Do you need help? Please contact our support team from 9 to 17 CET via support.pressclub@bmwgroup.com.

PressClub Canada · Article.

BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team continues its pre-season preparations with the BMW S 1000 RR in Spain and Portugal.

The BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team has continued its preparations for the 2020 season of the FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) with a double test. Last week, the team and its riders Tom Sykes (GBR) and Eugene Laverty (IRL) spent two days testing in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain. This was followed on Sunday and Monday by a further two days of testing in Portimão (POR).

Superbike Championship
·
BMW Motorcycle Sports
·
Motorrad Motorsport
 

Press Contact.

Marc Belcourt
BMW Group

Tel: +1-905-428-5078
Fax: +1-905-428-5071

send an e-mail

Jerez de la Frontera/Portimão. The BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team has continued its preparations for the 2020 season of the FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) with a double test. Last week, the team and its riders Tom Sykes (GBR) and Eugene Laverty (IRL) spent two days testing in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain. This was followed on Sunday and Monday by a further two days of testing in Portimão (POR). The team used the tests to work through a comprehensive programme with the BMW S 1000 RR. 

 

Both riders had two bikes at their disposal. This allowed Sykes, Laverty and their respective crews to evaluate more new components and many different set-up configurations, in order to establish the best possible basis set-up in time for the start of the season. While it rained repeatedly on both days in Spain, conditions were dry and sunny at times in Portugal.

 

The two riders used the time between the two tests in Jerez de la Frontera and Portimão for another important part of pre-season preparations: fitness training. Sykes and Laverty trained together at times. The final phase of preparations now begin at the team headquarters in Guisborough (GBR) and at BMW Motorrad Motorsport in Munich (GER). The BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team heads to Philipp Island (AUS) for a further two days of testing on 24th and 25th February, before the new season of WorldSBK gets underway at the same venue from 28th February to 1st March.

 

Quotes after the tests at Jerez de la Frontera and Portimão.

 

Marc Bongers, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director: “On the whole, we are happy with both tests, as we were able to work through an extensive programme with both riders. We travelled with some new parts for the RR, including new wheels, and we made also more steps forward in terms of electronic strategies and their detailed set-up both in Jerez and Portimão. Over the course of the four days, we were able to sort out some important issues on both sides of the garage, and to gain a lot of information and data. We now have an even clearer idea of what direction we need to head in on Phillip Island. We also have reinforced the team in the form of new members, and the double test was the perfect way to fully integrate them in our team. We will now continue to work hard, to ensure we are as well prepared as possible when we travel to Australia.”

 

Shaun Muir, Team Principal BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team: “It was very productive days in Spain and Portugal with a very successful finish at Portimão. Good weather greeted us here and that also allowed us to go through the items we could not do in Jerez due to rain. We’ve made big steps with the elcetronics with both riders benefitting from it. Eugene overall got a lot of confidence now going to Australia, Tom tried some settings he was not used to evaluate them and to to find an even better direction for him. Both riders and the team took the decision not to put any special development or qualifying tyres on, so the times that we have got have been on the normal race tyre. Overall, both riders are very satisfied with the work we have conducted, we gathered a lot of valuable data and have a good base to move into Australia. So it was a positive test and we can’t wait to go to Australia.”

 

Tom Sykes: “I’m very happy with the two tests. Jerez obviously was very challenging from the weather front but we were able to utilise that and do some little fundamental things. It then was much more consistent here in Portugal and we were just able to do a lot of work with our BMW S 1000 RR. We just had to turn a bit of a blind eye to what was going on on track and focus on what we are doing. We worked really hard on different chassis set-ups, on the brakes, electronic strategies... and the list goes on. A big credit to the entire BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team, the boys have worked really, really hard over these days. Now it’s time to go back home and get everything ready for Phillip Island and where we can focus more on performance.”

 

Eugene Laverty: “I am really delighted and optimistic. The November test was a bit of a tough one as I got a few surprises when I rode the RR for the first time. The work that the guys did is incredible. That’s the nice thing of being involved with a factory team again: the progress is so quick and these guys are so intelligent. I give my comments but in the end my comments are only backing up what they already know. These guys understand very well how to make the bike work. The focus in Spain had been power delivery and traction control and when we arrived at Portimão, we started to play around with the chassis setting. And the performance in the end was really good. So after these tests, I’m very happy, we’re in a good position.”

 

Article Offline Attachments.

Article Media Material.

My.PressClub Login
 

BMW Group Streaming

ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2024.

Munich. Here you can see the on demand webcast of the BMW Group Annual Conference 2024, with the world premiere of the next BMW vision vehicle on the "Road to Neue Klasse".

Open Streaming Page

Add your filter tags.

Press Release
Press Kit
Speech
Fact & Figures
Updates
Top-Topic
Submit filter
Clear all
 
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
 
Login