- Two BMW factory teams: ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team and BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team
- New riders in WorldSBK: Danilo Petrucci (#9) and Miguel Oliveira (#88)
- FIM EWC: Reinforcement from Michael van der Mark, season start on April 18/19 in Le Mans
BMW Motorrad Motorsport is in a special position for the 2026 season. For two years in a row, in 2024 and 2025, the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team won the rider’s world championship title in the FIM Superbike World Championship. Now, with a completely changed rider lineup, a new chapter is beginning. Team boss Shaun Muir, whose team has been the official factory team since BMW’s factory return to WorldSBK for the 2019 season, puts it this way:
“It’s really exciting to start a new chapter with our WorldSBK project. Expectations are high after winning the world championship in the past two years, and we are determined to provide our two new riders, Danilo and Miguel, with everything they need to get on the podium as quickly as possible.”
Petrucci and Oliveira: Two experienced newcomers to WorldSBK
Danilo Petrucci, born on October 24, 1990, in Italy, will wear the number 9 in the 2026 season. His crew chief is Marcus Eschenbacher. The Italian looks back on a long career that took him through the MotoGP World Championship from 2012 to 2021. In 2022, he competed in the Dakar Rally, where he celebrated a stage victory, and was active in the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship. In 2023 and 2024, he raced in WorldSBK, finishing fifth overall and best independent rider in both seasons. He repeated this result in 2025. Petrucci himself talks about how proud he is of his new commitment:
“I am so happy and proud to now be part of the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team. It is the team that won the last two championships, and I am very proud to be a part of it. Of course, there are many expectations, but mainly I want to enjoy it. I just want to be as fast as possible and improve on my results from last season.”
His teammate is Portuguese rider Miguel Oliveira, born in 1995, with start number 88. Andrew Pitt, the Australian former Superbike World Champion, will take on the role of his crew chief. Oliveira brings extensive Grand Prix experience to the table: from 2011 to 2025, he competed in world championships in the 125cc class, Moto3,
Moto2, and MotoGP, where he achieved a total of five victories. In 2018, he was runner-up in the Moto2 World Championship, and in 2015, he was runner-up in the Moto3 World Championship. The move to WorldSBK is new territory for him, which he openly addresses: “I’m very excited.
I don’t really know what to expect yet. But I know that the entire field is very competitive and fiercely contested. My goal is therefore to rise to this challenge and be as well prepared as possible so that we can fight for top positions. I want to have fun and make the team happy with the races.”
The BMW M 1000 RR for WorldSBK 2026: Technology in detail
The tool Petrucci and Oliveira will be using at the start is the BMW M 1000 RR in its WorldSBK specification. The four-cylinder in-line engine with a displacement of 999 cubic centimeters is liquid-cooled and features titanium connecting rods and 2-ring pistons. Four titanium valves are used per cylinder. According to BMW, the power output is more than 233 hp (more than 171 kW) at over 14,000 rpm, based on the fuel flow limit applicable for 2026. The bore measures 80 millimeters and the stroke 49.7 millimeters. The fuel used is an e-fuel from Nordoel with a 40 percent non-fossil content, which has been a regulatory requirement since 2024.
The claw-shifted 6-speed transmission with straight-cut gears transfers power to the rear wheel via an M Performance chain by Regina. The dry weight of the machine is 168 kg (370 lbs). The wheelbase is variable and measures 1,460 millimeters. The machine is 2,080 millimeters long and 561 millimeters wide, with winglets measuring 718 millimeters. An upside-down fork from Öhlins (RVP25/30, specification 2026) is used at the front, while a BMW under-swing arm with full-floater deflection and an Öhlins RVP50 shock absorber is used at the rear. The brakes are from Brembo: a 338-millimeter double disc with 4-piston radial caliper at the front and a 218-millimeter single disc, also with a 4-piston radial caliper, at the rear. The PVM forged wheels measure 17 inches at the front with a width of 3.5 inches, and 17 inches at the rear with a width of 6.0 inches. The bike is fitted with Pirelli WorldSBK racing tires, and the tank holds around 21 liters. According to the 2026 regulations, the maximum fuel flow is limited to 45 kg/h.
Technical Director Christian Gonschor describes the development approach as follows:
Our BMW M 1000 RR is a winning bike that has taken us to victory in the world championship twice in a row. Our task now is to put together a suitable package together with our new riders Danilo and Miguel. Everyone is working hard to achieve this. Development is ongoing, with the aim of regularly finishing on the podium with both riders. We pay attention to every detail, because continuous optimization is the key to success.”
The 2026 WorldSBK calendar
The season begins on February 20-22 in Australia at Phillip Island. This is followed by Portimão in Portugal (March 27-29), Assen in the Netherlands (April 17-19), the Balaton Park Circuit in Hungary (May 1-3), Most in the Czech Republic (May 15-17), MotorLand Aragón in Spain (May 29-31), Misano in Italy (June 12-14), Donington Park in Great Britain (July 10-12), Magny-Cours in France (September 4-6), Cremona in Italy (September 25-27), Estoril in Portugal (October 9-11), and finally Jerez de la Frontera in Spain (October 16-18).
FIM EWC: Close but no cigar
In endurance racing, 2025 was a year of regret for the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team under team manager Werner Daemen. At the season finale, they were just 25 minutes away from winning the world championship title. In 2026, the team will start the title fight again with correspondingly high motivation. Daemen believes his team is well positioned:
“We have a clear goal: to fight for the championship. Everything fits together very well. We have a very good bike and very strong riders with Markus, Steven, and now Michael van der Mark, as well as Hannes as the fourth rider. Technically, we are well prepared. I expect us to be among the front runners, and of course, you also need a little luck. If luck is on our side, we can fight for the world championship title again.”
New to the trio of regular riders is Dutchman Michael van der Mark, born in 1992, who is switching from WorldSBK to the FIM EWC and will be wearing the number 37. Van der Mark is no stranger to endurance racing: he won the Suzuka 8 Hours in 2013, 2014, 2017, and 2018 and became Supersport World Champion in 2014. In 2012, he secured the European Superstock 600 Championship title. He says that the common goal is clear:
“I am really looking forward to this new challenge. Last year, I had a great race with the team at Suzuka, and I really enjoyed working with Steven and Markus. It’s great to already know everyone, and I think it’s pretty clear that we have a common goal: to win the world championship. Last year, they came very close, but unfortunately that’s part of endurance racing. I want to help them win the world championship title.”
Markus Reiterberger, born on March 9, 1994, in Germany, is an experienced endurance racing professional who has won the IDM four times and finished third in the FIM EWC for the past three years. He is determined:
“Our goal is clear: we want to win the world championship. Last year, we narrowly missed out on the title, but that automatically makes it our mission to win it now. And I think the chances are good. We have improved a little bit in many areas.”
South African Steven Odendaal, born in 1993, completes the trio. He won the Bol d’Or in 2022 and became champion of the Spanish Superbike Championship in 2025. Odendaal says he wants to use the insights gained from the previous season:
“I think we can learn a lot from last year about how we can improve, not only on the bike, but also personally. And I believe that this year we can really bring everything together to deliver a strong and consistent performance that will bring us the title at the end of the season.”
The fourth rider is Estonian Hannes Soomer, born in 1998. He will take on a dual role: as a reserve for the factory team and also as a regular rider for the BMW Motorrad Motorsport Official Team Japan, AutoRace Ube Racing. Soomer, who won the European Supersport Cup in 2017, is looking forward to the double challenge:
“I’m looking forward to a great 2026 season in the FIM EWC and my dual role! On the one hand, I will be supporting the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team in the fight for the title as fourth rider. On the other hand, I am a regular rider on the BMW M 1000 RR of the AutoRace Ube Racing Team. I am very excited to see what we can achieve and can’t wait to start the season at Le Mans.”
The BMW M 1000 RR for the 2026 FIM EWC
A modified version of the BMW M 1000 RR will be used for endurance racing. Compared to the WorldSBK version, the four-cylinder engine with a displacement of 999 cubic centimeters also features variable intake camshaft control, the BMW ShiftCam system. The power output is more than 225 hp (more than 165 kW) at over 14,000 rpm. The dry weight without fuel tank is 170 kg (375 lbs). The fuel tank of the endurance version has a capacity of 24 liters, which is three liters more than the WorldSBK machine. At the front, a Motomaster double disc with 320 millimeters is combined with a Nissin Radial 6-piston fixed caliper, while at the rear, a PVM single disc with 217 millimeters works with a Nissin 2-piston fixed caliper. The EWC version is fitted with Bridgestone racing tires.
The 2026 FIM EWC calendar comprises four races: the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France (April 18-19), the 8 Hours of Spa Motos in Belgium (June 6), the Suzuka 8 Hours in Japan (July 5), and the Bol d’Or in Le Castellet, France (September 19-20).
Customer racing: Global racing family with new official teams
In addition to factory racing, customer racing forms the backbone of BMW Motorrad Motorsport activities. In the previous season, private BMW teams and riders won twelve championship titles worldwide. The overall tally for all BMW racers was 169 victories and 242 further podium finishes in 22 different Superbike and Superstock classes. Uwe Geyer, Head of Customer Racing at BMW Motorrad Motorsport, explains that customer racing teams benefit from the knowledge gained from factory entries, including a new swing arm and improvements in electronics from WorldSBK.
New for 2026 are three BMW Motorrad Motorsport Official Teams, which will act as reference teams in strategically important markets. In the USA, OrangeCat Racing will take on this role. The team celebrated its most successful season to date in 2025, winning the MotoAmerica Superstock class title and placing both riders in the top 3 of the championship. Now OrangeCat Racing is moving up to the Superbike class. Team boss Jeff Connors says that the collaboration with BMW Motorrad Motorsport and BMW Motorrad USA has always been good over the years and that he couldn’t imagine better partners. The rider duo consists of Sean Dylan Kelly, 2021 MotoAmerica Supersport champion and Moto2 World Championship participant, who celebrated his first victory in the MotoAmerica Superbike class on a BMW M 1000 RR in 2024, and Jayson Uribe, who finished third in the MotoAmerica Superstock class in 2025, finishing on the podium eight times.
In the UK, 8TEN Racing acts as BMW Motorrad Motorsport Official Team UK. The team of Davey Todd and Peter Hickman, under team manager Darren Jones, has been a fixture in international road racing for years. At the TT, the North West 200, and the Macau Grand Prix, both Brits regularly racked up wins and podium finishes with the BMW M 1000 RR. In 2025, they founded their own team. Todd won all four major road racing events, while Hickman finished on the podium at the North West 200 and in Macau after missing the season due to injury. In addition to road racing, Todd and Hickman also compete in the British Superbike Championship with 8TEN Racing.
In Japan, AutoRace Ube Racing takes on the role of Official Team. The team made history in 2025 when Naomichi Uramoto secured the first victories for BMW Motorrad Motorsport in the Superbike class of the Japanese Road Racing Championship. On its debut in the FIM EWC, the Suzuka 8 Hours, the #76 BMW M 1000 RR finished in sixth place. In 2026, the team will contest the entire FIM EWC season. In addition to Uramoto, Sylvain Guintoli, former Superbike and Endurance World Champion from the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team and the WorldSBK Test Team, and Hannes Soomer will be regular riders.
What does this mean for me as a motorsport fan?
The 2026 season brings a breath of fresh air to the BMW camp. Petrucci and Oliveira are two riders whose career paths are as different as almost any other pair in the field, which makes WorldSBK races more unpredictable from a BMW perspective, but also more exciting. How quickly the two settle into the M 1000 RR and whether the chemistry with the team is right will become apparent in the first races of the season at Phillip Island. In the FIM EWC, the factory team is likely to compete with particular determination after the bitter finale in 2025. And anyone who likes road racing has a good reason to pay close attention this year with 8TEN Racing: Todd and Hickman on BMW, with their own team and official status, is a combination that could cause a stir at the TT and North West 200.
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