More from a press release issued by Yoshimura SERT Motul: 

Yoshimura SERT Motul takes emphatic win at 2025 Bol d’Or. 

Yoshimura SERT Motul collected maximum points at the final round of the 2025 Endurance World Championship and bagged a hat trick of wins at the famous Bol d’Or. Despite a flawless performance, the Franco-Japanese narrowly missed retaining its EWC title by just one point.

To defend its chances of winning another world title, Yoshimura SERT Motul had to deliver a perfect performance at the Paul Ricard circuit in the south of France. Its intent was evident from the get-go when Gregg Black set a new Bol d’Or qualifying lap record in Q1, which was then bettered by team-mate Etienne Masson in Q2 who broke into a sub 1:51s lap time, the absolute fastest time of the weekend.

The Suzuki team carried that strong performance through to the start of the race with Black getting ahead of the pack and completing the first lap in the lead. During the early hours of the race, Black, Masson and Dan Linfoot fought an intense battle against their main rivals in the championship.

Despite a stop/go penalty imposed for work carried out on the bike after refuelling, Yoshimura SERT Motul led the standings at the 8-hour mark and pocketed the maximum bonus of 10 points.

Throughout the night, the Suzuki team rider’s stints flowed one after another without a single mistake, both on the track and during refuelling. At the 16-hour mark, the team was still leading the race, one lap ahead of its closest rival. In terms of points, Yoshimura SERT Motul’s lead increased by a further 10 bonus points.

Solid and fast throughout the demanding race, which saw 20 of the 53 entered teams drop out, Yoshimura SERT Motul maintained a single-minded focus to secure its third successive Bol d’Or win. The team delivered a perfect performance to claim an undisputed victory and accumulate 65 points, the maximum possible in this event. Despite this outstanding accomplishment, the Franco-Japanese team missed out on the world title by just one point in the final standings.

Yohei KATO – team director: 
“I’m finding it a little difficult to express how I feel. Of course, there’s the frustration of coming so close to the title, but I’m also very happy with the team’s performance and the work done by my riders. We’ve been very strong since the start of the week. In the first qualifying session, Gregg broke the track record and the next day, Etienne improved on it! Then our perfect race demonstrated all the qualities of this “old generation” Suzuki. We’ll be back next year with a brand-new and very promising version.”

Damien SAULNIER – team manager: 
“We’ve won the Bol d’Or for the third consecutive time, so we’ll be able to keep the trophy at home. Our team has won here five times in six years, so I think we can only be delighted. Still, there is a slight tinge of bitterness about the single point that separates us from the title. But that’s racing. I have a lot of respect and admiration for the Yamaha team, and my thoughts also go out to the BMW team, which had a great season. We all obviously deserved this title.”

Gregg BLACK – rider: 
“The team made technical improvements to the bike that allowed us to set a faster pace than last year, when we won. So we only had one thing to do in the race: stay in front until the finish line to score 65 points. We knew what we had to do. Then we had to make it happen. So we are very pleased to have won this very difficult race with the Mistral straight, which is so demanding on the bike. Our victory once again demonstrates the reliability of the Suzuki. Now, losing the championship by a single point is tough, but we gave it our all. We will come back in 2026 even stronger and make fewer mistakes at the start of the season.”

Etienne MASSON – rider: 
“After qualifying, we were feeling pretty confident about the race. We started off at the pace we had planned. We fought all night to try to keep up that pace and maintain the pressure on our rivals. And that’s exactly what we managed to do. The team once again did an incredible job during the pit stops. They were exemplary. Everyone stuck to the plan. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to win the title, but I think we can be proud. See you next year.”

Dan LINFOOT – rider: 
“Of course, this victory is very good for the whole team. We all feel satisfied with a job well done, but there is also the frustration of the World Championship. That’s the feeling I have tonight. We did everything we needed to do and we scored the maximum number of points. After that, it was out of our hands; it was in the hands of our opponents. I would like to congratulate YART on winning the world championship title. We gave it our all and we can be proud of that. It allowed us to put all the odds in our favour and keep our hopes alive for as long as possible.”

Yoshimura SERT Motul is now focusing on preparing for the 2026 season, which will kick off at Le Mans for the 24 Heures Motos, scheduled for the 16th to the 19th of April. The team, managed by Yohei Katoh and Damien Saulnier, will be competing with the latest evolution of the GSX-R1000R.

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More from a press release issued by Honda Racing: 

Drama for F.C.C. TSR Honda France at the 88th Bol d’Or as National Motos Honda FMA reclaims 2025 FIM Endurance World Cup. 

F.C.C. TSR Honda France impresses with a strong performance, but a well-deserved podium slips away after the halfway point of the 24-hour race.

Double delight for Honda Superstock teams as National Motos Honda FMA wins the FIM Endurance World Cup title and Kaedear-Dafy-Rac41-Honda finishes as a runner-up.

F.C.C. TSR Honda France made a strong start at the Bol d’Or thanks to Alan Techer, who started from fourth on the grid aboard the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP. The Frenchman quickly moved into the lead after the second lap and was running second when he handed over the #5 Honda to Corentin Perolari, becoming the first rider to pit in the race.

Perolari rejoined in second place and soon moved back into the lead before a Safety Car neutralised the race for nearly 20 minutes. From then on, Techer and Perolari alternated stints at the front, supported by Taiga Hada, who contributed valuable laps despite a lower race pace. The French riders focused on consistency, fast lap times, and avoiding mistakes — a strategy that paid off. In the fifth hour, Techer set a new race lap record of 1:52.506, showcasing an impressive pace and positioning.

As the race approached the eighth hour, F.C.C. TSR Honda France was still leading. However, a scheduled stint combined with a lengthy pit stop to change the brake pads during the rider handover between Techer and Perolari cost the team valuable time, dropping them back to second. Despite the setback, the team secured nine points for the championship after the first part of the race.

From that point on, solid stints from the #Honda 5 riders through the night, combined with the performance of the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP, moved F.C.C. TSR Honda France into the race lead until halfway of the race.

Unfortunately, after 12hour race, Perolari was forced to bring the #Honda 5 to the boxes due to a mechanical problem. Despite the best efforts of all the technical crew to fix the bike to get it back on track, F.C.C. TSR Honda France was forced to retire. 

Throughout the weekend, the Honda #5 riders demonstrated the speed of the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP and the team’s ability to compete at the front. Although a setback prevented them from ending the season with a podium, the team proved their potential by consistently hitting 1:53 lap times, setting a race lap record and confirming their strength heading into the next season, which will kick off at Le Mans from 16 to 19 April 2026.

Tati Team AVA6 Racing started from sixth on the grid, with Hugo Clère taking the opening stint aboard the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP. Clère delivered a strong start, moving up into fourth position after just 12 laps. When Randy Krummenacher took over, the Swiss rider kept the team firmly in contention, holding the same position with a solid and consistent pace.

However, during Martin Renaudin’s stint, a brake issue forced the team into a costly pit stop lasting nearly eight minutes. As a result, the Honda #4 rejoined the race in 26th place.

Despite this significant challenge, the French team showed determination. Through consistent lap times and well-managed stints, Tati Team AVA6 Racing steadily climbed back, reaching 14th position overall at the six-hour mark.

Unfortunately, a mechanical failure at the halfway point forced again the team into the pits for bike checks. A prolonged stop of over an hour caused the squad to lose valuable positions, and when Renaudin rejoined, Honda #4 was back again in 26th place.

Entering the final three hours while running 8th in the Superstock category, the Honda #4 was forced back into the pits. Despite this situation, the team managed to rejoin the race without losing position, ultimately crossing the chequered flag in a hard-fought 6th place.

Mana-Au Competition, with Max Schmidt, Marco Fetz, and Brayden Elliot aboard the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP #53, qualified 15^th in the EWC class. Over 15 hours of intense endurance racing, the team fought their way up to 6^thplace in their category.

The French squad delivered an outstanding performance, ultimately finishing the 24-hour race in 4^th place in the EWC and 9th overall.

In the Superstock category, National Motos Honda FMA has once again claimed the FIM Endurance World Cup for Teams aboard the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP #55.

With Valentin Suchet, Guillaume Raymond, and Johan Nigon, the team secured a strong third-place finish at the Bol d’Or.

Defending FIM Endurance World Cup Champions National Motos Honda FMA had a challenging qualifying session, starting 8th on the grid in the Superstock category. Despite this, the team’s goal remained clear: secure the title by running their own race with a clear focus on consistency and avoiding unnecessary risk.

Relying on steady pace and consistency, the team gradually worked their way up toward the podium and after six hours of racing, National Motos Honda FMA were running in third position.

By the halfway mark, they were firmly in second place in the Superstock category, setting themselves up for a decisive final stage.

In the last two hours, the team strategically eased their pace to ensure a safe finish. Crossing the line in third place at the Bol d’Or, National Motos Honda FMA secured enough points to successfully defend their title and claim the 2025 FIM Endurance World Cup.

Kaedear-Dafy-Rac41-Honda, started fifth in the Superstock category with Diego Poncet taking the start aboard the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP. With a strong opening stint, the team quickly moved the Honda #41 up to second place after just two hours of racing.

A prolonged pit stop due to a rear tyre issue and a stop-and-go penalty saw the team drop back to 6th in class after six hours. However, consistent pace and determination allowed the squad to recover, climbing back to third by the halfway point.

In the closing stages, with just two hours remaining, the Honda #41 advanced to second place in the Superstock category. Thanks to extraordinary teamwork, strong communication, and the and the outstanding reliability of the Fireblade, Kaedear-Dafy-Rac41-Honda secured second place at the Bol d’Or and concluded the season as runner-up in the FIM Endurance World Cup, achieving the same result as last season.

Other Honda-powered teams that completed the Superstock category at the 88th Bol d’Or included Team 113 VIP Moto-Sporting Moto-Dynoperf, which finished in 8th place, followed by AG Racing. Team SLA Honda Toulon crossed the line in 12th, Slider Endurance in 15th, and Wójcik Racing Team #777 SST in 16th, with LCR Endurance rounding out the Honda entries.

Alan Techer – F.C.C. TSR Honda France 

“The race ended badly for us, but it started well. I took the start, we were in the lead. Corentin and I had a really good pace to fight for the win. We did a lot of relays with just the two of us. We showed that we were fast and that the bike was performing well. Unfortunately, that’s not how we wanted to finish. Mechanically, there wasn’t much we could do about it. Everyone saw that we had the potential to fight for victory, and that’s what I want to remember. We had a great week, we worked well, the bike was easy to ride, both at night and during the day. The goal was to ride in 53 and that’s what we did. Now we’re going to work for next year and try to do better.” 

Corentin Perolari – F.C.C. TSR Honda France

“Alan got off to a great start and we were regularly the fastest for 12 hours. We were battling for first place after every pit stop, and then we had a technical problem, which was a real shame. What I take away from this season is that we were fast in every race. Now we need to keep it up until the finish line and at the end of the year we’ll have a great result in the championship.” 

Taiga Hada – F.C.C. TSR Honda France 

“It’s difficult to end the race like this. In the final stint, I managed to set laps faster than in qualifying, which was a positive step for me. I was gradually improving, but then we had the mechanical problem, which is frustrating. Still, that’s racing. I want to take this experience with me, thank the whole team and my teammates for their great work, and use it positively for the future of my racing career.”

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More from a press release issued by Aviobike WRS: 

Bol d’Or heartbreak for Aviobike WRS after 20 hours of battle. 

• The Italian squad retires after 19 hours and 53 minutes despite a stellar effort from Ferrari, Bernardi, Lepine and De Cancellis on the Ducati Panigale V4.

An heroic effort from Team Aviobike WRS came to a bitter end just hours from the finish of the 88th Bol d’Or. After 19 hours and 53 minutes and a total of 544 laps, the Italian squad was forced to withdraw, despite an inspired performance from Matteo Ferrari, Luca Bernardi, Adrien Lepine and Hugo De Cancellis.

The race had started brightly. With a lightning getaway, Ferrari pushed the team’s Ducati Panigale V4 – the only bike from Borgo Panigale on the grid – up to third place in the Superstock class. Bernardi held that position during his opening stint, even after a safety car at lap 40 wiped out the early gaps.

Both Lepine and De Cancellis – drafted in at the last minute to replace the injured Andrea Mantovani – settled quickly into the rhythm, while the pit crew delivered faultless work through the opening twelve hours. At the halfway mark, the #111 Ducati was running sixth in class and 15th overall, with consistency as the team’s biggest strength.

As night fell over Paul Ricard, the determination to finish grew stronger. Even a pair of extended pit stops, costing six laps, couldn’t shake the spirit inside the Aviobike garage. By dawn, the team had fought back to P6 in class, hovering near the overall top ten, before inching back to P11 Stock and P20 overall.

Then came the cruel twist: with less than five hours remaining, the Ducati was forced to retire.

Giovanni Baggi statement:

“It has been an intense week in every way. We had high expectations and gave it our all. Unfortunately, at 11 o’clock this morning, we couldn’t quite put the cherry on the cake. The performance was extraordinary, but that’s endurance racing: one moment you’re elated, the next you’re devastated. I want to thank the entire crew for their incredible commitment, the riders for giving everything, WRS, and in particular Nicolas Zavoli for his constant support throughout the season. And of course, our sponsors, who make all this possible. Now we have the winter ahead to reset and prepare for 2026″. 

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More from a press release issued by FIM Motorcycling Australia: 

Australian Jason O’Halloran has won the 2025 FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) following a dramatic season-ending round in France on September 20-21.

Riding for the Yamaha Austria Racing Team (YART) team alongside Karel Hanika and Marvin Fritz, the trio finished second in the Bol d’Or 24-hour behind Yoshimura SERT Motul, which was enough for them to claim the 2025 championship by 1pt.

YART’s success came after late heartbreak for the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team, which was running second – and on track to win the championship – just 30 minutes before the end of the gruelling race when smoke began pouring from the rear of the squad’s M 1000 RR.

BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team and YART had started the season showdown level on points following qualifying, making the 88th Bol d’Or a winner-takes-all fight for top honours.

But BMW’s despair became YART’s elation, in what was the final twist in a season which had produced a catalogue of highs and lows for the leading teams.

“Until the finish line nothing is done. I want to say very sorry to the BMW team, they made an awesome job and were so unlucky,” said YART team manager Mandy Kainz.

“It’s unbelievable to be honest, they would also deserve it. We had bad luck in Suzuka, now came a lot of luck.”

After four rounds, YART finished the 2025 championship on 139pts from Yoshimura SERT Motul (138pts) and BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team (108pts).

The UK-based O’Halloran, who joined the world endurance paddock full-time in 2025 following a long career in the British Superbike Championship, is now the sixth Australian to win in the long form of circuit racing behind Peter Goddard (1997), Warwick Nowland (2000), Heinz Platacis (2001), Steve Martin (2009) and Josh Hook (2018).

Martin’s victory also came with YART, which has a long and distinguished connection with the EWC.

After never being headed from the seventh hour onwards, Yoshimura SERT Motul made it a hat-trick of Bol d’Or victories, finishing three laps ahead of YART. Third, a further 16 laps down, was the Champion MRP Tecmas (BMW) team.

The second Australian in the race, Brayden Elliott, was a brilliant ninth in his EWC debut on the French-entered Mana-Au Competition Honda.

A total of 32 teams completed the marathon, with 21 DNFs.

For results and final standings in the 2025 FIM Endurance World Championship, click here.

The 2026 EWC season will begin with the 24 Heures Motos at Le Mans in France from April 16-19.