YART Yamaha Set New Lap Record on Way to Pole at the 24 Heures Motos
Marvin Fritz, Karel Hanika, Jason O’Halloran, and reserve rider Robin Mulhauser produced a superb performance to claim pole position at the Le Mans 24 Heures Motos, Round 1 of the 2025 FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC). In the process, Fritz set a new all-time lap record as the Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team secured their sixth pole in the last seven EWC races at Le Mans.
The Austrian squad have enjoyed a fantastic race week so far. They topped Thursday’s two-hour Free Practice session with a 1:34.659 from Fritz, which was under the official lap record time (1:34.708) set by former teammate Niccolò Canepa in 2024, meaning they headed into the first qualifying sessions full of confidence.
With the sun out, the track dry, and rain forecast for Friday, the team decided to use most of their fresh qualifying tyres on Thursday, saving just one for the following day. This move proved to be a tactical masterclass.
Hanika headed out first in the Blue group and was immediately on the pace, topping the session with a 1:34.838. Up Next was Fritz, but the Germans’ 20-minute session was interrupted by multiple red flags, yet he still managed a time of 1:35.235, which was good enough for second in the Yellow group.
O’Halloran took up the baton next, and the Australian impressed on his YART debt to set a 1:35.531 to go fastest in the Red session. Reserve Rider Robin Mulhauser worked on scrubbing in tyres and helping with the bike’s setup, but still recorded a 1:37.583 to finish third in the Green group.
This left the team in provisional pole position overnight, with Hanika’s and Fritz’s times combined for a 1:35.057. When Friday morning rolled around, the predicted rain had not yet arrived, so qualifying was far from over. Hanika went out first again and managed to set a 1:35.689 on used tyres, finishing second overall in the Blue group.
With only one fresh qualifying tyre left, Fritz headed out for the Yellow, showing good pace before coming in and deciding to use the final fresh Bridgestone qualifying tyre with just a few minutes to go. Determined to improve his unofficial Free Practice lap record, the 31-year-old headed out with raindrops reported in some corners. As he left the pit lane, another bike that was looking for a tow tagged the back of him, causing minor damage to his bike, but not even this could faze Fritz.
He went on to set a spectacular 1:34.489 on the YART R1, the fastest ever EWC lap around the 4.185 km Bugatti Circuit since the inception of the 24 Heures Motos in 1978, and re-taking the lap record (which had been broken in the previous session) for the YART team.
O’Halloran headed out for his second session, safe in the knowledge that it would take a miracle for the team not to secure pole. He knew he did not need to improve, but he still did, setting a 1:35.500 to end qualifying as the fastest Red rider. Maintaining the team’s excellent pace, Mulhauser then improved to a 1:36.059 to finish second fastest in the Green group.
In the EWC, the best laps of the two fastest riders are combined to give the final time, which meant YART claimed their second consecutive pole at the 24 Heures Motos with a 1:34.664, 0.205s ahead of their fastest rival. This also meant the team secured the maximum five points available during qualifying to get their season off to the perfect start, and they are in prime position to fight for the 60 points up for grabs during the race.
It was also a strong qualifying performance from the ELF Marc VDS Racing Team/KM99’s Florian Marino, Randy de Puniet, Jérémy Guarnoni and Reserve Rider Alessandro Delbianco. The Belgian-based squad secured eighth on the grid after setting a combined time of 1:36.018.
Saturday’s action kicks off with a 45-minute Warm Up session at 10:30 a.m., ahead of the 24-hour race, which begins with the traditional running start at 3 p.m. CEST.
24 Heures Motos Overall Qualifying Results
Marvin Fritz – P1 Yellow – 1:34.489
Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team
“Today was amazing! To get pole position and set a new lap record is incredible. This is my sixth pole position here in the last seven years with the team, and Karel has been a part of the last five too, and it was great for Jason to get a pole at his first race with the team and at Le Mans. The whole team did an incredible job, and the bike worked perfectly. Getting a new all-time lap record shows our potential. All of my teammates were fast. We know we could have gone even faster but, honestly, we are just super happy about how confident we feel on the bike, which is the most important thing for the race.”
Karel Hanika – P2 Blue – 1:34.838
Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team
“Today was such a great team effort! I am delighted with the pole and for Marvin to keep the lap record in the YART team. Personally, I set my best time on Thursday on a new tyre, as we took a gamble on the weather conditions, and today actually turned out to be maybe a bit better, so perhaps I could have gone faster, but this is a team effort, and that is all that matters. Jason did superbly today; he was on pace and slotted perfectly into the team. Robin was also very quick, which shows how much depth we have in the team. Everybody is doing an amazing job, and I am really proud of each member of the team. Bring on the race!”
Jason O’Halloran – P1 Red – 1:35.500
Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team
“My first race with YART, and my first 24-hour race, and we secured pole position…it feels great! The whole team has done a fantastic job this week. It has been a week of firsts for me. I went out for night practice for the first time last night, and obviously, my first this has been my first qualifying for YART as well. I felt really comfortable on the bike and could have gone even quicker, but it didn’t matter in the end, thanks to amazing laps from Marvin and Karel. Marvin’s pace was incredible, and it was great to see him set a new lap record and keep the record in the team. I cannot wait to start my first 24-hour race tomorrow.”
Robin Mulhauser – P2 Green – 1:36.059
Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team – Reserve Rider
“I am so happy for the team! Obviously, the race is the most important part of the weekend, but so far, everything has gone perfectly. The team has worked hard, and the bike is amazing, so bring on the race. It looks like there will be a lot of rain, so it will be a tough race for my teammates, but I will be here to cheer them on and assist in any way I can!”
Mandy Kainz
Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team – Team Manager
“What a job by the whole team! To secure our sixth pole position in the last seven races is incredible, and for Marvin to set a new lap record was just the icing on the cake. The whole team has worked superbly this week, and all of the riders showed great pace. Jason has adapted superbly, especially considering this is his first 24-hour race, and we feel confident heading into the race. The R1 has been really strong in qualifying, and our race pace also looks good. The weather looks like it will play a part, but we are quick in the wet as well, so whatever happens, we are ready.”
