BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team showcases strong potential: fourth place after a turbulent 24 hours.

Le Mans. The 2025 season opener of the FIM Endurance World Championship (FIM EWC) will go down as one of the most dramatic 24-hour races in history. From start to finish, persistent rain during the 24 Hours of Le Mans (FRA) created extremely treacherous conditions. In this eventful endurance marathon, the BMW teams demonstrated the potential of the BMW M 1000 RR. The factory team, the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team (#37), was also among the top favourites and crossed the line in fourth place after 24 turbulent hours.

After dry weather up until Friday, rain began right on schedule on race day Saturday. The track became extremely slippery, resulting in numerous crashes throughout the field. The BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team with factory riders Markus Reiterberger (GER), Sylvain Guintoli (FRA), Steven Odendaal (GER), and reserve rider Hannes Soomer (EST) was not spared. The #37 BMW M 1000 RR led the field with a solid advantage during the chaotic early stages but over the following hours, the team – like nearly all others – suffered crashes and had to take a lengthy repair break. Nevertheless, Guintoli, Reiterberger, and Odendaal fought their way back, keeping their podium hopes alive.

Markus Reiterberger:

“I’ve done a lot of 24-hour races, but I’ve never experienced one as chaotic and slippery as today. There were so many crashes, and unfortunately, we went down three times as well. My teammates did a fantastic job. They were both really fast at the beginning but each had a crash. I then tried to bring it home but also slipped once. We were definitely in the fight, but it just wasn’t meant to be. Finishing fourth is a bit frustrating because we really wanted and deserved that podium. But it's clear we have the potential and we can fight for wins. Big thanks to my teammates and the entire team. It was an amazing week!”