English
Italiano
Markus Flasch has been the head of BMW Motorrad since late 2023, and everyone in racing circles knows his passion for racing.The German manufacturer has undoubtedly raised the bar in SBK by investing in both Toprak and a test team consisting of two former MotoGP riders Sylvain Guintoli and Bradley Smith. A huge effort that bore the first fruits right from the start, with the Turk able to hold his own against Bautista and Ducati in the first three rounds of the 2024 world championship, so much so that he is dreaming of a world title that today does not appear to be a pipe dream at all.
In addition to the commitment in SBK, the possibility of BMW entering MotoGP has been rumored for years, and it was Carmelo Ezpeleta himself who wanted to leave the paddock doors completely open by not assigning the two grid places left by Suzuki to any other private team, despite numerous requests. In fact, Dorna has earmarked those two grid slots for a new Manufacturer, and it is natural to think precisely of BMW at this historic moment. Kawasaki has probably scaled back its commitment to SBK in the medium term, given the announcement of Bimota, and there seems to be no interest in MotoGP. Suzuki does not really appear to be in contention to return to the grid, and the German manufacturer remains the only one currently able to sustain such a commitment.
Interviewed by colleagues at Speedweek, Markus Flasch was quite clear. The possibility of entry into MotoGP for BMW is there, but it is contingent on success in SBK, which is considered essential to complete a journey that began in 2019.
"When everyone starts from scratch, that's the time to enter ,"Flasch's words , " but until then we have to be successful with what we do. For me there is no way to get a promotion without being successful, that's out of the question for me, that's what I told my team from day one: success is a must in the World Superbike Championship."
The idea of preparing an eventual entry into MotoGP is not ruled out at all.
"We can prepare at the same time, but I will make a decision only if we are successful in SBK. We are looking at it strategically , then we have to evaluate it very soberly. It will definitely not be a gut decision on my part. This will be a sober and widely evaluated decision. Every big decision like this is widely evaluated in a company like BMW, and the preparation has to be done and justified carefully. If this makes sense, then you will get long-term stability, because after me someone else will be at the helm of BMW Motorrad. That is why I cannot say anything concrete yet, we are just starting the evaluation."
Automatic Translation by DeepL
