Petrucci and BMW's new challenge: here's the starting point

Wednesday, 31 December 2025 at 19:00

Danilo Petrucci began his apprenticeship on the BMW at Jerez, opening a new chapter in his career. The goal is to fight for a World title for the first time, on the same M1000RR that Toprak Razgatlioglu made fly over the past two years.

The former Ducati rider landed in Andalusia not in the best physical condition. He also did not make any statements at the end of the first day of activity "because the Barni team vetoed it," was the laconic explanation from the German brand’s staff. The 2026 Superbike season will kick off February 20–22 at Phillip Island (Australia), and after this two-day test at Jerez, two more test sessions are scheduled for late January: back here in Andalusia and then at Portimão.

BMW starts from scratch

The German powerhouse had to part with Toprak Razgatlioglu, who moved up to MotoGP, and reassigned Michael van der Mark to the role of test rider. So they’re starting from scratch with two new riders: Danilo Petrucci and Miguel Oliveira. Technical director Crish Gonschor explained how the work program will be set up. "The bike we’re using in these tests is the same one we finished the World Championship with; it’s a good starting point," smiled the German engineer, alluding to the 40 wins (39 by Toprak...) celebrated over the last two years. "Danilo and Miguel are physically different from Toprak and also from each other. So the first chapter to tackle is modifying the riding position ergonomics."

Tailoring the bike to the riders

"We worked at home to adapt the handlebar-seat-footpeg triangle to make sure they feel as comfortable as possible. They need to fit ergonomically to be able to exploit the potential. We can get ahead with instrumented simulations in the racing department, but only the track allows the riders to tell us if they have full control of the bike. At Jerez we don’t have any hardware updates to try; we’re working solely on electronic settings, particularly engine braking, and on the suspension. Always with the aim of making Petrucci and Oliveira as comfortable as possible."

New riding style

It’s obvious that Petrucci and Oliveira will have to adapt their riding styles to the characteristics of the BMW. "In fact, that’s why we’ll make few changes to the bike, so the two riders can do as many laps as possible and gather lots of data. We’re also asking Danilo and Miguel to modify their own riding style in one corner or another. This way, during the winter break, we can study at home some specific updates that meet each of their personal needs. Petrucci and Oliveira want to win; we expect they will be very demanding with us technicians."