Yamaha secured its third consecutive FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) Manufacturers’ title at the 89th Bol d’Or at Circuit Paul Ricard on Sunday, while the Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team finished third in the 24-hour season finale and fell agonisingly short of retaining its Teams’ crown by just four points.
After 24 hours and almost 4,200 kilometres of intense racing, YART crossed the line in third. With their main title rival winning the race, second place would have been enough to retain the Teams’ crown, but the result saw the reigning champions end the season as runners-up with 154 points, only four behind the champions, while Yamaha claimed its third consecutive FIM EWC Manufacturers’ title with 179 points, two points clear of its nearest rival.
YART arrived at the season finale with 112 points and a 19-point championship advantage after a campaign that included a victory at the 24 Heures Motos, second at the 8 Hours of Spa Motos, and fourth at the Suzuka 8 Hours. The five points awarded to their main title rival for pole position at the Bol d’Or, combined with YART qualifying seventh and missing out on the points awarded to the top five, reduced that advantage to 14 before the race.
The Austrian squad had endured an extraordinarily difficult build-up. Hanika was left bruised and nursing a wrist injury after a heavy multi-rider accident during Tuesday’s Private Practice before crashing on oil in the opening qualifying session. Fritz also fell during Free Practice, while Mercado was caught out by oil left on the circuit later in the same session. Four crashes across two days created a considerable workload, but the team rebuilt the #1 Bridgestone-shod R1s and made the start determined to defend its title.
Fritz took the traditional Le Mans-style running start from seventh on the grid. Mindful of the need to get through the opening exchanges safely, the German emerged from the first few corners in 16th before beginning an impressive recovery that saw him charge into third within the opening half-hour.
Fritz stayed with the front-runners and pitted from fourth at the end of the opening hour, handing the R1 to Mercado. The Argentinian maintained fourth during a composed first stint before Hanika took over later in the second hour.
The Czech rider rejoined in sixth as the pit-stop cycle unfolded and quickly joined the fight for third. Although he lost time to his rival on the Mistral Straight, Hanika made it back through the corners, broke clear and handed the R1 back to Fritz from third after two and a half hours.
YART remained firmly in the leading group throughout the opening phase, with Fritz, Mercado and Hanika maintaining a strong and consistent pace as the #1 R1 alternated between third and fourth. Different fuel strategies stretched the field through the pit-stop cycles, but the Austrian squad continued to execute its race plan cleanly and keep the title fight alive.
YART collected seven points at both the eight and 16-hour checkpoints while running fourth. Their main title rival led at both stages and received ten points each time, reducing YART’s championship advantage from 14 points to eight, but the entire team continued to deliver a clean and consistent performance throughout the night. Behind them, the Elf Marc VDS Racing Team/KM99 Yamaha was producing an excellent race and had climbed from ninth on the grid to fifth overall.
As dawn broke, Hanika demonstrated remarkable courage during one of the performances of the race. Despite the pain from his crashes earlier in the week, he refused to yield to the race leader on track during a superb stint, even though YART was two laps behind on the timing screens, before handing over to Fritz after more than 17 hours of racing.
Fritz, Mercado and Hanika continued to apply pressure and gradually reduced the gap to the podium positions. When the third-placed machine crashed during the final four hours, YART moved into the final podium position. With the eventual winner still leading, the Austrian squad needed second to retain its title and launched one final charge for the runner-up spot.
Fritz pushed relentlessly to bring the gap down to a single lap before handing over to Mercado for the final stint in the closing stages. Fittingly, the three leading machines circulated together during the final laps, but there was no late twist, and Mercado brought the R1 across the line in third after 740 laps and more than 24 hours of faultless racing.
YART scored 42 points during the race, comprising seven at both the eight and 16-hour checkpoints and 28 for third at the finish. That took the team to 154 points, with their main title rival’s maximum 65-point haul across qualifying and the race securing the title on 158. Although they narrowly missed out on a fourth world championship, YART’s podium helped Yamaha secure its third consecutive FIM EWC Manufacturers’ crown. The Austrian squad ended the year with a victory at Le Mans and three podiums from four rounds, providing a strong foundation to build on in 2027.
The Elf Marc VDS Racing Team/KM99 Yamaha also faced disappointment after an outstanding performance by Randy de Puniet, Florian Marino and Bo Bendsneyder. The #99 R1 had risen from ninth to sixth during the opening phase and continued its progress through the night to hold a superb fifth at the 16-hour mark. A technical issue during the final hours forced the bike into the garage and ended its hopes of a top-five finish. The team refused to give up, repairing the R1 in time to return to the track and take the chequered flag in 21st overall and ninth in the Formula EWC class after 668 laps.
Yamaha enjoyed a superb race in the Superstock category. The #36 3ART Best Of Bike Hamaguchi R1 finished second in class and seventh overall after completing 715 laps, while Team 18 Pompiers Igol CMS Motostore secured fourth in class and tenth overall with 712 laps. Those results gave Yamaha two of the top four places in Superstock and, together with YART’s third place and eighth overall for the #14 MACO Racing Team R1, put four Yamaha R1s inside the top ten overall.
There was even more success in the Production category, where Yamaha recorded a one-two finish. The #26 Audemar Motoclub Gemenos R1 won the class and finished 22nd overall after completing 666 laps, with the #96 Legacy Competition Yamaha second in class and 23rd overall on 664 laps. Team HTC Racing added another top-five finish for the R1, taking fifth in class and 28th overall with 645 laps.
Legacy Competition’s second place, together with seven points at the eight-hour checkpoint and eight at 16 hours, earned the team 48 points from the Bol d’Or and secured the FIM Production World Trophy for Teams with a final total of 131. Those results also delivered the FIM Production World Trophy for Manufacturers for Yamaha with 180 points, completing a superb championship treble alongside the Formula EWC Manufacturers’ crown. All race and championship results in the EWC Production class remain provisional pending official confirmation.
Bol d’Or Provisional Race Results
Marvin Fritz – P3 – 740 laps
Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team
“This is not the result we wanted, and of course we are disappointed, but I have to say a huge thank you to the entire team. This week was not easy, and they worked incredibly hard from early in the morning until after midnight. My teammates have also done a fantastic job all season. Winning the 24 Heures Motos for a second consecutive year was a great achievement, and three podiums from four rounds is still a strong season. We know where we need to improve for next year, and that will make us stronger. We are already looking forward to 2027.”
Karel Hanika – P3 – 740 laps
Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team
“It was a very tough week. I had a big crash on Tuesday and another on Thursday, and in total we had four crashes after not having one here for the previous three or four years. There was a lot of damage to the bikes, and physically I was struggling. On Friday, I felt really bad and wasn’t even sure I would be able to race. I found the beginning difficult, but my physio did a great job, and we worked through a good process that improved my condition. Towards the end of the race, I actually started to feel better. Even if I had been at 100 per cent, I do not think it would have changed the result, so we have to be happy with third. I want to thank Marvin and Tati, Mandy, my physio, the mechanics and every member of the team. They rebuilt the bikes, supported me throughout the weekend and never gave up.”
Leandro Mercado – P3 – 740 laps
Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team
“This week was really hard because we had four big crashes, and the team had so much work to do. We have to be proud of everything we achieved. If we look back at where we were on Tuesday and Thursday, the situation was very difficult, but we turned it around and produced a strong race. We gave our maximum and pushed in every stint and on every lap to make a good comeback and finish on the podium. Of course, our target was to win the championship, but in my first year with YART, we achieved three podiums, won at Le Mans and arrived at the final race with a chance of the title. I want to thank my teammates and the entire team because it has been a fantastic year for me. I am looking forward to the future, and we will come back stronger.”
Mandy Kainz – P3 – 740 laps
Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team, Team Manager
“We gave everything, and I could not have asked for more from the riders or the team. 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. Karel rode through a lot of pain, while Marvin and Tati pushed on every lap. We are disappointed to miss the championship by only four points, but we can be proud of winning at Le Mans, taking three podiums from four races and fighting until the final lap. We will analyse where we can improve, learn from this season and come back stronger in 2027.”
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