The KM99 Yamaha EWC Supported Team today claimed their first FIM Endurance World Championship podium finish, after crossing the line in second position after 24 hours of racing at the Bol d’Or. The Belgian squad were joined on the podium by third place finishers, the Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team, who were unable to defend their world title after falling victim to bad luck in the opening hour of the race. The two podium finishes did, however, secure Yamaha the EWC Manufacturers’ title.

The 87th edition of the historic Bol d’Or was the setting for a dramatic FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) season finale, with the YART team arriving in France leading the championship by six points. Sadly, it was not meant to be for the Austrian squad, who, after starting from second, suffered a rear tyre issue during Niccolò Canepa’s initial stint that resulted in extensive damage to the #1 R1, forcing them to make an extended pit stop that dropped them down to 41st position after the first rider change.
The YART trio of Canepa, Karel Hanika, and Marvin Fritz mounted a stunning fightback and clawed their way back into the battle for the podium, only to suffer more bad fortune when Hanika had to stop on track after 14 hours of racing due to damage the #1 R1 had sustained in the earlier tyre incident. 

The YART mechanics worked superbly to fix the bike and get it back on track within 25 minutes, but the chance to fight for the victory and defend their title had effectively vanished. Undeterred, they battled back through the field once more, and with all riders pushing to the limit, they managed to secure an excellent third-place finish after completing 721 laps.  

This meant they finished as runners-up in the FIM Endurance World Championship for Teams after a spectacular season that saw them record a 100% podium record and secure three out of four pole positions, eventually missing out on the title by just 14 points.

The race was the final one in Canepa’s illustrious career after he announced his retirement in the build-up to the final round of the season. Although he missed out on a third title, he is still the most successful Italian endurance rider of all time and will go down in history as one of the finest ever to compete in the EWC. The Belgian-based KM99 squad of Jérémy Guarnoni, Florian Marino, and Randy de Puniet, in only their second season in the EWC, claimed their first podium in the championship after a faultless race on their R1 GTYR PRO based endurance racer. The trio, whose previous best result was sixth at the 24H SPA EWC Motos last year, did not put a foot wrong all race and finished in second after completing 730 laps.

The double podium meant that Yamaha lifted the FIM Endurance World Championship for Manufacturers by a margin of 30 points over their nearest rivals. The success for Yamaha did not end there, as TEAM18 SAPEURS POMPIERS CMS MOTOSTORE completed 720 laps around the 5.673km Circuit Paul Ricard to finish fourth overall and take the superstock-based FIM World Cup victory. 

Plus, the reliability of the race-proven R1 shone once again, despite the treacherous reputation of the Le Castellet track thanks to its tortuous 1.8km Mistral Straight, with 10 of the 26 bikes that finished the race R1s.

Bol d’Or Provisional Race Results

Niccolò Canepa – P3 – 721 Laps
Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team 
“In the end, I am happy because after what happened to us during the race, we would not have dreamt of being on the podium, and we managed to secure an excellent third, and it is a great result and a good way to end my career. I want to thank the whole YART team and Yamaha for their support over the years. It is like one big family, and my teammates are like brothers to me. This weekend has been very special because my family and friends all came to see my last race, and to share these emotions with them has been amazing!”

Karel Hanika – P3 – 721 Laps
Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team
“It is difficult to find the right words right now, just because we were hoping to win the championship and the whole team deserved it. We have had an amazing season. To be on the podium in every race and not winning the title shows just how good the level is. If you had offered us a 100% podium record at the start of the season, we would have signed it off immediately. Unfortunately, our biggest rivals did the same and just scored a few more points than us, but I am so proud of the whole team, as we really stepped up our level after winning the championship last year and improved in so many areas. Obviously, there is always more we can work on, so we will not rest during the winter, and the whole team will work hard to ensure we are even stronger next year. Thanks to Yamaha, Bridgestone, my amazing teammates, and every single member of the team. We will really miss Niccolò; the three of us are like brothers, as we have spent the last five years racing together. It has been a pleasure to share the bike with one of the best riders in the world. I learnt so much from him, and I am extremely grateful to him for teaching me many things. He is a great person, and I wish him an amazing retirement.”

Marvin Fritz – P3 – 721 Laps
Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team
“Second in the championship was not what we wanted; our plan was to win back-to-back titles and keep the number #1 plate, but now we go back to our lucky #7, which we won the championship with last year. Thanks to the whole team, Yamaha, Bridgestone and my amazing teammates. We stood on the podium at every race, secured three pole positions, broke lap records, scored our first-ever Suzuka podium, and won again at Spa. It has been an incredible season. We learned a lot this year, but we are also looking forward to next year. We will miss Niccolò a lot; we are like one big family, and he will be almost impossible to replace, but we will come back fighting next year to try and win back our title.”

Mandy Kainz
Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team – Team Manager
“We are disappointed not to win the championship, but I am very proud of how the riders and the entire team fought back from an issue that was not our fault. Endurance racing can often be about luck, and last year here at the Bol d’Or, luck went our way, and we were crowned champions. This year, we were unlucky and just missed out. The whole team has been incredible all season, to secure a podium in every race and three pole positions shows how strong we are, and even though we did not win the championship, we can be very proud of what we achieved. I cannot express in words how much we will miss Niccolò, not only because he has consistently been the fastest rider in the EWC over the last few years but also because of his attitude and willingness to share his experience with his teammates. He will be tough to replace, but we will be back next year, with the #7 on our bike, to try and win our third title.”

Randy de Puniet – P2 – 730 laps
KM99 Yamaha EWC Supported Team
“I am delighted with this performance; we expected to secure a result like this all season, but we made some mistakes in the first two races. Since Suzuka, we have been more competitive without mistakes; we had a little bit of luck, too, but you need luck, so for us, as a privateer team, to finish second is like a victory, so for me, it was a perfect race. I would love to have won, as I have not done that yet in endurance, but I am happy because my teammates and the whole team did a great job throughout the week.