first points of the championship were awarded at the eight-hour mark, the BMW factory team moved into the lead, then extending its lead after 16 hours of racing.
In second position in the race, the No. 37 machine seemed to be heading towards the world title until less than half an hour from the finish, before the mechanical problem shattered this hope, forcing the bike to return to the pits and retire due to a technical problem.
https://twitter.com/FIM_EWC/status/1969743130107822152
The BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team ultimately finished third in the overall championship standings.
The Japanese team AutoRace Ube Racing Team was competing in his first Bol d'Or with the BMW M 1000 RR n°76. Naomichi Uramoto (JPN), Loris Baz (FRA) and Leandro Mercado (ARG) occupied a solid fourth position before being forced to retire at the end of the race following a technical problem.
In its misfortune, which obviously leaves the men extremely disappointed, the Bavarian firm can nevertheless appreciate the new victory, in the Superstock category, of the team Champion-MRP-Tecmas which entered the BMW M 1000 RR n°9 including Loris cresson (FRA), Bálint Kovacs (HUN), Jan-Ole Jähnig (GER) and Hannes Soomer (EST) shared the saddle. Third overall, a first for a Superstock team since 2021, the team also took third place in the final standings of the FIM Endurance World Cup reserved for Superstock.
Sven Blusch, Director of BMW Motorrad Motorsport:
“Of course, it’s very bittersweet when a possible world title slips away so close to the finish. We were only 28 minutes away from achieving this historic success. But that’s what endurance racing is all about: nothing is certain until the checkered flag falls. The riders and team gave their all to keep this dream alive, but fate had other plans. Congratulations to YART on their title. Once the disappointment has subsided, we can be proud of what the team has achieved this season. Everyone put in exceptional performances in all four races. I thank every member of the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team, Team Manager Werner Daemen and our riders, as well as all the colleagues in Munich and Berlin who worked so hard for this dream.” Next year we want to make it happen, that's a promise! The performance of the AutoRace Ube Racing Team was also impressive: in their first participation in the Bol d'Or, they fought for a long time for fourth place. Congratulations also to the Champion-MRP-Tecmas team. Reaching the overall podium and winning the Superstock is a remarkable achievement, which once again highlights the strength of the BMW M 1000 RR in all its configurations.
Christian Gonschor, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Technical Director:
“My summary of the Bol d'Or: above all, it was an incredible celebration of motorsport. We will be back! What clearly prevails is the satisfaction of seeing the potential of the bike and the team, and feeling the immense support from everyone, from the headquarters in Munich and Berlin, the racing team, our partners, suppliers, and sponsors present on site. Competing in 24 hours is always an extreme challenge, requiring maximum performance and constant concentration in all conditions. The way the team demonstrated this is exemplary, everyone here, with the riders in mind. So my thanks go to everyone involved.” We can only apologize for this technical failure.. But BMW will come back, and together we will fight for the world title next year. And I am very happy that, despite the misfortune of the #37, the #9 BMW M 1000 RR took a convincing victory in Stock and secured the overall podium.
Werner Daemen, Team Manager of the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team:
“I have no words to describe how I feel. I'm really, really disappointed. And I think it's normal when you fight for 20 years like me for this and things like this happen. It breaks my heart, especially for the team. But next year we will do better.” Next year we will go for the world title! »
Sylvain Guintoli, BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team:
“Frankly, everything was under control and we managed the engine and pace perfectly for the second part of the race. Everything was there for us. We did everything we needed to get second place in the race and, above all, the world title. But it wasn't going to happen this time. That's endurance: Endurance is sometimes cruel. It was an extremely tough race. I think we've all given a lot. And now, we all feel like we're going home empty-handed. But like I said, that's how it is. We have some time ahead of us, we're going to reflect, take the positives and come back stronger."
Markus Reiterberger, BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team:
“We managed to fight for the title in the last race. We gave it our all to achieve it. We started well, tied on points with YART in qualifying, and by the eighth hour of the race we had already taken the lead in the standings. This put us at the top of the world championship. We then held on to that position. Second place in the race would have been enough to secure the title. We just wanted to bring the bike to the finish, and then, So close to the goal, the unthinkable has happened. Yes, it seems like a bad dream. I don't think you can get any luckier than that.Honestly, I don't even know what to say. But I'm grateful to the entire team and everyone involved, because everyone gave their all. No one deserved this outcome. And most of all, it was hard to get on the podium afterward. I think it will take time to really digest something like this. »
General championship classification (R04/04).
| Pos | Team | Manufacturer | Points |
| 1. | YART – Yamaha | Yamaha | 139 |
| 4. | Yoshimura SERT Motul | Suzuki | 138 |
| 3. | BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team | BMW | 108 |
| 4. | KWT – Kawasaki | Kawasaki | 83 |
| 5. | ERC Endurance #6 | BMW | 74 |
Bol d'Or 2025 BMW Bol d'Or 2025 BMW
