The Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team of Marvin Fritz, Karel Hanika, and Leandro Mercado powered to a sensational victory at the 24 Heures Motos after producing a faultless performance, securing back-to-back victories at Le Mans and getting their FIM Endurance World Championship title defence off to the perfect start.
After securing pole position on Friday, with Hanika also setting a new outright EWC lap record of 1:34.267 around the Bugatti Circuit to help claim the maximum five points on offer, and showing searing pace throughout the week, YART were primed to fight for victory before the lights went out on the 49th edition of the 24 Heures Motos.
After a start that saw them momentarily drop to eighth, they immediately hunted down the leaders and began closing on the front. After three hours, they hit the lead and started to open a gap as Fritz, Hanika, and new signing for 2026 Mercado kept up a relentless pace on the Bridgestone-shod YART R1 carrying the #1 plate.
As the hours ticked down, it became a two-way battle for victory with the #37 BMW. YART were setting the pace and stretched their advantage to 30 seconds at the front, but their rivals’ better fuel economy meant they could complete four more laps per stint. This saw YART relinquish the lead due to having to make an extra pit stop.
Throughout the night, the lead changed hands at each pit stop, and it looked like it would go right down to the wire, with YART securing nine points at the eight and 16-hour marks for running second. Then, after 17 hours, the BMW crashed out of victory contention, which gave YART a four-lap advantage at the front.
From that point on, Fritz, Hanika, and Mercado continued to push, extending their lead at the front in a faultless performance by the Austrian squad. As the hours passed, they stretched their advantage further, and Fritz took the chequered flag to seal victory after completing 859 laps, five more than their closest rivals, to complete a dominant win.
Not only did that make it back-to-back victories for YART at the legendary endurance race, but it also made them the most successful Yamaha team in the history of the 24 Heures Motos with three wins, while Yamaha has now won at Le Mans six times in total. The result means YART have started their EWC title defence in superb fashion, securing 63 of the 65 available points. There was more success for Yamaha in the Production class, as Legacy Competition, with Jordy Manneveau, Pierre Gelas, and Ludovic Hauser, took victory with a total of 774 laps.
Unfortunately, after qualifying in fifth and enjoying a superb start, the ELF Marc VDS Racing Team/KM99’s Randy de Puniet, Florian Marino, and Alessandro Del Bianco were forced to retire from the race with a technical issue after four hours.
Next up in the 2026 EWC is the 8 Hours of Spa on 6 June.
