Recapping the triumphs and tragedies of the 2025 Le Mans 24 Hours

2025 FIM Endurance World Championship
Round One – 24 Heures Motos
Circuit Bugatti Le Mans (4.185km)

Marvin Fritz set a spectacular 1:34.489, the fastest ever EWC lap around the 4.185 km Bugatti Circuit since the inception of the 24 Heures Motos in 1978, to take the lap record for the YART team in qualifying. That put the YART line-up of Fritz, Jason O’Halloran and Karel Hanika on pole for the 2025 Le Mans 24 Heures Motos, the opening round of the 2025 FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC).  Yoshimura SERT Motul qualified second with Tati Team AVA6 Racing the top privateer in third.

When the race got underway it was Kawasaki Webike Trickstar that came to the fore.  Leading from the eight-hour mark, Kawasaki Webike Trickstar had hit back from a late-morning fall for Mike Di Meglio and appeared to be on course for the manufacturer’s first EWC triumph since 2019 when it began to rain. Having pitted for wet-weather tyres, Román Ramos was still leading when he slid off into the gravel trap at the Raccordement corner, one of the slowest on the 4.185-kilometre Circuit Bugatti. The notoriously slippery turn was also where Marvin Fritz fell on the opening lap of the race, a mishap that dropped him to 21st position and triggered a remarkable fightback to first place.

But with his Kawasaki ZX 10R damaged, Spaniard Ramos headed to the pits for repairs, which took some five minutes to complete and handed a two-lap advantage to Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team. Despite Karel Hanika pitting due to a lack of visibility through his visor, the Austrian squad was able to secure its second victory in the 24 Heures Motos.

In addition, the result marked a maiden EWC triumph for Australian Jason O’Halloran, a new YART signing for 2025, and allowed Fritz to celebrate his 32nd birthday in style. Fritz also became the first German winner since his crew chief, Max Neukirchner, won at Le Mans in 2007. Meanwhile, Hanika is the first Czech rider to win the legendary event.

The victory saw YART secure 63 points out of a possible 65, with five points awarded for pole position, nine for being second at both the eight and 16-hour marks, and 40 for the win.

Marvin Fritz – Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team

“What an amazing feeling! It feels so good to win here, especially on my birthday. Talk about the best present ever. I want to thank my teammates, Karel, Jason, and Robin, as well as every single one of the team members. They work so hard, not just what you see at the races, but all through the winter. They all deserve so much credit, and this win is for them. We had to wait a long time to win here as a team, and have come very close in the past, but finally we have done it!”

Karel Hanika – Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team

“This is such a great feeling! This was my ninth start in an EWC race at Le Mans and sixth with YART, so it has been a long time coming. This win feels very special. We came close a few times before, so it was great to stand on the top step of the podium finally. Marvin was amazingly fast all week, and Jason did brilliantly, especially as it was his first race with the team and his first 24-hour race. He did an incredible job, especially considering the conditions and riding at night. All of my teammates did an amazing job, and thanks to Robin Mulhauser as well, not only for being our reserve rider, but for everything he does for the team. I am surprised I managed not to crash, because the conditions were so tricky, but I was happy with my pace. The biggest thanks must go to the team; they did an amazing job throughout the entire week and were awesome during the race. I also want to thank Mandy and my family for everything they have done for me. Bring on Spa!”

Jason O’Halloran – Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team

“My first race with YART, and my first 24-hour race…so to win here at Le Mans is incredible! The whole team has done an amazing job throughout the week. Due to the conditions, it is certainly the trickiest race I have ever been involved in. We had to think on our feet on the bike all the race, deciding whether you needed to pit to swap tyres, or what strategy we needed to adapt. It was a long race, but my teammates were incredible. I actually enjoyed riding during the night, because you can get your head down and work away at it, but when the sun comes up, you realise there is still a long way to go. The final ten minutes were probably the longest ten minutes of my life, but we did it. The whole team should be so proud, and I want to thank each and every one of them; they worked so hard, and we deserved the victory.”

Mandy Kainz – Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Team Manager

“Le Mans is special. It is always the season opener. We won it in similar conditions in 2009, but didn’t expect it then. At the beginning of the race, we calculated that we could win, but for the last few years, this has been the case and is often the way in a 24-hour race, anything can happen. We have been agonisingly close before, but just missed out, so to win when we had three crashes and a puncture is incredible. There were 202 crashes in the race, which shows how tough it was. We have led here many times, but something always seems to happen. Last year, we crashed out of the lead at 7 am with a six-lap advantage, and in the years before, there was always some small mistake or bad luck that struck to stop us from winning. The race was like a movie; it had so much drama that it was unbelievable. If someone asks me in twenty years how we won this race, they would not believe my answer, but this is endurance. All of the riders were amazing, and every member of the team played their part, and I could not be prouder. It is a dream start to the season, and we are already looking forward to Spa.”

For Kawasaki WeBike Trickstar’s Ramos, it was a case of what might have been after he’d heroically grabbed the lead just before he eight-hour mark.  Starting from 7th on the grid, Grégory Leblanc, co-record holder for victories with 5 wins at Le Mans, doubled his first stint and put the #11 Kawasaki Njnja ZX-10RR firmly in 3rd position thanks to a solid pace. Roman Ramos Alvaro, who rode a very good race gaining another position despite particularly tricky track conditions. For his first stint aboard the Kawasaki ZX-10RR, Mike Di Meglio started from 2nd position and, after a few cautious laps, also set a very good pace which enabled him and the team to take the lead of the race at dusk.
There followed a fierce battle for the lead with his pursuer for a few laps, before Spanish rider Roman Ramos Alvaro managed to get the better of him and extend his lead during the night.

The Kawasaki team achieved maximum bonus of 10 vital intermediate points at the 8-hour mark. The #11 Kawasaki avoided the pitfalls of the night and was up to 4 laps ahead of the second placed team in the early hours thanks to the combined efforts of the three riders. A further 10 points were earned as the team passed the 16-hour mark in the lead. While the Kawasaki Webike Trickstar team bike was the only official machine without a crash since the start of the race, Mike Di Meglio sadly went down with three and a half hours to go. The crash, which was not serious, led to minor repairs which reduced the team’s lead to less than two minutes.

Towards the end of the race, the rain intensified, forcing most of the field to change tyres. Thanks to an intelligent strategy, Roman Ramos Alvaro put on rain tyres at the right moment, but another incident sidelined the team with just over an hour to go. The experience and commitment of the technical team enabled the repairs to be carried out in just four minutes. Mike Di Meglio returned to the track just one lap behind the leader.

The riders and the team did not relax their concentration until the chequered flag, which the #11 Kawasaki crossed under in 2nd position. With a total of 53 points from qualifying and the race, the Kawasaki Webike Trickstar team is now placed second in the provisional world championship standings.

Mike Di Medglio – Kawasaki WeBike Trickstar

“It’s a cruel result because I think we did a very good job. We set a good pace. With all the tricky conditions we had, we managed to stay on our wheels. I got caught out in the early morning probably because the temperature rose and we continued on the soft tyres. Fortunately, the bike was OK but we lost a bit of time. We did a great job to try and hold on to first place. It’s good for the team to start the championship by taking the points for the lead at 8 and 16 hours of racing, plus the points for second place.”

Grégory Leblanc – Kawasaki WeBike Trickstar

“It was my 15th time at Le Mans and the tenth year I’ve ridden this #11 bike. We rode a perfect race as I was coming back from far after my injury at Suzuka last year. To come back and win this legendary race for the sixth time and take the record for victories would, I think, have been the right moment to retire. Unfortunately it didn’t happen. The bike, the tyres, everything worked well. We were one of the only teams that didn’t crash and we got caught out. And as Roman said, if anyone had told me beforehand that we’d have this podium, we’d have signed up straight away. But after that race, we’re disappointed. Now, for the championship it’s good, we’ve scored some big points, it’s great to see Kawasaki back in front. And of course, it’s only the first race of the season.”

Roman Ramos – Kawasaki WeBike Trickstar

“At one point, the win felt so close – almost in our hands.  All we had to do was bring it home steadily, no issues with the bike, nothing going wrong… and we would’ve had it. In the end, we finished second, which, honestly, if you’d offered me that before coming here, I’d have taken it without hesitation. I wasn’t even supposed to race; I’m the fourth rider this season, and I only got the chance because Christian [Gamarino] got injured. So, to end up on the podium? I’m super-happy. But of course, after leading the race for almost the entire time, losing it in the final hour stings a little. That said, I think we did a great job. We gave everything we had to try and win. The good thing is we’re in a position to fight for it, and we’ll see what my team-mates can do in the next rounds. I really think it’s possible to go for it.”

Behind Kawasaki Webike Trickstar, ERC Endurance became an EWC podium finisher for the first time after BMW Motorrad World Endurance was forced into an unscheduled pitstop this morning to repair a damaged exhaust.

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Sven Blusch – Head of BMW Motorrad Motorsport

“This 24-hour race is one we’ll all remember for a long time. The challenge of riding a race like Le Mans under such conditions was immense for everyone involved. That makes the strong performance of the BMW teams and riders all the more impressive. Congratulations to the entire ERC Endurance #6 team who managed to reach the podium in their first race in this lineup. Our factory team also proved its podium potential right to the very end. Many thanks to the team and the riders for their hard work and strong performance. What we saw at Le Mans gives us a lot of confidence for the rest of the FIM EWC season.”

Christian Gonschor – Technical Director BMW Motorrad Motorsport

“It was an absolutely emotional experience all around. Le Mans is always impressive, and endurance racing is full of passion. I think that passion was evident from the first to the last lap. The riders had to take big risks in extremely difficult conditions. By hour 22, there had already been more than 145 crashes – surely a record, but a sad one. Teams put in so much work and heart, and only a few got the reward. It was a real sporting challenge, and we’re very happy to have a BMW M 1000 RR on the podium. Congratulations to Uwe Reinhardt and the ERC crew. Our Werner Daemen-led factory team fought right to the last minute. We had crashes with all three riders; it was just that tough out there. Plus, we had a follow-up repair that cost us about 15 minutes, which was likely the small margin that kept us from the podium. We were a bit unlucky, but we’re happy with the many points we’re taking home. It’s a solid foundation for the rest of the season, and we’re looking forward to Spa, Werner Daemen’s home race. I think that track suits our BMW M 1000 RR well. You could already see its potential here.”

Kenny Foray – ERC Endurance #6 BMW

“The feeling is just incredible. It was an absolutely crazy race. I think it is not possible to imagine how we feel on the bike when you watch so many crashes like this. And when you go to your hospitality to take some rest and you see more crashes on TV, and you know that you soon have to be back on the bike again – this was really, really difficult. We had some problems but we did not crash, we stayed on the bike, and I think that was the key of the race. It is just an incredible moment. This is the first race for the team with the BMW M 1000 RR and we start with a podium. That is fantastic!”

Ilya Mikhalchik – ERC Endurance #6 BMW

“It feels nice because when you change the team you also want to have good results. Despite the fact that we did not ride or test a lot this winter we showed immediately, without any track time, our performance. It was great to be so competitive during the weekend and in the end, we were on the podium. I want to say a big thank you to BMW for the support and to Uwe Reinhardt, the Team Principal. It was a nice present for him and also for David, who has his birthday today.”

David Checa – ERC Endurance #6 BMW

“First of all, I am so happy to ride with BMW. It was my first experience with them and I was so excited because the engine is incredible. It has a lot of power from first to sixth gear and the bike is so easy to ride compared to the others I rode before. I just need to understand how to manage it but Ilya and Kenny have a lot of experience. They help me a lot to learn this bike. Step by step I will get to their rhythm because at the moment I am not yet on the level of Kenny and Ilya but I did my best. We did not expect to be on the podium as we did not test, but sometimes it happens! I am so happy to be back with Kenny and to be on the Le Mans podium with him.”

Markus Reiterberger – BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team

“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!”

Sylvain Guintoli – BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team

“It was mad. It was really frantic from the very start because the track was very, very slippery. The 24 hours started really well. In the first one and a half hours, I felt really good and was leading. Then I got caught up with a backmarker and unfortunately crashed. The team did a fantastic job to repair the bike – and then again after Steven’s crash. They were really, really on point. Unfortunately we lost a bit too much time with the damage on the bike but I think everybody can be really proud of what we did today. It just wasn’t to be but we had speed, we were leading for quite a while and we were strong. There are still a lot of positives to take from this weekend and I think we are all very much looking forward to the next rounds.”

Steven Odendaal – BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team

“To be honest, it has definitely been the most difficult race of my life. I’ve never had to experience such terrible conditions during the night and during the day. A wet track drying and a dry track getting wet again, but I think the team did really well. We had some really big crashes and the team prepared the bike phenomenally well to get it back to working order. I am really happy, it was just unfortunate. It would have been nice to end up on the podium after all the troubles we had.”

MAXXESS by BMRT3D Pirelli Motul took fifth followed by Yoshimura SERT Motul, which recovered from several crashes to head home Dunlop-equipped Superstock category winner National Motos Honda FMA.

F.C.C. TSR Honda France also hit back from several setbacks to take eighth with Team Bolliger Switzerland recovering from 53rd to ninth after Alex Toledo fell at the Dunlop Chicane on lap one. Dafy-RAC 41-Honda completed the top 10 despite late drama when the chain fell off in the closing hour.

The first round of the inaugural FIM Endurance World Trophy for production motorcycles was won by Team Super Moto Racing.

Team LRP Poland, with riders Danny Webb, Michael Dunlop (both GBR), and Enzo Boulom (FRA) on the #90 BMW M 1000 RR, was forced to retire late in the evening.

The 48th edition of the 24 Heures Motos was action-packed from start to finish with more than 140 crashes recorded by race officials as a result of intermittent rain showers leading to slippery conditions and inconsistent grip levels. Of the 53 starters only 10 teams avoided crashing with 14 failing to appear among the classified finishers.

The second race of the 2025 FIM Endurance World Championship, the 8 Hours of Spa Motos at Spa-Francorchamps (FRA), will take place on June 7.

2025 FIM EWC 24 Heures Motos Results

2025 FIM Endurance World Championship Points

2024 FIM Endurance World Championship Calendar