FIM EWC: Magnificent victory at Spa-Francorchamps!

Spa-Francorchamps. At 9:00 p.m., celebrations erupted in the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team garage at Spa-Francorchamps (BEL): a triumphant home victory in the FIM Endurance World Championship (FIM EWC)! Starting from pole position, Markus Reiterberger (GER), Steven Odendaal (RSA) and Michael van der Mark (NED) dominated the eight-hour race on the legendary Ardennes rollercoaster aboard the #37 BMW M 1000 RR. In difficult and ever-changing conditions, the team, bike and riders combined all their strengths to secure a well-deserved and enthusiastically celebrated victory. Thanks to pole position and the race win, the team collected the maximum possible points and climbed to third place in the World Championship standings after the second of four rounds.

The factory trio had already delivered an impressive performance in Friday’s qualifying sessions. All three riders set the fastest time in their respective groups, earning a dominant pole position with a combined advantage of more than half a second over their closest rivals.

In the race itself, Reiterberger, Odendaal and van der Mark left no doubt that victory was a realistic objective. Although they briefly surrendered the lead in the opening stages, they soon re-established themselves at the top of the leaderboard. With rain showers repeatedly arriving and the track constantly drying and changing, the team consistently made the right strategic decisions. The reward for a flawless performance was a second home victory at Spa-Francorchamps.

The ERC Endurance Team #6, featuring Marcel Schrötter (GER), Kenny Foray (FRA) and Jan-Ole Jähnig (GER) aboard the #6 BMW M 1000 RR, crossed the finish line in tenth place. Just behind them in eleventh was Team Étoile (#25), which also secured fourth place in the Superstock classification. LRP Poland (#90) finished twelfth, while Team Tecmas – Minerva Oil (#9) took thirteenth overall and fifth in the Superstock category. The BMW Motorrad Motorsport Official Team Japan, AutoRace Ube Racing Team, completed its first appearance at Spa-Francorchamps in 25th place. The #76 BMW M 1000 RR was ridden by Sylvain Guintoli (FRA), Naomichi Uramoto (JPN) and Hannes Soomer (EST). Champion-HERT Powered by MRP’s #38 BMW M 1000 RR, the Superstock winners of the season opener in Le Mans (FRA), led the class at the halfway point but was later forced to retire due to a technical issue.

Round three of the 2026 FIM Endurance World Championship, the Suzuka 8 Hours in Japan, will take place in early July.

Reactions after the 8 Hours of Spa Motos:

Sven Blusch, Head of BMW Motorrad Motorsport: “What a fantastic weekend for the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team at its home race in Spa-Francorchamps! Congratulations to Werner Daemen, our riders Markus Reiterberger, Steven Odendaal and Michael van der Mark, the entire team, and all the colleagues involved at BMW Motorrad Motorsport. First came the dominant qualifying performance, followed by a flawless race in every respect under extremely challenging mixed conditions – it simply could not have been done any better. We have experienced setbacks, but on the Ardennes rollercoaster the momentum swung decisively in our favor. This victory is more than deserved, and with the maximum haul of points, the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team has taken an important step forward in the World Championship battle. Now we are all looking forward to the challenge of Suzuka!”

Christian Gonschor, Technical Director BMW Motorrad Motorsport: “It was a fantastic race week. Already on the test day on Thursday, we showed strong pace in mixed, dry and wet conditions. Then on Friday in qualifying, having all three riders on P1 was a strong indication that the pace and potential were there. And in the race, the riders and the entire team executed everything perfectly. A huge thank you goes to the mechanics: they prepared the bike flawlessly over three days in all challenging conditions. The riders made no mistakes at all. After the difficult start to the season in Le Mans, it was a well-deserved but hard-fought and intense victory that demonstrated the pure performance of the team and the bike. So we are all very proud – of everyone present, of our partners and sponsors – and thank you to everyone who contributed.”

Werner Daemen, Team Manager BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team: “A victory – especially a home victory – is simply fantastic for me, for the team, and for BMW. After everything we went through last year in Le Castellet and now in Le Mans, you can imagine how great the sense of relief is for me and everyone involved. The mechanics and the riders did an incredible job. We are all absolutely delighted!”

Michael van der Mark, BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team: “The team did a fantastic job all winter. At Le Mans we were so strong, but unfortunately we were unlucky. And also here at Spa, immediately from day one we were quick in all conditions. Today in the race, we knew we had the pace, but it’s typical Spa with the difficult weather. Still, the team made the right decisions. Steven and Markus were at the right speed at the right time and didn’t take any crazy risks. So I’m incredibly happy for the team after all the bad luck they’ve had in the past, and it’s special to win here – especially for their home race.”

Markus Reiterberger, BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team: “Our second victory at Spa – first in the 24-hour race and now in the eight-hour race. After the less-than-ideal results in Le Castellet and Le Mans, we all continued to work hard. The team and BMW have put together a fantastic bike. We already saw in Le Mans that we had made a significant step forward compared to last year. Then we arrived here and were incredibly fast right from the start, in all conditions. But we were not only strong on the track; we were also excellent off the track. The team did a great job and kept a close eye on the weather radar as well. There was a lot of strategy involved, and that’s why I’m very grateful to the entire team, BMW, and everyone who contributed to this success. And we will keep pushing like this – I can hardly wait to get to Suzuka.”

Steven Odendaal, BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team: “First of all, we won it together. I felt a big weight off our shoulders because it really was a difficult period for us at BMW, especially after the last two races. And now, to finally win, it’s something unique and incredible. I think we deserve this one because we all put the effort in, and finally to bring it home for the team on their home track is amazing.”

Facts and figures.

Qualifying (combined).

Race.

Current World Championship standings (R02/04).