WorldSBK: BMW falters without Toprak as Oliveira aims to turn things around in 2027

The Portuguese rider sees positives in his first year in WorldSBK, despite facing a few problems, and is raising the bar significantly for 2027.

Switching from MotoGP to Superbike is never easy, especially when you don't have the best bike on the grid. That's what Miguel Oliveira experienced when he climbed aboard a BMW M 1000 RR that was far from easy to ride. It's true that the German bike won two world titles with the phenomenal Toprak Razgatlioglu (in 2024, with a "super-concession" frame that was then banned for 2025), but we know that the Turk is in a league of his own thanks to his incredible talent.

In any case, both Oliveira and his teammate Danilo Petrucci faced unexpected hurdles: bad weather disrupted pre-season testing, leaving them short on experience with the bike when the championship began, and injuries then added to their troubles. It's also worth remembering that Ducati brought a new Panigale V4 R to the grid, and it proved highly competitive in the hands of both factory and independent team riders. The others were left with the scraps.

At EICMA last week, Oliveira gave an overall positive assessment of his first WorldSBK season, while acknowledging that he had hoped to do even better: "It's been a good year, and now that the championship is over, I'm trying to focus on the positives. There were many results we wanted but couldn't achieve, mainly because of the injury. Overall, we could have done a little better, but we still finished the season on a positive note. We showed that we can be strong, and we'll carry this experience forward. I'm excited about 2027".

After the 2027 Superbike World Championship had ended, the Portuguese rider took part in a day of testing at Jerez and was quite pleased with the work completed, particularly with the new Michelin tyres: "It was positive. We mainly compared the tyres—that was the main goal. We have a clearer idea of what the new tyres can offer in terms of feel. It was an important day for gathering data and starting to understand what we need in order to adapt".

Asked about his goals for 2027 and his new teammate Brad Binder, Oliveira was clear: "My goal will definitely be to get on the podium more often and win races. Binder? I think he'll bring speed and experience, and help us make the bike a winner and get back to the top step of the podium. You expect your teammate to push you to the limit and bring out your best". Binder has already been his teammate in Moto3, Moto2 and MotoGP, so working together should be easier.

As we've reported several times, BMW will line up in 2027 with an evolved M 1000 RR compared with the 2026 model: the biggest new feature will be the third-generation M Motorsport frame, which is 1.3 kg lighter than its predecessor. With an architecture designed to optimise stiffness, this frame promises more precise turn-in, more stable lines, greater acceleration efficiency and improved control when braking with the bike leaned over.

The 2027 frame draws inspiration from the "super-concession" frame used in 2024, which made the German bike easier to ride. Both Oliveira and Petrucci asked for changes to make it more nimble during last Superbike season, but the breakthrough is expected to come only next year. Petrux will no longer be there (he is expected to race in MotoAmerica with Yamaha), leaving the Portuguese rider and Binder to benefit. It remains to be seen how the new Michelin tyres will affect the different bikes.

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