BMW Motorrad Motorsport is rightly pleased with the results achieved in competition during the 2024 season. The harvest was good, crowned by Toprak Razgatlioglu's world title in the Superbike World Championship, but will that be enough to motivate the Bavarian manufacturer to risk in MotoGP?
Little tangible information concerns what, to date, is only considered as an area of reflection on the Munich side. It all started with the appointment of Mark Flasch at the head of BMW Motorrad in November 2023. A few months later, in March 2024, the new boss dropped a bombshell that would excite the MotoGP world, “We are studying the issue closely”…
In conjunction with the desire displayed by Toprak Razgatlioglu to move into the premier category in the event of a Superbike world title, and the establishment of new regulations for 2027, the matter therefore seemed to take a turn that was both possible and logical, in a policy of progression to reach the pinnacle of motorcycle racing, the only category truly publicized at world level.
However, the months passed and nothing new came to corroborate a possible arrival of the Bavarian manufacturer in the big leagues. Worse, the final green light, given by the Board of Directors of BMW AG, i.e. the automobile division, remained hopelessly unavailable, awaiting more financial considerations. Moreover, among the usual MotoGP mechanical subcontractors, no orders came from Germany, a sign that the discussions still only focused on a positive decision.
After the MotoGP summer break, we no longer believed in it on the Dorna Sports side, even if a very strange affair of repurchase of Suzuki data excited the world press. Since then, the situation has hardly changed, Sven Blushdirector of BMW Motorrad Motorsport, simply indicated recently that the evaluation was still ongoing, but that 2027 was probably not/no longer the current objective. Then came the KTM affair…
The thunderclap from Austria hit the world of MotoGP head-on, illustrating the current economic reality of the Mattighofen manufacturer and having enough to encourage caution in the possible inclinations of a BMW revising downwards its economic forecasts for one-off reasons (braking problem affecting 1.5 million vehicles) and structural reasons (local competition progressing on the Chinese market). For the moment, the cessation of the satellite Superbike team is the only sign of an economy in competition, but it is only a drop in the bucket compared to a possible MotoGP program.
However, KTM's financial problems could ultimately be a positive element for BMW, with Dorna Sports undoubtedly ready to be less intransigent regarding the arrival of a new manufacturer. To date, none of the five present in MotoGP have definitively committed for the period 2027-2032, and if there is a priori no doubt that Ducati, Honda, Yamaha and undoubtedly Aprilia will do so, we can legitimately doubt it for KTM, no longer truly in control of its destiny. From then on, Carmelo Ezpeleta's initial dream of 6 manufacturers each fielding 4 motorcycles seems to be moving further and further away, and at the time of finalizing the transfer to Liberty Media, Dorna Sports is undoubtedly ready to do a lot to attract in the deep end a manufacturer of the stature of BMW…
Success around the world: BMW Motorrad Motorsport returns to titles, victories and podiums in 2024.
Titles, victories and podiums all over the world: BMW Motorrad Motorsport looks back on an extraordinarily successful 2024, both at the level of the factory teams and the customer teams. The highlight of the season was undoubtedly the world title won by the factory driver Toprak Razgatlioglu (TUR) in WorldSBK. Privateer teams and drivers also made a significant contribution, securing twelve additional titles in the world's most prestigious international and national championships. In international road racing, the BMW M 1000 RR has once again proven that it is the bike to beat.
From Europe to North and South America, Asia and Australia, BMW customer racing teams have participated with the BMW M 1000 RR and the BMW S 1000 RR in numerous championships, including WorldSBK and the FIM World Endurance Championship (FIM EWC). The overall results were remarkable: BMW drivers reached the podium 371 times last season, with 142 victories and 229 other podium finishes.
“A truly exciting year comes to an end”said Sven Blushdirector of BMW Motorrad Motorsport. “In the factory teams, we celebrated the WorldSBK championship title with Toprak, and the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team secured third place in the overall FIM EWC standings. In addition, our customer racing teams have won titles in numerous other championships and have regularly placed on the podiums in their respective series, week after week. In road racing, BMW drivers have left their mark on major international events. We are extremely proud of these achievements, as they demonstrate that the BMW M 1000 RR is a true winner's motorcycle, and highlight the strength of the global BMW Motorrad Motorsport family. »
The 2024 BMW Champions at a glance.
FIM Superbike World Championship – Toprak Razgatlioglu (TUR / ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
German International Motorcycling Championship – Ilya Mikhalchik (UKR / Champion-alpha-Van-Zon-BMW)
British National Superstock 1000 Championship – Davey Todd (GBR / Cheshire Mouldings BMW)
French Superbike Championship – Kenny Foray (FRA / Tecmas Racing Team)
Championnat de France Superbike Open Class – Loïc Arbel (FRA / Tecmas Racing Team)
IDM Superstock 1000 Cup – Soma Curve (HUN / H-Moto Uni Györ Team)
International Road Racing Championship – David Datzer (GER / MTP Racing)
Canadian Superbike Championship – Ben Young (CAN / Van Dolder's Home Team)
Canadian Amateur Superbike Championship – Goran Radisic (CAN)
SuperBike Brasil Superbike Light – Edson Bueno (BRA / BMW Motorrad SuperbikeBrasil Racing Team)
SuperBike Brasil Evo – Felipe Comerlatto (BRA / Sport Plus Racing)
SuperBike Brasil Master – Felipe Comerlatto (BRA / Sport Plus Racing)
SuperBike Brazil Rookie – Alex Soares (BRA / XMOTOX Racing)
The Isle of Man, Macau and Co: Success for BMW riders at major road races.
The 2024 international road racing season kicked off with the North West 200, where Davey Todd (GBR) took two victories and three second places on the podium. Peter Hickman (GBR) also made the podium. The highlight of the season was the Tourist Trophy on the Isle of Man, where BMW secured the first two places in all three 1000cc races. Todd won the Superstock TT and Senior TT and finished second in the Superbike TT, won by Hickman. Hickman also finished second in the Superstock race, behind Todd. Josh Brookes (AUS) took second place in the Senior TT. The season ended with the Macau Grand Prix, which was canceled due to heavy rain. Qualifying results were used to determine the standings, and four BMW drivers occupied the top four spots: Todd, Erno Kostamo (FIN), Hickman et Michael Rutter (GBR).
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