BMW #37 wins the 2026 Bol d’Or ahead of Suzuki #12 and Yamaha #1 to be crowned EWC champion.
One year after a heartbreaking defeat in the closing moments at Circuit Paul Ricard, the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team finally got its revenge. The trio of Markus Reiterberger, Steven Odendaal, and Michael van der Mark delivered a masterclass over 24 hours onboard the #37 machine to win the 89th edition of the Bol d’Or and secure a landmark world title for the German manufacturer.
Historic EWC title for BMW #37
Starting from pole position, the Belgian-managed squad did not have an easy path to victory. After losing the lead off the line to the Yoshimura SERT Motul Suzuki #12, BMW reclaimed the top spot on the opening lap before engaging in a fierce battle with the F.C.C. TSR Honda France #5. Superior fuel strategy ultimately turned the tide in favour of Werner Daemen’s squad. Leading at the 8-hour, 16-hour, and 24-hour marks, the #37 BMW collected a maximum score of 65 points and set a new event distance record with 742 laps completed.
YART misses out on EWC title by 4 points
Behind the winners, Yoshimura SERT Motul recovered from a mid-race drop to fifth position, using immaculate pit strategy during the night to climb back to second place on the podium and third overall in the final championship standings. Defending EWC champions YART Yamaha #1 completed the podium in third, surrendering their world title after suffering early pace issues and a bizarre pit blunder when a refuelling stand remained attached to their rear wheel.
The #1 Yamaha benefitted from late drama for the #5 Honda, which crashed out of third place on Sunday morning to settle for fourth ahead of the #11 Webike Trickstar Kawasaki. Class honours went to the Wójcik Racing Team #77 Honda, taking the Superstock win in sixth overall, while Team Metiss took Experimental category honours in fourteenth, and Audemar Motoclub Gemenos won the Production class at home in twenty-second position.
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