Superbike Most: BMW in tatters, with no riders and no direction

Toprak Razgatlioglu’s triumphs are now a faint memory. Without the Turkish ace, BMW has completely lost direction. Miguel Oliveira and Danilo Petrucci are sidelined due to serious crashes, and the only survivor is test rider Michael van der Mark. Now how will the Germans get out of this?

In just two years on the M1000RR, Toprak Razgatlioglu racked up 38 wins and two World titles. Only Nicolò Bulega, in 2025, managed to push the verdict to the final round. It was predictable that his legacy would be a heavy burden to bear, but not to this extent. Miguel Oliveira was struck down by bad luck, because the Balaton Park crash wasn’t his fault. Until then he had collected three podiums, always in third place, far from the Ducatis. A bit little, but all in all about what was expected from a rider who won five GPs in MotoGP but had lately been on a downward trend. The one who failed to answer the call is Danilo Petrucci.

Winter testing, battered by bad weather, had concealed the problem that painfully emerged in this first phase of the championship: Danilo Petrucci can’t manage to ride the M1000RR well. With Barni Ducati last year he finished on the podium seven times (always third), losing third place in the Championship due to a gym injury that prevented him from racing the final two rounds at Estoril and Jerez. With BMW so far his best result has been sixth at Phillip Island in heavy rain: it seemed like a starting point, but in Europe the results curve has clearly trended downward. The fractured coccyx from the terrible race 1 crash at Most is the last straw. How long will he be out? And when he returns, what will the motivation be for a 36-year-old rider, now coming off so many painful injuries? Worse still is the awareness that the BMW doesn’t suit his riding style.

BMW’s top brass have reiterated their commitment to Superbike, stating they want to keep faith with Oliveira and Petrucci, both on one-year contracts. But it seems like a stock statement, aimed at not adding further pressure on two riders who are suffering from injuries. It’s obvious that BMW will have to shake things up and look on the market for someone capable of bringing the M1000RR back to the top. The MotoGP market is boiling over; there will be some top riders left without a seat. Alex Rins, on his way out of Yamaha, has already put his hand up.

The ten-minute morning warm-up has rekindled anticipation for the new family duel between Lecuona and Bulega. By now, this is the only point of interest in this very strange Superbike season, crippled by BMW’s problems and the chronic absence of Yamaha and Honda.

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