Josh Waters did a stellar job on the BMW at Le Mans, with zero time to prepare for his new role.

Highly-regarded Aussie talent Josh Waters has thanked BMW Motorrad France Team Thevent for the opportunity to join the outfit for their promising yet ultimately ill-fated 24 Hours of Le Mans assault.

A renowned World Endurance Championship (WEC) rider and previous podium-placer, Waters was quickly secured by the team after it learned of his dismissal from Shaun Muir’s Yamaha outfit in the British Superbike Championship ranks.

Waters embraced what was a daunting challenge in climbing aboard a brand new bike in the BMW S 1000 RR and immediately being thrust into the team’s three-prong attack on the gruelling endurance event.

Paired with Sylvain Barrier and Sébastien Gimbert, the Australian adapted to the bike with ease and shared in the efforts that saw the team lead the race for nine hours to the mid-way point.

A minor exhaust problem saw the team drop back and Waters was called upon to make up time, chasing down the leading SRC Kawasaki team before a problem with the gearbox arose.

The problem proved terminal, putting pay to a potential win for the hard-charging outfit.

“Really disappointed to hold a two-lap lead through what most people say is the hardest part of the night, only to go out of the race with a mechanical problem,” said Waters.

“You could see from the timing screens that we were holding our own at the front, only for this to happen.

“The team did a great job and I’d like to thank them for giving me this opportunity. It’s a hard way to finish, no question, but racing can be like that sometimes.”

Team principle Volker Scheck recognised the efforts of the riders, including Waters, and said all three could hold their heads high after a job well done.