BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team secured pole position for the 2026 Bol d'Or, the fourth and final round of the EWC, as BMW dominated qualifying with a new lap record at Circuit Paul Ricard. The #37 and #76 BMW machines locked out the front row, while the #12 Suzuki had to settle for third.
For the #37 crew of Markus Reiterberger, Steven Odendaal, Michael van der Mark, and Jeremy Guarnoni, pole was crucial as they grabbed five valuable bonus points. Currently second in the FIM EWC standings behind YART Yamaha, they have now closed the gap and intensified the championship battle.
Van der Mark was the star of Thursday's free practice, setting a blistering 1:50.704 to shatter the previous lap record. The Dutchman showed immediate pace despite making his debut at the Paul Ricard circuit. His time served notice that BMW #37 is a force to be reckoned with.
BMW #76 from AutoRace Ube Racing Team completed the qualifying in second, sealing a BMW 1-2 and collecting four bonus points. Meanwhile, Suzuki #12, a three-time winner of this event, had to settle for third with three points. Behind them, BMW #6 finished fourth (two points) and Honda #4 from Tati Team Ava6 Racing completed the top five with one point.
In the Superstock class, BMW #25 from Team Etoile stormed to pole position, pocketing the maximum five bonus points. The team, featuring Hikari Okubo, Motoharu Ito, Kaito Toba, and Rei Toshima, currently sits fourth in the championship, 22 points behind the leader BMW #38. This pole is their first step towards closing that gap.
In the Production class, High Side April Moto Louit with the #33 Kawasaki, ridden by Adrian Parassol, Badreddine Benlekehal, Alex Sarrabayrouse, and Dylan Buisson, took pole position. With the full grid now set, the 2026 Bol d'Or promises a thrilling 24-hour battle.
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