Munich. BMW Motorrad Motorsport is opting for continuity with a strong new addition in the upcoming 2024 season of the FIM Endurance World Championship (FIM EWC). In the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team, Markus Reiterberger (GER) and Ilya Mikhalchik (UKR) will continue to compete, as they have since the beginning of the factory commitment in the FIM EWC. They will form the core trio with a new teammate on the #37 BMW M 1000 RR, well-experienced Sylvain Guintoli (FRA), 2014 Superbike World Champion and 2021 FIM EWC World Champion.
Reiterberger and Mikhalchik have been part of BMW Motorrad Motorsport’s FIM EWC project from the start and will enter their fifth season together with the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team of Team Manager Werner Daemen (BEL) in 2024. 41-year-old Frenchman Guintoli is a new addition to the BMW Motorrad factory rider family and one of the most experienced international riders in both sprint and endurance racing. In addition to his 2021 world championship title, he boasts numerous victories in endurance classics.
BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director Marc Bongers: “After a very successful 2023 season, with podium finishes in all three 24-hour races and third place in the overall ranking for the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team, we are now ready to fight for the title next year. In Markus and Ilya, we have two proven regular riders in the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team who have been part of the project since the early development stages and have played a significant role in the successes achieved so far. Sylvain is the perfect new addition. Few riders bring as much experience on the international stage and, crucially, in the FIM EWC. Through his role in the BMW Motorrad Motorsport test team, he is also familiar with all the details of the BMW M 1000 RR. We look forward to 2024! At the same time, we thank Jérémy Guarnoni, who has done an excellent job as a regular rider in the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team for two years, and we wish him all the best for the future.”
Werner Daemen, Team Manager BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team: “I have been a fan of Sylvain Guintoli for a long time, since he was riding in World Superbikes and became World Champion. I was also watching him this year during the FIM EWC races and I always said that he is one of the best riders out there on track. It’s a chance for us as a team to benefit from his wealth of experience, for the riders as well as for the technicians in the different areas. Different manufacturers, different tyre brands – he knows everything. I hope that he can help us to make the next step on our way to the world championship title. I’m excited to work with him and I see it as a big chance.”