O’Halloran and YART clinch 2025 EWC Crown

Heartbreak for BMW as engine failure hands Yamaha the title by a single point after dramatic Bol d’Or Finale

The 88th Bol d’Or at Circuit Paul Ricard delivered one of the most gripping conclusions in FIM EWC history, with the YART trio of Marvin Fritz, Karel Hanika, and Australia’s Jason O’Halloran crowned world champions after a nail-biting, weather-affected finale. YART crossed the line in second, completing 725 laps on their Bridgestone-shod R1 to take the title by just one point after a late-race engine failure for main rivals BMW reshuffled the championship deck with only minutes remaining.

YART arrived in France holding a one-point advantage over the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team. Fourth in qualifying added three points to YART’s tally but BMW’s P2 start clawed a point back, leaving the title rivals effectively level as the 24-hour classic got underway.

Fritz launched YART’s race with a strong opening stint before handing to Hanika, who immediately engaged in a fierce duel with BMW for the podium places. O’Halloran took over next, and after two hours YART had edged into third and built a buffer of more than 40 seconds over BMW. As day turned to night, the momentum swung back and forth. By the seven-hour mark, less than half a second separated the title contenders on track, while Yoshimura SERT Motul emerging with race-leading pace.

A loose fairing on the YART R1 forced extra time in three pit stops and cost more than a minute, dropping the team to fourth. With every point crucial, Hanika and Fritz doubled up through the night while O’Halloran—racing at Paul Ricard for the first time after only turning laps in private practice earlier in the week—settled into consistent, pressure-filled stints.

At the eight-hour checkpoint, YART ran third to bank eight intermediate points, conceding ground to both BMW and SERT. The scenario repeated at the 16-hour mark, crystallising a three-way title fight. The math was clear: even if SERT won the race, finishing second and ahead of BMW would be enough for YART to lift the crown.

All three riders battled through a stomach bug that hit the squad hard overnight. As dawn broke, Hanika was so ill that O’Halloran and Fritz alternated back-to-back stints for three hours to keep the pace high and the bike in contention. With the clock winding down and storm clouds replacing the Provence sunshine, YART looked set for third on the road—and second in the championship—until fate intervened. With just half an hour remaining, BMW suffered an engine failure, with a visibly distraught Markus Reiterberger coasting into the pits with smoke pouring from the rear of his M 1000 RR. This vaulted YART into second position – and therefore into the championship lead by a single point over race leaders SERT.

Hanika pitted for the final handover to O’Halloran with 20 minutes to go and two laps in arrears to SERT. Rain then began to fall, ramping up the jeopardy in a race that now required nothing more—and nothing less—than composure to the flag. The Australian kept it clean, brought the R1 home in P2, and with it delivered YART’s third EWC title (2009, 2023, 2025) by the smallest points margin in series history.

For O’Halloran, the result caps a remarkable debut EWC campaign and his first world title. Fritz, who married a week before the race, and Hanika both become double EWC champions. Yamaha also celebrated consecutive FIM Endurance World Championships for Manufacturers.

Elsewhere, the Elf Marc VDS Racing Team/KM99 trio of Florian Marino, Alessandro Delbianco, and Jérémy Guarnoni looked set for a strong top-six before retiring with a technical issue. In the FIM Endurance World Cup, Team 18 Pompiers Igol CMS Motorstore impressed with sixth overall and fourth in class. Team Moto Ain won the FIM Endurance World Trophy race, while Team Supermoto Racing—despite retiring—held on for second in the championship, helping Yamaha secure the World Trophy Manufacturers’ title as well.

Marvin Fritz – P2 – 725 Laps (Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team)
“I cannot put into words how I feel now. After winning in 2023, this feels very special to add our second title, plus it is a great wedding present! It was always our dream to win the championship, especially after our victory in Le Mans and the podium in Spa. But then we had to retire at Suzuka, which was a shame as we could have come here leading the standings by 20 points, but instead we only had a one-point advantage coming into the race. However, this was an incredible team effort; everyone gave 100% and we did it again. I am so proud of my teammates and every single person in the team. Thanks to Yamaha, Bridgestone, and all the people involved in bringing this trophy home.”

Karel Hanika – P2 – 725 Laps (Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team)
“Honestly, I can’t really enjoy the feeling yet, as I am still exhausted. It was one of the most difficult races of my life as I was suffering very badly from a stomach problem during the night. I tried to keep going until it was not possible, so in the morning, luckily, Marvin and Jason could take over for three hours as I rested. This meant I could recover and ride towards the end again. This shows what an amazing team effort it was. I am so proud of them all. We demonstrated significant improvement at this track, not only for the riders, but also for the bike and the team, which is very promising for the future. It is awesome to win my second Endurance World Championship, but I don’t want to stop at two; I want a third, a fourth, and I never want to stop. Thanks to everyone who was a part of this, Yamaha, Bridgestone, and of course, every single member of our incredible team.”

Jason O’Halloran – P2 – 725 Laps (Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team)
“It is still sinking in, to be honest. We had a great year. We won at Le Mans, and then led at Spa before my crash, but we fought back to the podium. Obviously, we had our issues at Suzuka and didn’t finish the race, which meant it all came down to here. It was my first time riding at Circuit Paul Ricard. I literally only completed my first laps in Private Practice on Tuesday, so I didn’t know what to expect. Despite this, I enjoyed the circuit; we worked through the 24-hour race as you do and never gave up. You don’t ever want to see your competitors go out the way they did. BMW made a fantastic race, and they also deserved to be standing here today. It’s been an amazing season. Thanks to my teammates, Yamaha, Bridgestone, and, of course, everyone involved in YART, I am incredibly proud to be a part of this team.”

Mandy Kainz (Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team – Team Manager)
“What can I say. This is endurance racing.  We worked so hard, but it looked like the championship was out of our reach, and then that happened. It was an incredible finish, and I am so proud of all of the team. We did not quite have the pace of our rivals, but they never gave up. We kept fighting, despite all three riders and a number of the mechanics suffering from a nasty stomach bug. It still hasn’t sunk in yet, if I am honest, our third world title… wow! I want to thank Yamaha, Bridgestone, all of our sponsors, and every single member of the team. We did it! I would also like to mention the BMW team, who were outstanding, and they did not deserve to lose the championship this way. We have all had bad luck, but this was something else, and I want to congratulate them on a superb season-long battle.”

2025 FIM EWC ROUND 4 BOL D'OR

2025 FIM WORLD ENDURANCE FINAL STANDINGS