Dramatic finale for BMW manufacturing facility workforce at FIM EWC Le Castellet

Le Castellet. On the Bol d’Or at Le Castellet (FRA), BMW Motorrad Motorsport and the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Crew skilled simply how powerful and dramatic endurance racing could be. On the 2025 season finale of the FIM Endurance World Championship (FIM EWC), the workforce was solely 28 minutes away from securing what would have been BMW’s historic first title within the sequence. Working second within the race, Markus Reiterberger (GER), Sylvain Guintoli (FRA), and Steven Odendaal (RSA) have been on the right track for the world championship crown with the #37 BMW M 1000 RR. However after 23.5 of the 24 hours, a technical subject compelled the bike into the pits and out of the race. That left the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Crew third within the remaining championship standings. Celebration got here, nevertheless, from the Superstock Champion-MRP-Tecmas squad who rode the #9 BMW M 1000 RR to the general podium and victory within the SST class.

The ultimate 24-hour race might hardly have been extra thrilling. Ranging from second place on the grid, the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Crew went into the marathon tied on factors with YART (Yamaha). After the primary set of world championship factors was awarded on the eight-hour mark, the BMW manufacturing facility workforce moved into the lead and saved it with extra factors after 16 hours. The #37 machine remained on the right track for the title till lower than half an hour from the checkered flag when retirement struck.

Within the Superstock class, simply as on the 8 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (BEL), Champion-MRP-Tecmas competed with the #9 BMW M 1000 RR. Identical to in Belgium, the workforce celebrated a category victory – and topped that with third total, the primary Superstock workforce to assert an total podium since 2021. Riders Loris Cresson (FRA), Bálint Kovacs (HUN), Jan-Ole Jähnig (GER), and Hannes Soomer (EST) shared using duties. The workforce additionally secured third place within the FIM Endurance World Cup standings for Superstock bikes.

The Japanese AutoRace Ube Racing Crew made its Bol d’Or debut with the #76 BMW M 1000 RR. Naomichi Uramoto (JPN), Loris Baz (FRA), and Leandro Mercado (ARG) have been working a powerful fourth place till late within the race after they too needed to retire as a result of a technical subject.

Reactions after the season finale at Le Castellet:

Sven Blusch, Head of BMW Motorrad Motorsport: “After all, it is vitally bitter when a attainable world championship title slips away so shortly earlier than the end. Simply 28 minutes separated us from this historic success. However that’s endurance racing: nothing is determined till the checkered flag falls. The riders and the workforce gave all the things to maintain the dream alive, however destiny had different plans. Congratulations to YART on successful the title. As soon as the preliminary disappointment fades, we could be pleased with what the workforce achieved this season. Everybody delivered excellent performances in all 4 races. My thanks go to everybody within the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Crew, to Crew Supervisor Werner Daemen and our riders, in addition to all of the colleagues in Munich and Berlin who labored so laborious for this dream. Subsequent 12 months we need to make it a actuality – that’s a promise! The efficiency of the AutoRace Ube Racing Crew was additionally spectacular; of their Bol d’Or debut they held fourth place for a very long time. Congratulations to the Champion-MRP-Tecmas Crew. Third place total and victory within the Superstock class is an excellent achievement and as soon as once more highlights the power of the BMW M 1000 RR in all its specs.”

Christian Gonschor, Technical Director BMW Motorrad Motorsport: “My abstract of the Bol d’Or: initially, it was an unbelievable motorsport pageant. We’ll be again! What clearly prevails is the enjoyment of seeing the potential of the bike and the workforce, and of experiencing the large assist from everybody – from headquarters in Munich and Berlin, from the race workforce, all companions, suppliers, and sponsors right here on web site. Twenty-four hours is at all times a problem with most efficiency and focus beneath all circumstances. The best way the workforce demonstrated this was exemplary – each one right here, with the riders main the way in which. Subsequently, my thanks go to all concerned. We are able to solely apologise for the technical failure. However BMW will likely be again, and collectively we are going to battle for the world championship subsequent 12 months. And I’m more than happy that – regardless of all of the dangerous luck with the #37 – the #9 BMW M 1000 RR claimed a convincing victory within the Inventory class and reached the general podium.”

Werner Daemen, Crew Supervisor BMW Motorrad World Endurance Crew: “I’ve no phrases to clarify my emotions. I’m actually, actually disillusioned. And I feel that is regular when you battle like me 20 years for this after which such issues occur. It breaks my coronary heart, particularly for the workforce. However subsequent 12 months we are going to do it higher. Subsequent 12 months we go for the world championship!”

Sylvain Guintoli, BMW Motorrad World Endurance Crew: “Nicely, mainly all the things fell beneath management and we managed all the things rather well, the engine and the tempo for the second a part of the race. So it was there for us to take. We did all the things proper to go and get the second place within the race and most significantly to get the World Championship. But it surely wasn’t to be. But it surely’s endurance. Endurance is typically merciless. It was an especially powerful race. I feel all of us gave lots. And all of us really feel now like we’re going residence empty-handed. However like I stated, it’s what it’s. Now now we have a little bit of time, we’ll replicate, take the nice bits and are available again stronger.”

Markus Reiterberger, BMW Motorrad World Endurance Crew: “We managed to be preventing for the title within the remaining race. We did all the things we might to make it occur. We have been effectively on our method, matched on factors with YART in qualifying, and by the eight-hour mark of the race we had already constructed up a factors lead. That put us first on the earth championship standings. We have been then main the standings. Second place within the race would have been sufficient for us to safe the title. We simply wished to deliver it residence – after which, so near the tip, the unthinkable occurred. And sure, it simply appears like a foul dream. I don’t assume you may have worse luck than that. Actually, I don’t even know what to say. However I’m grateful to the entire workforce and everybody concerned, as a result of everybody gave their most. Nobody deserved an final result like this. Above all, it was laborious to face on the rostrum afterwards. I feel it should take a while earlier than one can actually come to phrases with one thing like this.”

Steven Odendaal, BMW Motorrad World Endurance Crew: “The workforce did a extremely good job. All of us gave our 100%. Being tied with the championship lead after qualifying was an effective way to start out the final race of the 12 months. However sadly life typically doesn’t work out the way in which you need it and it’s not the tip of the world. We gave it our greatest shot and sadly we had a mechanical failure. However that is racing and there’s at all times one other 12 months, one other time, one other championship. So I simply wished to say due to the workforce for the nice effort that they put in and hopefully we will try to do one thing sooner or later.”

Last World Championship standings (R04/04).

Posted on September 21, 2025 by Michael Le Pard