8 Hours of Spa Motos - Qualifying: The #37 BMW takes pole position at home

The BMW No. 37 dominated both qualifying sessions for the 8 Hours of Spa and secured pole position on home soil.

Qualifying for the 2026 Spa 8 Hours Motos ultimately went in BMW's favor. On home soil, the #37 will start from pole position thanks to the best combined average time of Marcus Reiterberger and Steven Odendaal during the two qualifying sessions held this Friday in Belgium.

The day was far from restful, however, as qualifying was heavily disrupted by numerous incidents on track. Right from Q1, the tone was set at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit when several red flags interrupted the program, making the session particularly disjointed. But the circumstances didn't prevent BMW from asserting its dominance. With a combined time of 2:18.703, the local team secured pole position at Spa, and more importantly, five valuable points that allowed them to get back on track in the championship after the disastrous performance at Le Mans during the EWC season opener. For BMW, victory at the Spa 8 Hours now represents an almost unavoidable opportunity to remain in contention for the 2026 title.

Behind them, the YART Yamaha #1 and the Honda #5 – the reigning champion – complete the top three, even though Q2 was marred by a heavy crash involving Marvin Fritz, one of the defending champions. Fortunately for the Iwata team, the German rider escaped without injury, and the #1 bike, thanks to its time of 2:19.232, leaves with four additional points, allowing it to consolidate its lead in the championship over Suzuki. Behind BMW, Yamaha, and Honda, SERT finishes the day in fourth place (2 points). Randy de Puniet and Team KM99 Marc VDS complete Qualifying in 6th position, just shy of the points available on Friday.

The starting grid is now set, but everything remains open before the race. The weather conditions, forecast to be changeable, could still reshuffle the cards during the eight-hour race scheduled for Saturday from 13 p.m. to 21 p.m. at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit. Marvin Fritz has already warned that rain could give Yamaha an additional advantage, as they are very comfortable in wet conditions.

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