YART Clinches 2025 FIM EWC as BMW’s Title Hopes Blunder

Yoshimura SERT Motul secures third straight Bol d’Or win, but Yamaha celebrates the world crown after BMW’s late heartbreak at Paul Ricard.

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The 88th Bol d’Or at Circuit Paul Ricard delivered one of the most dramatic finishes in FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) history, as Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team claimed the 2025 world title by just one point, while Yoshimura SERT Motul celebrated a hat-trick of victories in the prestigious 24-hour race.

Gregg Black, Étienne Masson and Dan Linfoot led Yoshimura SERT Motul to their third consecutive Bol d’Or triumph, dominating from the early stages despite a stop/go penalty. The Suzuki team claimed maximum bonus points at both the eight-hour and 16-hour marks and ultimately finished two laps clear, marking their third win of the season. Yet, even such a dominant showing wasn’t enough to retain the world championship, which slipped away by the narrowest of margins.

For much of the race, the championship seemed destined for BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team. Riders Markus Reiterberger, Sylvain Guintoli and Steven Odendaal kept the #37 BMW M 1000 RR on course for what would have been the German manufacturer’s first-ever EWC crown. Matching YART point for point in qualifying and leading the standings through the night, BMW were sitting second with just 30 minutes left—enough to secure the title. But a devastating engine failure ended their hopes, forcing a retirement that relegated them to third in the standings.

That misfortune handed the title to YART. Marvin Fritz, Karel Hanika and Jason O’Halloran endured a turbulent race marked by mechanical issues and illness within the team, but their perseverance paid off. Finishing second in the Bol d’Or was enough to edge BMW by a single point, securing YART’s third world crown after previous titles in 2009 and 2023. Yamaha also celebrated back-to-back Manufacturers’ Championships.

YART team manager Mandy Kainz acknowledged BMW’s heartbreak: “Until the finish line nothing is done. I want to say very sorry to the BMW team, they did an awesome job and were so unlucky. We had bad luck in Suzuka, now came a lot of luck.”

BMW’s Head of Motorsport, Sven Blusch, admitted the defeat was bitter: “Just 28 minutes separated us from this historic success. But that is endurance racing: nothing is decided until the checkered flag falls. Everyone delivered outstanding performances this season. Next year we want to make it a reality. That’s a promise.”

Meanwhile, Jason O’Halloran joined the history books as the sixth Australian rider to claim the EWC crown, following in the footsteps of Peter Goddard, Warwick Nowland, Heinz Platacis, Steve Martin and two-time champion Josh Hook. 

As the dust settles from an unforgettable finale, YART celebrates a world championship forged through resilience, while BMW is left to regroup with sights firmly set on redemption in 2026.