The Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team of Marvin Fritz, Karel Hanika, Jason O’Halloran, and reserve rider Robin Mulhauser qualified third on Friday at the Bol d’Or, which means they head into the 24-hour race tied on points at the top of the overall standings for the final round of the 2025 FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) season, with all of the titles in all three classes still up for grabs.
The 88th edition of the legendary endurance race kicked off with a two-hour Free Practice session on Thursday, with glorious sunshine and perfect track conditions forecast for the whole weekend. YART, who arrived at Circuit Paul Ricard leading the EWC standings by one point, immediately got up to speed by ending the session in third with a 1:52.673.
The first qualifying sessions for each rider followed, with Hanika going under the existing lap record, and over a second quicker than his best time last year, to finish second in the Blue Rider group with a 1:51.386, just 0.075s off the fastest time. During the second qualifying sessions, the Czech rider could not improve on his time due to traffic and a lack of a slipstream, which, down the Mistral (which means wind in French) Straight, can mean you lose as much as 0.5s a lap. Despite this, he still managed to set a 1:51.717 to finish third overall in his group.
In the Yellow Rider group, Fritz ended his first session in third with a 1:52.109, but he managed to improve on Friday to a 1:51.536, also going under the existing lap record from 2023. Like Hanika, the German rider was over a second quicker than he was in 2024, showcasing the remarkable progress he and the team have made, and the 32-year-old finished his group in third overall.
O’Halloran was up next in the Red Rider group, with the Australian still learning the demanding 5.673 km Circuit Paul Ricard, having never ridden at the track before. Lap by lap, he got quicker as he let his teammates use the fresh qualifying tyres and focused on his race pace on the used tyres. After setting a 1:53.152 during his first session to finish in fourth, he improved to an impressive 1:52.624, meaning his pace on used tyres is almost identical to his teammates, with the “O Show” securing fourth overall in his group.
Reserve rider Robin Mulhauser also played his part, focusing on dialling in the settings on the Bridgestone-shod YART R1 race bike, something that took on extra importance this year, with no Warm Up session on Saturday meaning qualifying was the last time they would touch the bike before the traditional “Le Mans” running start.
In the EWC, the two fastest riders’ best lap times are combined to give an average that decides the grid position. By taking Hanika’s and Fritz’s times, YART set an average of 1:51.461 and will start the Bol d’Or from third as they aim to secure their third EWC title.
This meant they also claimed three of the five points on offer for the top five teams in qualifying, but with their main title rival scoring four points, both teams are now tied at the top of the overall EWC standings heading into the race, where another 60 points (ten at the eight and 16-hour marks for the top ten teams, and 40 for the race win) are still up for grabs.
It was another strong qualifying performance from the Elf Marc VDS Racing Team/KM99 of Florian Marino, Alessandro Delbianco, and Jérémy Guarnoni. They set an average time of 1:53.115 to secure ninth on the grid, as they look to make it back-to-back podiums at the Bol d’Or.
Yamaha has the chance to win all six EWC titles on offer, with the Teams’ and Manufacturers’ championships in all three classes still undecided. In the FIM Endurance World Cup, both Team 18 Pompiers Igol CMS Motorstore and 3ART Best of Bike are in contention for the title, and they will start the race from 18th and 28th, respectively. Plus, Team Supermoto Racing, who lead the new for 2025 production class, the FIM Endurance World Trophy, will start from 51st.
The 2025 Bol d’Or kicks off at 15:00 CEST, and with every championship still on the line, it should prove an epic finale to the EWC season.
Bol d’Or Combined Qualifying Results
Marvin Fritz
Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team
“It was important for us to find a good pace for the race, which we have. Qualifying, like always at the Bol d’Or, was super close. It is not the best track for our bike, with the Mistral Straight, but Karel and I managed to go faster than we have gone here before, and we were both over one second faster than our qualifying times from last year. Karel set an amazing lap time during the first qualifying sessions, and I managed a 1:51.5 today, which was good! I wish I could have gone a few tenths faster so we could have finished ahead of our main title rivals, but this is endurance. Jason did a great job; he has become quicker every day and was really impressive today on used tyres. All three of us now have a good pace for the race. The most important thing we need to do is finish, as anything can happen, and there are so many points available; so that is our main focus. We feel confident, and we can’t wait for the race.”
Karel Hanika
Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team
“I felt great on the qualifying bike, and the team worked really hard to give us some more power. We also improved the stability of the bike thanks to the Bridgestone tyres, which gave me a lot of confidence. I felt really good yesterday, had a clean lap, but just missed out on a slipstream, so I think there was an even quicker time out there. Today, I could not improve as I ran into a lot of traffic and didn’t get a slipstream. Anyway, for the race, we are confident, and the race bike felt great last night during Night Practice, and this is the most important thing. My teammates did a great job. Marvin was super fast, and Jason has improved every session, so we are all riding at the same pace. It will be a big battle in the race tomorrow as the competition is so strong, but I believe in us, I believe in our bike, so let’s go fight for the championship.”
Jason O’Halloran
Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team
“I feel pretty good. I have been learning the track day by day. On Thursday, we made a big step forward, and I felt comfortable on the bike and with the circuit. Night Practice was also excellent. It was my first time riding here at night, but I managed a good lap time, so I was happy with that. Today was always going to be a bit tricky in qualifying, and with five points up for grabs, we sent out Karel and Marvin on fresh tyres so I could continue to focus on getting up to speed, and they did a great job. I managed a 1:52.624 on their used tyres, so I was happy with that, and we all have roughly the same race pace now. The most important thing is we feel ready and comfortable on the bike, and I am looking forward to getting stuck into the race.”
Robin Mulhauser
Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team – Reserve Rider
“During qualifying, I helped dial in the settings on the race bike, and I think we have made a big step forward from Tuesday’s Private Practice. I was also happy with my pace on the qualifying bike. Now our focus is turned towards the race. My teammates did an amazing job, and they are all on a similar pace now that Jason has had a chance to learn the track. Here, the wind on the Mistral Straight can play a big part, and we seem to lose a bit of time in a headwind compared to our rivals, so we are hoping it blows in the right direction during the race. The whole team is focused and ready, so bring it on.”
Mandy Kainz
Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team – Team Manager
“The team has worked really hard, and we are in a strong position. Marvin and Karel were over a second quicker than their best times last year, which shows you how hard they and the team have worked, plus Jason got quicker with every lap and showed his quality with his pace on used tyres today. We would have liked to have secured all five points on offer, but now we are tied at the top of the standings, so it is effectively all back to square one. Obviously, the titles are on the line, but we will focus on our own race. The essential thing is to finish, as in endurance racing, anything and everything can happen. I am proud of the team’s efforts. We are ready for the race, and hopefully, if we perform as we know we can, we can bring home the championship, too.”
Posted on September 19, 2025 by Michael Le Pard
