Le Mans. Go time for the endurance heroes. BMW Motorrad Motorsport kicks off the 2024 season within the FIM Endurance World Championship (FIM EWC) with the 24 Heures Motos at Le Mans (FRA) on twentieth/twenty first April. In the highest class, the Formula EWC, BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team returns to hunt for total victories and the world championship title with the #37 BMW M 1000 RR. This yr, the core trio consists of Markus Reiterberger (GER), Ilya Mikhalchik (UKR), and new addition Sylvain Guintoli (FRA). The fourth rider is Estonian Hannes Soomer. In the Superstock class, the Tecmas-MRP-BMW Racing Team is the recent BMW contender. In its 2023 debut season, the French staff proved that it’s among the many greatest within the discipline.
For complete details about BMW Motorrad Motorsport’s involvement within the FIM EWC 2024, please go to on-line:
BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team.
The three common BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team riders for the 2024 season comprise continuity and a powerful addition. The two BMW Motorrad manufacturing facility riders Reiterberger and Mikhalchik have been integral elements of the staff led by Team Manager Werner Daemen (BEL) because the debut season 2019/20. Together, they instantly secured podium finishes with the #37 bike, adopted by their first victory in 2021. In the 2022 season, they celebrated triumph on the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (BEL) and completed as runner-ups on this planet championship. Last season, the Reiterberger/ Mikhalchik staff claimed podium finishes in all three 24-hour races, achieved sixth place as the most effective European staff in Suzuka (JPN), and completed third on this planet championship standings.
The outstanding new addition to the trio is Guintoli, who has already clinched the world championship title in each the FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) and the FIM EWC. The Frenchman is likely one of the most skilled and revered riders in worldwide motorbike racing. As a BMW Motorrad manufacturing facility rider, he’s additionally a part of the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Test Team and intently concerned within the growth of the BMW M 1000 RR.
Another new member of the BMW household is Soomer. The 26-year-old Estonian will help each the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team and the Tecmas-MRP-BMW Racing Team because the fourth rider within the upcoming season.
Tecmas-MRP-BMW Racing Team.
The Tecmas-MRP-BMW Racing Team competed in its first full season within the Superstock class of the FIM EWC, the FIM Endurance World Cup, in 2023. The staff, led by Team Principal Arnaud Sassone (FRA), is a collaboration between the French Tecmas Racing Team, Werner Daemen’s firm Motorcycle Racing Parts, and BMW Motorrad Motorsport. The Tecmas Racing Team has lengthy been profitable within the French Superbike Championship (FBSK) and had beforehand competed in chosen FIM EWC races within the EWC class.
Last yr’s Superstock debut of the Tecmas-MRP-BMW Racing Team couldn’t have gone higher. At the season opener, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the staff celebrated its first victory within the Superstock class with riders Kenny Foray (FRA), Jan Bühn (GER), and Loïc Arbel (FRA). The staff continued to point out convincing performances with the #9 BMW M 1000 RR within the following races as effectively. However, technical induced DNFs prevented additional prime outcomes.
Foray, Bühn, and Arbel will proceed to compete for the Tecmas-MRP-BMW Racing Team this season. The line-up can be supplemented by Soomer because the fourth rider.
24 Heures Motos.
Prior to the season opener, there can be a possibility to take part in non-public check classes on Tuesday, sixteenth April. The 24 Hours of Le Mans race weekend begins on Thursday, 18th April, with free follow, the primary qualifying classes, and evening follow. The remaining determination on the beginning positions can be made within the second qualifying session on Friday morning. The race itself, the forty seventh version of the 24 Heures Motos, will begin on Saturday at 15:00 CEST.
In addition to the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team and the Tecmas-MRP-BMW Racing Team, two different BMW groups will take part in Le Mans: Japanese Team Étoile and Team T2C Racing from France. Both will compete within the Superstock class.
Quotes earlier than the season opener at Le Mans.
Marc Bongers, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director: “We are entering the FIM EWC 2024 well prepared and with great confidence. Over the winter, our engineers, together with our technical partners, have further optimised the #37 BMW M 1000 RR as a complete package in many areas, from the power unit to the chassis and electronics to the exhaust system, brakes, and tyres. On the rider side, we have one of the best trios in the field with Markus, Ilya, and Sylvain in the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team. Together with the experienced team led by Werner Daemen, they form the perfect squad to achieve our goal, which is to fight for the world championship title. Everyone knows how strong the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team is, and now we want to take the next step forward. In the Superstock class, the Tecmas-MRP-BMW Racing Team has already shown in the past season that it belongs at the absolute top. Over the winter, we have intensively worked on the technical side to address the deficits identified in 2023. Now we are looking forward to Le Mans – we are ready! Of course, endurance racing has its own laws, and a lot can happen in 24 race hours. But we are confident.”
Werner Daemen, Teammanager BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team: “Our target for the season must be to fight for the world championship as we do every year. Of course, in endurance you also need some luck. Last year, we had a very good season, we were on the podium in all three 24-hour races and finished in a strong sixth place in Japan. I think, if we can do the same this year, and if we maybe can win one or two races and stand on the podium in the other ones, then we can fight for the title. That is the main goal. All looks good, we are well prepared and the feeling is very good.”
Sylvain Guintoli (#37 BMW M 1000 RR, BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team): “We go into the 24 Heures Moto at Le Mans with a very positive mindset because we’ve done some testing and it went better and better. The most successful test was the Pre-Test at Le Mans where we all had a good feeling with the bike and also a good race rhythm. We worked for the race in all conditions, we are ready, and for sure, the objective is to win the race. We are going into this with confidence and the bike is behaving really well. For me, it’s a new bike this year and I am very happy with it, everything is going well. So there are big hopes for this race in Le Mans and for the entire season, but we have to think from race by race and now focus 100 per cent on Le Mans. I can’t wait and am looking forward to it.”
Ilya Mikhalchik (#37 BMW M 1000 RR, BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team): “I’m looking forward to the race week at Le Mans and am pretty confident. It also looks that the weather stays dry and quite good. This also adds to my positive feelings. During free practice we need to focus on finding the final settings before we head into the qualifications and the race. But overall, we already have a very good base and I we will start from this and work on improving the small things we need to. I think that we will have good days at Le Mans. Let’s enjoy our progress and riding the bike and have great moments there. We can’t wait to start the season!”
Markus Reiterberger (#37 BMW M 1000 RR, BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team): “After the positive Pre-Test at Le Mans, we have of course set high goals for ourselves. We aim to take the next step this year and get even closer to our ultimate goal, the world championship. After the previous years we are now aiming for the top position. We are well-prepared for Le Mans. There are a few minor things we still need to improve, but we have everything necessary on board and will give our best from both the team and rider side. During the free practice sessions we will try to fine-tune the bike a bit more to suit us as riders and continue to adapt to each other within the new line-up, so that we can attack properly in qualifying and have a good, stable, and fast bike for all three riders in the 24-hour race with the aim of hopefully standing at the top on Sunday. It will be a long and tough race, a long, tough season, but I believe we are all in good spirits and have realistic chances.”
Arnaud Sassone (Teamchef Tecmas-MRP-BMW Racing Team): “We really are confident. We proved last season that we could go and obtain the title. The performance was there together with the strategy. We only missed the reliability in the races at Spa and at the Bol d’Or, after we had pole position and the fastest race lap on both occasions. BMW in Germany worked a lot on the reliability and this should pay off. On the riders’ side, we did changed nothing and that is an asset. We know that we have strong team, a strong bike and strong riders, and our goal is clearly to win the FIM Endurance World Cup.”
Technical information #37 BMW M 1000 RR.
Capacity / engine: 999 cc, four-cylinder four-stroke engine with 4 titanium valves per cylinder and variable consumption camshaft management BMW ShiftCam, liquid-cooled, titanium rods, 2-ring pistons
Gearbox: Constant mesh 6-speed gearbox with straight minimize gears
Output: > 215 hp at over 14,000 rpm
Bore x stroke: 80 x 49.7 mm
Fuel system: Electronic injection, variable consumption manifold size
Tank capability: 24 l
Lubrication: Wet sump
Dry weight: 168 kg with out tank
Wheelbase: 1,450 mm (variable)
Length: 2,080 mm
Width: 538 mm
Front wheel management: ZF Upside-down telescopic CFK fork with pressurised damping system
Rear wheel management: Underslung BMW swing arm, full-floater central spring ZF twin tube monoshock
Front brake: Twin-disc Motomaster 320 mm, Nissin radial 6-piston callipers
Rear brake: Single-disc Motomaster 220 mm, Nissin 2-piston callipers
Wheels: PVM forged aluminium wheels, entrance 17’’ x 3.5’’, rear 17’’ x 6.0’’
Tyres: Dunlop
FIM EWC 2024 calendar.
twentieth/twenty first April – 24 Heures Motos Le Mans – France
eighth June – 8 Hours of Spa Motos – Belgium
twenty first July – Suzuka 8 Hours – Japan
14th/fifteenth September – Bol d’Or Le Castellet – France