The Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team of Marvin Fritz, Karel Hanika, and Leandro Mercado are ready to begin the defence of their FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) title as they aim to secure back-to-back victories at the 24 Heures Motos in Le Mans from April 16-19.
The reigning FIM Endurance World Champions are keen to get back in action after a long off-season. Having won the 2025 title in the most dramatic way possible, the team is ready to take on all comers once more as they prepare for the 49th edition of the legendary 24 Heures Motos.
The YART team are aiming to double up after securing their first victory at Le Mans in last year’s edition of the race, where they were in dominant form at the Bugatti Circuit, with Fritz securing pole position with a new lap record of 1:34.489, before taking the win by 1:37.290.
The Austrian squad has looked strong in pre-season, finishing the official Pre-Mans test in third overall. They then continued their preparations in Tuesday’s private practice sessions at Le Mans, ending the morning fifth with a 1:36.078 before improving to a 1:36.070 in the afternoon, which placed them sixth overall as they dialled in the settings on their Bridgestone-shod R1.
YART has a new rider for 2026, Leandro “Tati” Mercado. The 33-year-old Argentinian replaces Jason O’Halloran in the team, and the former FIM Superbike World Championship rider brings a wealth of endurance racing experience with him as YART aims to secure its fourth EWC title, and third in four years.
ELF Marc VDS Racing Team/KM99 will be looking to build on a 2025 campaign that saw the Belgian squad finish ninth in the EWC standings. For 2026, they field an experienced rider line-up of Randy de Puniet, Florian Marino, and Alessandro Del Bianco, with Reserve Rider Bo Bendsneyder, as they aim to make a strong start to the new season at Le Mans. Yamaha is also represented in the Superstock and Production classes, with a total of 18 R1s on the entry list.
One of the most well-known endurance races in the world, the inaugural 24 Heures Motos, took place in 1978. Since its inception, it has used the 4.185 km Bugatti Circuit, whose demanding layout includes the famous Le Mans start/finish straight, Dunlop Esses, and Ford Chicane, as well as a twisty infield that demands constant focus from the riders.
The track action kicks off on Thursday with a two-hour Free Practice session at 10:00 local time (UTC+2), before the first qualifying sessions start at 15:50. The second qualifying sessions start on Friday at 10:20, while the race begins with the traditional running start at 15:00 on Saturday.
Marvin Fritz
Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team
“I can’t wait for Thursday. Winter testing went great, but Private Practice on Tuesday was not a perfect day for us. We struggled a lot with grip, especially on the tyres we had prepared during the pre-test here two weeks ago. Those tyres did not work for us all day, even though they seemed to work for other teams, so that was a bit strange. In the end, we found some solutions, but by then our track time was over. We will make a plan for Thursday with the two-hour Free Practice session, followed by qualifying and night practice. Overall, we are confident. The bike is working, and the guys are doing a great job trying different things. We are confident we can get back to where we belong, at the front. Thanks to the team for working as hard as possible and giving 100% every time. We will give everything to have a good qualifying on Thursday and Friday, finish the race, and score as many points as possible. That is the main target, and to finish the race in a strong position to defend the title this year.”
Karel Hanika
Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team
“Finally, the winter is over, and I am looking forward to riding again. It was a long pre-season, and we did a lot of testing. Of course, with a new teammate, “Tati”, the most important thing was to make him feel welcome in the team and help him get used to the bike. It was also important for Marvin and me after the long winter. It was great to be in Spain, then in Rijeka, and now, finally, here at Le Mans. We did a lot of work, and we feel quite good on the bike. I know we still have work to do for the race because there are certain areas we are not 100% clear about yet. For the rest, I am really looking forward to it. We have great memories from last year, so of course we will try to do the same again. It will be extremely difficult because the competition is super strong, but I believe in my team, in my teammates, and in Yamaha that we will be where we belong.”
Leandro Mercado
Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team
“Finally, it is race week. I am really happy with how the winter went. We ran many tests, and I’m confident in the team and my teammates. We did a lot of work, and each time it got better for me as I learned more about the bike, the tyres, and many new things. The feeling is good. During Private Practice, we conducted extensive testing to further improve it, so we are confident. I think there are still some details to improve, but overall, the feeling is positive, and I am looking forward to the official sessions and the race. Let us do our best.”
Mandy Kainz
Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team Team Manager
“It is great to be back at Le Mans and, after a long off-season, we are ready to begin our title defence. The whole team has been working tirelessly during the winter to ensure we are in the strongest possible position. Testing went well, and we have found a good base setup with the R1. While we still have some work to do, we head into the race weekend confident that we have the pace to fight at the front. It will not be easy this year because our competitors have also made a step, but we are hoping to get the season off to the best possible start. As always, Le Mans will throw up a few surprises, but after winning here for the first time last year, we know what we need to do, and we are focused on getting our season off to the best possible start.”
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