In addition to Markus Reiterberger and Sylvain Guintoli, Steven Odendaal was signed by the BMW Motorrad World Endurance team as a third rider. After finishing third in last year’s season, the title is expected to reach 2025.
Already at the end of November it was clear during test rides at the Circuito de Jerez that South African Steven Odendaal was on the shortlist to replace Ukrainian Ilya Mikhalchik as a rider in the BMW Motorrad World Endurance team. The change has now been officially confirmed by the factory. He will be a teammate of German Markus Reiterberger and Frenchman Sylvain Guintoli. Mestonian Hannes Soomer was signed as the fourth driver.
The 31-year-old Odendaal has been an integral part of the EWC field since 2022 and can now be described as a true long-distance veteran. In 2021 he won five races in the World Supersport Championship and finished the series in second place behind Swiss Dominique Aegerter. Prior to that, the South African from Johannesburg drove in the Moto2 World Championship for eight years and also became the Moto2 European Champion in 2016.
Reiterberger has been committed to the BMW Motorrad Motorsport long-distance project since the beginning and will enter his sixth season with the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team in 2025. Guintoli, the 2014 Superbike World Champion and 2021 World Endurance Champion, joined the team led by Belgian team manager Werner Daemen in 2024. It will also be Soomer’s second year on the BMW M 1000 RR with starting number 37.
“With this strong line-up of riders, we have put together an important part of our overall package for this year’s World Endurance Championship,” says Sven Blusch, Head of BMW Motorrad Motorsport, with conviction. “Our clear goal is to become world champion in the long distance after winning the title in the World Championship of Advanced Cycling. With our quartet of drivers we are in a good position for this.
“Markus Reiterberger is a man from the beginning and has played a big role in the team’s success story. Sylvain Guintoli, with all his knowledge and experience since last season, has been a very important part of the project. The new one is Steven Odendaal, who is also already successful to make a name for himself in the EWC. We also have a strong fourth rider in Hannes Soomer, who has settled in well on the BMW M 1000 RR in his first year. Meanwhile, we would like to thank Ilya Mikhalchik for many years of dedication. He also helped build the team from the beginning and put it on the path to success.”
Werner Daemen, manager of the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team, agrees: “With our riders we are well prepared for the championship fight. Markus is our veteran. We look forward to entering our sixth EWC season with him. Sylvain was a great asset to our team in 2024 and it is great to continue working with him. Our new addition Steven was already testing with us and settled in well right away. In Hannes we have a strong fourth driver who made a huge contribution to the team last year. But in an endurance team, it’s not just speed and ability that counts, but also team spirit – and that’s the element that sets our quartet apart. Unfortunately, Ilya will no longer be on board. I would like to thank him for the many years we spent together and wish him much success in the future.”
Calendar 2025 World Endurance Championships
April 17-20 Le Mans, France (24 hours)
06. – 07.06. Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium (8 hours)
01. – 03.08. Suzuka, Japan (8 hours)
September 18-21 Bol d’Or, France (24 hours)
