[On-Site Report] YART Yamaha Achieves Le Mans Double Victory! The 2026 EWC Season Opener Was a Turbulent Race with Numerous Issues

The 2026 FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) season opener, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, held from April 16th to 19th at the Le Mans-Bugatti Circuit in France, saw YART Yamaha Official EWC Team achieve a dominant pole-to-win victory. Yoshimura SERT Motul finished second, followed by Kawasaki Webike Trickstar in third.

Last year's 24 Hours of Le Mans was marked by 202 crashes due to rain and oil spills from a support race. Although the weather forecast for race week this year was cloudy, light rain began falling on Wednesday night, leaving the track slightly damp for Thursday morning's practice sessions. Unstable weather conditions were a concern heading into qualifying and the main race.

However, as it turned out, no rain fell during qualifying or the race, and the conditions improved with glimpses of sunshine. The temperature difference was as extreme as in previous years, with daytime temperatures reaching around 20 degrees Celsius, allowing for short sleeves, while dropping to about 4 degrees Celsius from night to dawn, requiring warm clothing due to the harsh temperature fluctuations.

Regarding the EWC overall, Mai Watnuki, who returned after a year's absence, commented, "Lap times have generally improved compared to two years ago." Here's a recap of the opening round, the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

■ Qualifying Records Broken in Both Classes

During testing, BMW MOTORRAD WORLD ENDURANCE TEAM showed impressive speed, and YART Yamaha Official EWC Team also recorded the top time in the sessions immediately preceding race week. In the two qualifying sessions held on the 16th and 17th, Karel Hanika of the Formula EWC class set a blistering pace with a time of 1 minute 34.267 seconds, securing pole position for YART Yamaha Official EWC Team with an average team time of 1 minute 34.335 seconds. BMW MOTORRAD WORLD ENDURANCE TEAM took second place, and AutoRace Ube Racing Team, featuring Shumei Uramoto, secured third in their first full season.

Pole position for YART Yamaha Official EWC Team / 2026 EWC Round 1 24 Hours of Le Mans 🄫T.Yamaguchi

In the SST class, Kaito Toba recorded a time of 1 minute 35.650 seconds, with Team Etoile securing pole position with an average time of 1 minute 36.053 seconds. They also ranked 10th overall, demonstrating a speed comparable to the EWC class.

Furthermore, both Hanika and Toba broke their respective class records. The strong performance of the Japanese teams was evident from qualifying, marking an exciting start to the season.

SST class pole for Team Etoile / 2026 EWC Round 1 24 Hours of Le Mans 🄫T.Yamaguchi

■ Race of attrition with multiple issues, a survival battle for the podium

The 24-hour endurance race kicked off at 3 PM local time on the 18th. Elf Marc VDS Racing Team/KM99 got off to a strong start from fifth on the grid. However, they relinquished the lead within the first hour of the race. F.C.C. TSR Honda France then took the front, but after the first pit stop, BMW MOTORRAD WORLD ENDURANCE TEAM surged into the lead and extended their advantage.

Start of the 2026 EWC Round 1 24 Hours of Le Mans 🄫T.Yamaguchi

Meanwhile, YART Yamaha Official EWC Team had a slow start and ran in the lower positions early on. They took the lead at times during pit stops but settled into second place. Yoshimura SERT Motul was in third, looking for an opportunity to close the gap to the leaders. Kawasaki Webike Trickstar aimed to climb through the field from seventh.

2nd lap, Turn 1 of the 2026 EWC Round 1 24 Hours of Le Mans 🄫T.Yamaguchi

Despite being at a disadvantage in terms of fuel consumption, YART Yamaha Official EWC Team found their turning point at dawn. BMW MOTORRAD WORLD ENDURANCE TEAM, which had led the race for 16 hours, dropped in the standings. This was due to a crash by Michael van der Mark, a penalty for contact at Turn 7, and a loss of position late in the race due to traction control issues. After repairs, BMW waited in the pits until the final minutes, completed one lap, and was classified as a finisher in 23rd overall.

Yoshimura SERT Motul demonstrated excellent performance. Despite a crash in qualifying and time loss in the early stages due to electronic system malfunctions, shift lever issues, and a helmet change for Dan Linfoot, they ultimately secured a second-place podium finish, earning valuable points.

Tati Team AVA6 Racing / 2026 EWC Round 1 24 Hours of Le Mans 🄫T.Yamaguchi

The strong privateer team Elf Marc VDS Racing Team/KM99 retired due to an engine failure that caused flames to erupt from the bike. Tati Team AVA6 Racing also stopped on the side of the track with machine trouble and retired.

Japan's AutoRace Ube Racing Team finished a solid fifth. Despite finishing their first Le Mans in fifth place, Shumei Uramoto expressed disappointment: "We lost positions during pit stops, so if we truly wanted to win, we need to fix that. We performed better than I expected, and we had the speed to fight for the podium. While finishing was good, I'm not happy with fifth place." This sentiment, however, reflects their ambition to contend for the championship based on their strong performance.

Kawasaki Webike Trickstar / 2026 EWC Round 1 24 Hours of Le Mans 🄫T.Yamaguchi

Kawasaki Webike Trickstar's machine demonstrated solid durability, characterized by its tenacious performance until the end. This year, they introduced a new model. While the basic structure of the bike remains largely unchanged, the pivot position and aerodynamics have significantly evolved. Previously, they generated aerodynamic downforce with an integrated fairing design, utilizing structures placed inside the fairing or at the front. The new model, however, features large winglets. Team Manager Ryuji Tsuruta noted that these winglets function effectively, enhancing the bike's competitiveness.

Kawasaki Webike Trickstar climbed to third place, reaching the podium. It was also a tough race for F.C.C. TSR Honda France, who crashed early in the morning. After more than 15 minutes of repairs, they returned to the track and ultimately finished 12th overall.

Safety Car run during the 2026 EWC Round 1 24 Hours of Le Mans 🄫T.Yamaguchi

YART Yamaha Official EWC Team, the reigning champions and winners of the 2025 Le Mans, completed 859 laps, just one lap short of a record, to achieve a pole-to-win victory. This marks Yamaha's sixth win at Le Mans. European manufacturers have yet to win at Le Mans, so their first victory will have to wait for future years.

Podium ceremony for the 2026 EWC Round 1 24 Hours of Le Mans 🄫T.Yamaguchi

Newly joined rider Mercado expressed his joy: "It feels like a dream. To achieve pole position and victory in my first race with this team is unbelievable. The race was perfect, and I feel fantastic. My teammates were incredibly fast, and we all finished the race without mistakes. Our pit stops were flawless, making it a clean race. I'm truly happy and feel amazing."

Fritz, a key rider for the team, stated: "Starting the season with the number 1 plate on the bike in such a perfect way is incredible. Winning Le Mans back-to-back is unbelievable. I especially want to thank my teammates from the bottom of my heart. They did a fantastic job, and there were absolutely no mistakes. This is how you win at Le Mans."

Hanika commented, "We've earned more points than last year, so it's definitely a great start. It wasn't a perfect weekend due to some issues during practice. We had to make several changes to the bike and adjust my riding style. However, the bike felt amazing during the race. There were no technical problems or issues during pit stops, so overall it was a fantastic weekend. With the lap record, pole position, and the race win, I couldn't ask for more," showcasing the composure of an ace rider.

■ SST and Production Class Finals

In the SST class, Champion-Hert Powered by MRP, finishing sixth overall, took the victory. This marked the first win for the Hungarian team. Loris Cresson shared his emotions: "This means a lot to me. I've watched this race since I was a child. The team did a phenomenal job this weekend. There were no issues or technical problems whatsoever. It was a dream race, and it ended perfectly."

Honda No Limits secured second place, and TRT27 AZ moto, with new addition Mai Watnuki, finished third. Watnuki, who rode for only one stint alongside her experienced teammate (in his fifth year), said, "The team had three crashes, but thankfully none were critical. We had to be patient in many parts, so while it's frustrating, I'm happy with the podium finish."

TRT27 AZ moto, featuring Mai Watnuki, on the third step of the podium / 2026 EWC Round 1 24 Hours of Le Mans 🄫T.Yamaguchi

Dafy-Kaedear-RAC41-Honda, where Ken Ishizuka races, was running in a podium position but encountered machine trouble, finishing 13th overall and 4th in the SST class, narrowly missing the podium but achieving a strong result.

Team Etoile, who started from pole, experienced engine-related part failures from the second stint onwards. They also faced shifting problems, leading to overshoots and crashes for Toba and Hikaru Okubo. The issues were vehicle-related rather than rider errors, resulting in a frustrating race where they were forced to climb back from behind from the start.

Despite several repairs in the pits, they managed to finish the race, securing 25th overall and 13th in the SST class. Okubo, in his third year with the team, commented positively: "It's a disappointing result. Previously, just finishing was good, but now the feeling of disappointment even after finishing is paramount, which shows how much the team has grown and our strong desire to aim for the championship."

Team Etoile facing machine trouble / 2026 EWC Round 1 24 Hours of Le Mans 🄫T.Yamaguchi

Junior Team le Mans Sud Suzuki, with Kokoro Atsumi riding, finished 18th overall and 8th in the SST class, completing the race alongside student mechanics and new teammates. Atsumi reflected: "We had some issues, and the brake pads wore down quickly, making it a tough race. My twin teammates joined for the first time, so I focused on teaching them about endurance racing. The race went without crashes, and each rider worked hard to adapt. I'm glad we finished. The student mechanics also did a great job."

Unfortunately, the top team in the SST class, NATIONAL MOTOS HONDA FMA, retired. 3ART Best Of Bike Hamaguchi, in partnership with HAMAGUCHI Racing Team led by Mr. Yoshihiro Hamaguchi, also retired early.

In the Production class, LEGACY COMPETITION took the win, finishing 26th overall. GREENTEAM 42 LYCEE SAINTE CLAIRE was second, and Mana-au Competition was third. The top three bikes represented three different manufacturers: Yamaha, Honda, and Kawasaki.

This event saw 38 out of 60 participating bikes finish, resulting in a completion rate of 63%. The spectator count reached 76,700.

Japanese riders competing in the 2026 EWC