As sunrise illuminates the Circuit Paul Ricard track, BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team’s #37 M1000RR sits firmly at the top of the leaderboard, pocketing maximum bonus points and putting major pressure on the championship leaders as the Bol d’Or enters its final stint.
The 16-hour mark represents more than just a time check. It also happens to be the second major point-scoring threshold of the race. By holding the lead, the #37 BMW crew bagged an extra 10 points.
Meanwhile, reigning champions YART Yamaha #1 could only manage fourth at the mark, picking up 7 points.
This three-point swing reduces YART’s overall championship lead over BMW to just eight points, setting up a tense final eight-hour sprint for the world title.
To erase the heartbreak of 2025 and claim their maiden EWC crown, BMW’s task is simple yet demanding. Win the race to capture the 40 points allocated to the winner and hope YART finishes no higher than 3rd, which yields 28 points.
The decisive move came under the cover of darkness. Around midnight, the #37 BMW stretched its lead to a full lap over the #5 F.C.C. TSR Honda France. In second place, Yoshimura SERT Motul’s Suzuki #12 capitalised on exceptional fuel efficiency, enabling Gregg Black, Dan Linfoot, and Étienne Masson to leapfrog Honda during routine pit cycles.
Holding third, F.C.C. TSR Honda France Honda’s #5 remains firmly in the podium mix and within sight of the lead despite losing ground to the Suzuki.
Running fourth, YART Yamaha #1 continues a steady, calculated pace to safeguard its world championship buffer.
Meanwhile, a fierce scrap for fifth position started hours ago saw the #99 Elf Marc VDS / KM99 Yamaha hold off the #11 Kawasaki Webike Trickstar with a 5-lap advantage as the race reached the 16-hour mark.
The gruelling nature of the Le Castellet circuit has already taken a massive toll, with 15 bikes forced to retire from the Bol d’Or before the sun came up.
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