SBK test, BMW take to Valencia: Petrucci and Oliveira in action on the M 1000 RR

BMW has left Portimão for Valencia, where Petrucci and Oliveira are looking to carry on their adaptation work with the M 1000 RR ahead of the start of the 2026 Superbike World Championship.

Almost all SBK World Championship teams are at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, hoping for better conditions today than yesterday so they can get some work done. As we already reported, the ROKiT BMW Motorrad team left Portimão to head to Valencia and try to get laps in at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit. Yesterday they didn’t find ideal conditions, but this morning the situation improved and they’re giving it a go, hoping the rain doesn’t return to spoil the plan.

Through its official Instagram profile, the ROKiT BMW Motorrad team announced it’s trying to get on track in Spain: "One last chance. With thunderstorms disrupting all January tests, the team set off for Valencia in search of a dry circuit." Other stories showed Danilo Petrucci and Miguel Oliveira leaving the garage to climb aboard their M 1000 RRs and start lapping.

For both riders, it’s crucial to rack up as many kilometers as possible in this pre-season. They’re both debuting on the German bike and need to go through an adaptation process before becoming competitive. The weather during the 2026 SBK tests hasn’t cooperated with their needs. BMW moved to Valencia and perhaps it was the right call—we’ll see.

Two days ago, the colors with which the team will take on the new Superbike season were unveiled, with the goal still being to win the world title. After the two titles won with Toprak Razgatlioglu, the ambition remains the same, even if it’s likely to be more complicated. The Turk is a phenomenon, one of the best riders in the history of the category. Petrucci and Oliveira nonetheless have great potential and have proven it throughout their careers; if they can find a good feeling with the M 1000 RR, they can be major contenders in 2026.