Danilo Petrucci set for launch: BMW’s new challenge kicks off at Jerez

Monday, 17 November 2025 at 09:25

Danilo Petrucci is ready for his first outing with BMW Motorrad in preparation for the 2026 Superbike World Championship: appointment set for November 26-27 in Jerez.

At 35, the veteran of a thousand battles is taking on what promises to be the most fascinating challenge of his career. The former MotoGP rider, for the first time, starts as the lead rider for a brand with a clear goal: to win a third World Championship in a row. Petrucci inherits the massive legacy of Toprak Razgatlioglu, picking up from the two consecutive World titles and the 39 victories the Turkish superstar collected in the 24-25 seasons. The pressure will be immense, and so will the technical potential: burdens and honors alike.

Jerez, first contact

Petrux, who injured his right hand during training on the eve of the last two rounds of the previous Championship, was unable to sample the BMW M1000RR in preview, neither in the Tuesday test after the final round nor in the subsequent testing window that the German manufacturer held on the same Jerez track. Danilo, however, was able to closely follow the work of test rider Michael van der Mark, beginning to familiarize himself with the team and his new crew chief, the German Markus Eschembacher. He is a highly experienced figure and seems like the ideal guide for an equally seasoned rider like Petrux.

A first time for Oliveira as well

Now back to (more or less) full fitness, Danilo Petrucci will turn his first laps on the World Champion Superbike on November 26-27 in Jerez. It will also be a debut for his new teammate Miguel Oliveira, who just hours ago concluded his MotoGP stint with Yamaha Pramac. The two riders know each other well, having raced with KTM in MotoGP during the same 2021 season. A duo of high-caliber veterans: will that be enough to avoid missing Toprak and to stand up to the Ducati V4 of Nicolò Bulega, who after two runner-up finishes is clearly aiming for the top?

Two interesting days

Alongside BMW, the factory teams of Yamaha, Honda, and Bimota will also take to the track, with the latter two also fielding their test teams. Ducati will be absent, both factory and satellite, but it will still be a very interesting two-day session. After this testing window, action resumes at the end of January, with a double outing at Jerez and Portimão. The 2026 World Championship kicks off February 20-22 at Phillip Island, Australia.