Markus Reiterberger and the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team are eagerly awaiting the thrilling season finale of the 2023 FIM Endurance World Championship (FIM EWC) this coming weekend (14th to 17th September). The world championship title will be decided at the 24-hour Bol d’Or race at Le Castellet. Werner Daemen’s BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team is in third place overall as they head to the South of France, making them one of the main players in the race for the title.
Reiti and his teammates Ilya Mikhalchik and Jérémy Guarnoni on the #37 BMW M 1000 RR of BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team started the season with two podiums. They finished both the 24-hour race at Le Mans and the one at Spa-Francorchamps in third place. At the Suzuka 8-hour race, the team finished in an excellent sixth place, making them the best European team.
In the world championship standings, BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team is in third place going into the finale, trailing the leaders by just 38 points. The number of points awarded at the Bol d’Or will by multiplied by a factor of 1.5. This means that the winning team will receive 60 points, and there will be 49.5 points for second place and 42 points for third place. In addition, further points will be awarded to the best teams in the interim standings after eight and 16 hours. There will also be points for the top positions in qualifying.
BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team used the private day of testing at Le Castellet on Tuesday to make their final preparations for the finale. In addition to regular riders Reiterberger, Mikhalchik and Guarnoni, BMW Motorrad WorldSBK factory rider Loris Baz will also be at the Bol d’Or as the fourth rider.
The first qualifying sessions get underway late afternoon on Thursday, followed by the second round of qualifying on Friday morning. The 86th edition of the Bol d’Or gets underway at 15:00 CEST on Saturday 16th September. The race will finish 24 hours later.
Markus Reiterberger:
"We enter the final race of the season highly motivated. The track is a high-speed circuit, which should suit our bike. We have a powerful engine and good aerodynamics, which worked in our favour last year when we secured the pole position. Our recent test here was also quite promising. We were able to further optimise our bike, experimented a lot, and will continue working to get the best package for the weekend. We still have a chance to become world champions. Our goal is to secure the pole position and, in the race, at least make it to the podium, but preferably take the victory. However, endurance races are always unique, and the track is demanding on both the machine and the rider. Many things can happen, but we are hopeful for a successful race and bringing the title home for BMW."