Image: Supplied.

The Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team featuring Australia’s Jason O’Halloran alongside Marvin Fritz and Karel Hanika have clinched the 2025 Endurance World Championship (EWC) following a podium in the Bol d’Or finale at Circuit Paul Ricard.

In one of the closest finishes in EWC history, YART’s second-place result in the 24-hour race was enough to secure the title by just a single point after a dramatic three-way battle for the title, as the Yoshimura SERT Motul team went on to win the final round.

Heartbreak struck the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team, which looked set to clinch the championship before an engine failure with only 30 minutes remaining ended their chances. That late drama handed YART the advantage in the closing stages, allowing the Austrian-based effort to seal the world title in dramatic fashion.

“It is still sinking in, to be honest,” O’Halloran said. “We had a great year. We won at Le Mans, and then led at Spa before my crash, but we fought back to the podium. Obviously, we had our issues at Suzuka and didn’t finish the race, which meant it all came down to here.

“It was my first time riding at Circuit Paul Ricard. I literally only completed my first laps in private practice on Tuesday, so I didn’t know what to expect. Despite this, I enjoyed the circuit – we worked through the 24-hour race as you do and never gave up.

“You don’t ever want to see your competitors go out the way they did. BMW made a fantastic race, and they also deserved to be standing here today. It’s been an amazing season. Thanks to my teammates, Yamaha, Bridgestone, and, of course, everyone involved in YART – I am incredibly proud to be a part of this team.”

The final championship standings saw the Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team emerge on top, with Yoshimura SERT Motul securing second place overall and the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team completing the top three.