The BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team achieved a remarkable seventh-place finish at the Suzuka 8 Hours, earning important points in the FIM Endurance World Championship. The team, consisting of Markus Reiterberger, Ilya Mikhalchik, and Jérémy Guarnoni, battled against grueling conditions and rain on their BMW M 1000 RR. They emerged as the best European team in a highly competitive field dominated by Japanese teams. The team’s performance earned them the Le-Mans-Award. With one race remaining at Le Castellet, the team is currently in third place in the championship standings, with a chance to narrow the 37-point gap to the leaders in the final 24-hour race.
The Suzuka 8 Hours is a crucial race for Japanese manufacturers, who field strong works teams and supported squads. The goal for European teams is to score as many points as possible, and the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team accomplished just that.
Starting from eleventh on the grid, the #37 BMW M 1000 RR dropped to 16th place early in the race. However, the riders fought back and steadily climbed into the top ten. Despite the hot and humid conditions, they maintained consistent laps and avoided mistakes. In addition to their on-track performance, the team excelled in the pits. They maintained their focus even when rain arrived with an hour remaining. As darkness fell, the #37 BMW M 1000 RR crossed the finish line in an impressive seventh place.
The season finale, the famous Bol d’Or 24-hour race at Le Castellet, will take place from September 14th to 17th.
Four privateer BMW teams from Asia also participated in the Suzuka 8 Hours. The SANMEI Team TARO PLUSONE finished 17th overall (16th in the EWC class) with the #44 BMW M 1000 RR. The TONE RT SYNCEDGE 4413 BMW team recovered from a start-line fall to finish 43rd (13th in the Superstock class) with the #85 BMW M 1000 RR. However, the Shinshu activation project Team NAGANO and TEAM FRONTIER retired early.
Reactions from the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team:
Marc Bongers, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director: Despite the strong competition from Japanese manufacturers and teams, we are pleased with our seventh-place finish and being the best European team. Our main championship rivals were not as successful, allowing us to gain ground. The world championship is still up for grabs at the season finale, where more points will be at stake. The team’s consistent performance and support from Dunlop played a crucial role. We are confident and optimistic for the next race, the Bol d’Or.
Werner Daemen, Team Manager BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team: A top-eight result was our goal, considering we didn’t have the strongest package. We excelled in changing wheels, being the fastest. I am proud of the team and the riders’ remarkable performance. We made no mistakes and finished in seventh place. We are looking forward to the final race of the season with hope.
Markus Reiterberger: I am relieved and happy with our top-ten finish. Despite a minor problem with the bike, we were able to regain positions and end up in seventh place. The race was physically and mentally demanding, especially in the final stint with changing weather conditions. The team’s pit stops were superb, and I am grateful for everyone’s support. It was a tough week, but everyone gave their all.
Ilya Mikhalchik: I am really happy and want to thank everyone in the team. The race was challenging, but we maintained a good pace. Our performance showed that the bike has improved, even in the hot weather. We are satisfied with our top-ten finish, which was close to the top five. We did a good job.
Jérémy Guarnoni: It was a good race for us. We could have fought for the top five, but the changing weather made it difficult. Nevertheless, we are happy with our seventh-place finish and the points we earned for the championship. We proved that we did our job well. Our aim was to finish in the top ten, and we achieved that. We are now focused on the Bol d’Or, where we have a chance to win the world championship.