 | |
| Category | Motorcycle racing |
|---|---|
| Region | International |
| Inaugural season | 1960 |
| Constructors | Suzuki,Yamaha,BMW,Honda,Kawasaki |
| Tyre suppliers | Dunlop,Pirelli,Bridgestone |
| Riders' champion |  Niccolò Canepa Marvin Fritz Karel Hanika |
| Makes' champion |  Yamaha |
| Teams' champion |  YART Yamaha |
| Official website | fimewc.com |
 Current season | |
TheEndurance World Championship (FIM EWC) is the premier worldwideendurance championship inmotorcycle road racing. The championship season consists of a series of endurance races (with a duration of six, eight, twelve or twenty-four hours) held on permanent racing facilities. The results of each race are combined to determine threeWorld Championships – riders, teams and manufacturers.
Until 2016, the championship was held on a yearly basis, but in order to take advantage of the winter break inMotoGP andWorldSBK season, since September 2016 it runs from September to July, with the European races held in September, and then spring and summer of the next year.[1] Scheduling arrangements for the 2020 and 2021COVID-19 years were different.
The long-distance races appeared almost at the same time of the invention of the internal combustion engine at the end of the 19th century, with races being held between major cities such as Paris-Rouen in 1894, Paris-Bordeaux, Paris-Madrid and others. In those years cars and motos raced together, competing for speed (fastest time) or regularity (achieving a certain objective time). These races on open roads were very dangerous, and the successive fatal tragedies (such as 1903 Paris-Madrid) move the race to roads closed to normal traffic (before the creation of real racing circuits) led to the separation of cars and motos, and the long-distance races turning into rallies.
TheBol d'Or (most famous and prestigious Endurance race) was held for the first time in 1922 on the circuit of Vaujours, near Paris (a beaten-earth road circuit used since 1888 for 24-hour competitions for bicycles).Other endurance races were created after World War II, such as 24 Hour Race in Warsage (Belgium) in 1951, the 500 Miles of Thruxton in 1955, the 24 Hours of Montjuich in Barcelona in 1957, and the 24 hours of Monza (Italy) in 1959.. At the beginning, most races were held over 24 Hours, but soon shorter races were introduced, defined in terms either of distance (500 Miles, 1000 Miles, and much later even 200 Miles) or of time (12 Hours, 8 Hours or 6 Hours).[2]
The series was founded in 1960 as the FIM Endurance Cup.[3] Initially it was made up of four races:Thruxton 500,24 hours of Montjuïc,24 hours of Warsage and theBol d'Or.[3]
The Bol d'Or was not held between 1961 and 1968, while the 1000 km of Paris was held twice onthe circuit of Montlhéry. In the first decade, the FIM EC races were held essentially in Great Britain, Italy and Spain – the three countries with more riders
In 1976 theFIM Endurance Cup became theEuropean Championship and in 1980 a World Championship. During the 1980s the Endurance World Championship calendar numbered up to ten events. The championship's popularity gradually declined and the calendar was gradually reduced to just the four so-called "classics":24 Hours of Le Mans,24 Hours of Liège (held inSpa-Francorchamps),8 Hours Of Suzuka, and theBol d'Or (held mostly onPaul Ricard orMagny-Cours).
In 1989 and 1990 the Championship went back to a World Cup status, as the number of events required by theFIM Sporting Code was not reached.
The 4 events championship (with 24 Hours of Liège being replaced by other races) in the same year was maintained until 2016. In 2015 FIM and the pan-European television sports network,Eurosport signed a deal for the promotion and coverage of the competition. With this, the organization re-ordered the events, in order to the new championship starting in September and finishing in July, with the European races being held during the winter avoiding the MotoGP and Superbikes schedules.
| Circuit | Current race title | Years held |
|---|---|---|
 Bugatti Circuit, Le Mans | 24 Heures du Mans Moto | 1971–75, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1986, 1988–2001, 2006–current |
| Circuit Paul Ricard | Bol d'Or | 1976, 1978, 1982, 1984–85, 1989–93, 1995–99, 2015–19, 2022–current |
 Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps | 8 Hours of Spa EWC Motos | 1973–89, 1991–98, 2000–01, 2022–current |
| Suzuka Circuit | Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Suzuka 8 Hours | 1980–2019, 2022–current |
| Source:[4] | ||
| 1980–1988, 1991–present | World Championship |
| 1989–1990 | World Cup |
| Duration | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th | 11th | 12th | 13th | 14th | 15th | 16th | 17th | 18th | 19th | 20th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Hrs | 40 | 33 | 28 | 24 | 21 | 19 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 12 Hrs | 35 | 29 | 25 | 21 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Less than 8 Hrs | 30 | 24 | 21 | 19 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Bonus Points | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Rounds | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Starting Grid | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Rounds | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Race | Circuit | Date | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Heures du Mans Moto | Bugatti Circuit, Le Mans | 20 April | YART - Yamaha #7:Marvin Fritz,Karel Hanika,Jason O'Halloran |
| 8 Hours of Spa Motos | Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps | 7 June | F.C.C. TSR Honda France #5:Taiga Hada, Corentin Perolari,Alan Techer |
| Suzuka 8 Hours | Suzuka Circuit | 3 August | |
| Bol d'Or | Circuit Paul Ricard | 21 September |
Motorcycles must be based on road going models with a valid FIMhomologation[7]
Formula EWC for theFIM EWC Endurance World Championship. Black number plate background, white-light headlamps and minimum weight 175 kg. This is the top category and performance improvements during the race are possible. The overall appearance of the bike cannot deviate from the homologated model, but the fork, damper, swing-arm, brakes, radiator and exhaust can be modified. Teams are also given a relatively free hand to soup up engine performance. The chassis is equipped with a quick wheel change system.[9]
Displacement
The displacement capacities must remain at the homologated size. Modifying thebore and stroke to reach class limits is not allowed.
Superstock for theFIM World Endurance Cup. Red number plate background, yellow-light headlamps and minimum weight of 175 kg. For Superstock, the machines are practically identical to production bikes. The engine is as provided by the manufacturer, with very limited modifications permitted (injector jets and fuel mapping, clutch reinforcement, a different exhaust silencer, etc.). Wheels must remain as homologated, so teams need a good wheel change strategy at pit stops.[9]
Displacement
The displacement capacities must remain at the homologated size. Modifying the bore and stroke to reach class limits is not allowed.In both Formula EWC and Superstock, the fuel tank is modified to a maximum capacity of 24 litres and fitted with a quick refuelling device.
Green number plate background, yellow-light headlamps and minimum weight of 165 kg. The category includes motorcycles whose engine, main frame or suspension are completely different from the design of the original models. Machines in theExperimental category appear in the general classification of the event but are not classified in the World Endurance Championship. They are only admitted to the start after deliberation by the Race Selection Committee, which selects the machine for its technical and innovative interest. This category can also include electrical machines.[10]
Displacement
