The stage is set for the FIM Endurance World Championship (FIM EWC): next weekend (13th to 16th April), the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team will be starting the 2023 season with the new #37 BMW M 1000 RR. The opening event will once again be the 24 Hours of Le Mans (FRA). In terms of riders, the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team around Team Manager Werner Daemen (BEL) is focusing on continuity. For the 2023 season, Markus Reiterberger (GER), Ilya Mikhalchik (UKR) and Jérémy Guarnoni (FRA) will again be the regular racers on the #37 BMW M 1000 RR. Patrick Hobelsberger (GER) will support the team as the fourth rider at Le Mans.
For the latest generation of the BMW M 1000 RR, the aerodynamics have been reworked extensively, which has significantly increased aerodynamic efficiency. BMW Motorrad Motorsport has also been working intensively on durability over the winter, particularly with regard to the challenges in endurance racing. There are also various other areas in which further optimisations have been made to the #37 BMW M 1000 RR. The team enjoyed successful winter testing. To conclude preparations, the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team took part in the private test day at Le Mans on Tuesday.
The new Tecmas-MRP-BMW Racing Team will be debuting at Le Mans. In this project, the French Tecmas Racing Team of team owner Arnaud Sassone (FRA) is joining forces with Werner Daemen’s company Motorcycle Racing Parts, supported by BMW Motorrad Motorsport. The team will contest the full season in the Superstock class of the FIM EWC with the #9 BMW M 1000 RR. The bike will be ridden by Kenny Foray (FRA), Jan Bühn (GER) and Loïc Arbel (FRA). Maxime Bonnot (FRA) is the fourth rider for Tecmas-MRP-BMW Racing Team.
The Le Mans race weekend begins with the free practice session on Thursday morning. Grid positions will then be determined during the two-part qualifying session on Thursday afternoon and Friday morning. The 46th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans will start on Saturday at 15:00 (CEST). The BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team and the Tecmas-MRP-BMW Racing Team will be joined at Le Mans by the privateer BMW teams Team LRP Poland and Seigneur Motorsport Team Mont-Blanc.
The 2023 season in the FIM EWC consists of four events. The Le Mans season opener is followed on 17th/18th June by the 24 HEURES SPA Motos at Spa-Francorchamps (BEL), where BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team celebrated its first victory in a 24-hour race last year. The 8 Hours of Suzuka (JPN) will be held on 6th August, and the season ends in autumn, with the Bol d’Or at Le Castellet (FRA) on 16th/17th September.
