Major challenges masterfully overcome: Pure fighting spirit at Misano!

Misano. The seventh round of the 2026 FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) at Misano (ITA) proved to be a challenge – one that BMW Motorrad Motorsport, the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team, and its riders mastered with flying colours. Leading the charge was Miguel Oliveira (POR), who returned to the saddle of his BMW M 1000 RR after a serious shoulder injury, showcasing remarkable fighting spirit and unwavering determination. All-rounder Michael van der Mark (NED) once again impressed in his role as substitute rider, while the injured Danilo Petrucci (ITA) provided valuable support to the team from the garage during his home event.

At the beginning of May, Oliveira suffered serious shoulder injuries in an unavoidable accident at the Balaton Park Circuit (HUN). Following an intensive rehabilitation programme and final medical assessments on site at Misano, he was finally given the green light to return to racing. For the Portuguese rider, the priority was to regain his race rhythm and gradually rebuild his feeling and confidence on the bike. In doing so, he battled through considerable adversity, including ongoing pain and the intense summer heat. In Saturday’s race one, he fought his way from 11th on the grid to an impressive eighth-place finish. He improved even further in Sunday morning’s Superpole race, claiming sixth place to the applause of the team. However, in Sunday afternoon’s second feature race, he was forced to acknowledge his remaining physical limitations and returned to the pits before the finish.

Van der Mark once again demonstrated his versatility at Misano. In recent weeks, he had stepped in for Oliveira at the WorldSBK rounds at Most (CZE) and MotorLand Aragón (ESP). Last weekend, he celebrated a fantastic victory with the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team at the FIM Endurance World Championship (FIM EWC) race in Spa-Francorchamps (BEL). Just a few days later, he returned to the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team, this time filling in on Petrucci’s side of the garage. A technical issue forced him to retire early from race one. On Sunday, starting from 16th on the grid, he first secured 11th place in the Superpole race before making up seven positions in race two and defending an excellent ninth place all the way to the chequered flag.

Petrucci followed the action from the garage. During the Most (CZE) round, he sustained several injuries, including a fractured coccyx, and is currently working towards his return to competition. The target is for him be able to line up at the next WorldSBK event at Donington Park (GBR / 10th to 12th July).

Reactions after the Misano round.

Sven Blusch, Head of BMW Motorrad Motorsport: “We have to give Miguel the utmost respect this weekend. What he achieved was truly outstanding. We did not expect him to be able to set those lap times, to finish inside the top ten, and even almost challenge for a top-five result. He was still suffering significant pain and was far from being 100 percent fit, yet under those circumstances he extracted more than the maximum. Retiring from the final race was the right decision. There simply was no point in taking any further risks. We are also very proud of Mickey. He did a fantastic job and completed a strong weekend with ninth place. Once again, the testing work he carried out was extremely valuable for us. Mickey can now head into the next Endurance World Championship race at Suzuka at the beginning of July with great confidence. For the next WorldSBK round at Donington, we expect to be back with both of our regular riders. It was difficult for Danilo not to be racing here, but it was the right decision, and it was great to have him on site supporting the team. We will now make intensive use of the four-week break to continue working on the riders’ fitness. Then we will be ready for Donington!”

Christian Gonschor, Technical Director BMW Motorrad Motorsport: “We look back on Misano with great satisfaction. It was wonderful to see Miguel back on the #88 bike. His qualifying performance was already very strong, and his race on Saturday was particularly impressive given his physical limitations. The Superpole race was absolutely outstanding, with a sensational sixth-place finish despite being in significant pain. Even though he was forced to retire from the second race, we were able to see the potential of both the bike and the rider. Once Miguel has fully recovered, we will be fighting for podium finishes again. Mickey once again demonstrated the potential of both himself and the motorcycle by finishing ninth in Sunday’s final race while standing in as a substitute rider. Thanks to him, we were able to complete very important testing work throughout the weekend. This was a major benefit for our project. Several setup changes introduced for Sunday proved to be positive, allowing Mickey to gather valuable insights and important championship points while substituting for Danilo. At the same time, he was able to log plenty of race mileage under competitive conditions as preparation for the FIM EWC race at Suzuka and provide valuable feedback. Overall, it was a challenging weekend, but unquestionably a successful one. We scored many important points and are now turning our focus to the coming weeks. Hopefully, Danilo will be back for Donington, and Miguel will be even stronger. Before that, however, we have the Suzuka endurance race ahead of us. We are looking forward to the next races!”

Miguel Oliveira, ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team: “It was a comeback weekend. The most surprising thing was the fact that I could do yesterday’s race with good pace. This morning I woke up even more sore and in more pain. The Superpole race was good and it was actually was a big surprise, even for myself to me. But then during race two, I felt I couldn’t push through the pain because the limitation was so big, and I was not really in control of the bike. But I want to leave a message to the team: they supported me the whole weekend and also this entire recovery process. To be here after five weeks is already a big achievement, and to do it in a solid way and perform as we did, I think we should all be proud. Even with me not being 100%, and not having tested here like all the other guys, we should be happy with what we’ve got, and we move forward from here.”

Michael van der Mark, ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team: “It definitely hasn’t been an easy weekend coming back to WorldSBK, but I’ve enjoyed it. We also tried a lot of things to develop the bike. Honestly, in Superpole, it was again my fastest lap ever, and it felt so close. Starting P16 isn’t ideal, but I’m still happy with the lap time. Yesterday in race one, unfortunately, we had a technical issue while we were running in the points, so that was a bummer. This morning in the Superpole race, it was nice to fight with some guys, and it’s a shame to finish just outside the top nine. Still, it gave me confidence for the afternoon. In the second race, I had a good start, good battles, and I was in the right spots early on, so I could maintain a good pace. Sam Lowes was behind me and pushed me a lot all the way to the finish. But it’s nice to end the weekend with a top ten. And honestly, all respect to Miguel. Not many people see how much pain he’s been in, and to deliver like that yesterday and this morning – he did a fantastic job.”

Danilo Petrucci, ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team: “Honestly, it’s a weird feeling to be here and not racing. I really struggled during the first two weeks after the accident. I was in a lot of pain, and it was really hard – especially to sleep, to recover, and to get any rest. It was tough, but once I was able to stand up, walk, and go cycling, I did my best every day to be as fit as possible to be here. Still, I probably needed one more week, and we decided to sit out this race. There are still some issues – not one big problem, but a few small ones – especially in my knees and my left leg. I need a bit of time to be fully fit. I hope to come back as soon as I can, and I hope to join the team again from the next round, fully fit.  Anyway, I’m really happy to be back with them and everyone working with me. I tried to help as best as I can.”

Facts and figures.

Superpole.

Air temperature: 26°, track temperature: 44°, humidity: 52%, conditions: dry.

* New all-time lap record

Race 1.

Air temperature: 30°, track temperature: 52°, humidity: 38%, conditions: dry, laps: 21.

Fastest race lap: Nicolò Bulega, lap 5, 1:32.552 (new record)

Superpole Race.

Air temperature: 26°, track temperature: 45°, humidity: 50%, conditions: dry, laps: 10.

Fastest race lap: Nicolò Bulega, lap 4, 1:31.945 (new record)

Race 2.

Air temperature: 33°, track temperature: 52°, humidity: 29%, conditions: dry, laps: 21.

Fastest race lap: Nicolò Bulega, lap 5, 1:32.735

Current riders’ classification (R07/12, after 21 of 36 races).

Current manufacturers’ classification (R07/12, after 21 of 36 races).