The curtain was raised in Berlin on BMW's 2025, which officially unveiled the bikes and riders with which it will battle to reconfirm itself in the upcoming season. We got the chance to intercept the technical Director of the Munich-based manufacturer, Chris Gonschor, at the presentation. He spoke to us about the changes made to the M 1000 RR for 2025 and how the super concessions have made it impossibile to use the chassis implemented thanks to the super concessions, rejected by Dorna and FIM.
"I don't think it's so much Dorna that doesn't allow us to use it because, in the end, it's the FIM that sets the regulations, and we'll build the bike according to what that regulation says, which is very clear about the current 2024 chassis," he stressed. "Because of the 2023 season, we were allowed to use super-concession parts. At the beginning of the 2024 season, we defined a concession part, which is the chassis. There's a lot of communication between brands and, during the meetings with manufacturers, everyone knows which concession parts the different brands use. We have one part, the chassis, and we used it from Phillip Island to the last round in Jerez. If we stick to the regulations, we will be able to continue using it. If the regulations were to change, we don't know, then we'll definitely adjust our bike."
Will not having the super concessions this year be a big disadvantage?
"The 2024 package was already very competitive with the new M 1000 RR for 2025. We have a new homologated model with extra potential, thanks to an optimization of the engine, aerodynamics, and electronics. So, the 2025 package will still be competitive in accordance with the regulations."
What improvements will the 2025 bike have?
"We've improved almost every part. It was the same process we started in preparing for the 2024 season, because we're always using the same methodology, which I'm trying to organize with my engineers. When you focus on individual parts, you optimize individual parts, but you don't have the complete picture. And, in a competitive championship like the World Superbike, you need to work on every element because, otherwise, you miss the opportunity to improve some part. We're working on the engine based on a new specification for the standard model. We're optimizing the race engine by taking advantage of the cylinder head that was modified on the production model. Aerodynamics has improved a lot, so we've been able to fine-tune our race fairing. The wings have to be a copy of those on the road bike, but the rest of the fairing can be modified within, plus or minus, 50 millimeters. This is an important area to work on. As for the electronics, it's always possible to improve the package, thanks to the fact that we can also use the potential of the new model for next year on the race bike that has, for example, a new steering angle sensor. We're also always working on the front and rear suspensions of the bike to improve agility and not just that."
How much is the test team helping you?
"It helps us a lot, simply because the races start on Friday and end on Sunday, and you don't have a lot of time. You can't test on a race weekend. You just have to get the best lap time from the package you have, and you don't waste time testing and trying parts. So we can do this kind of work with the test team, with whom we do all the preparation work in advance. We create new components, prepare new innovations, and hand them over to the test team. And, once they've finished the work and verified the components, we hand them over to the race team, which can use them directly, without having to test them, because they're ready to use. This way, you don't lose time on a race weekend when you have to be efficient in the various sessions. This is the great help the test team gives, being able to focus on the races without thinking about testing."
So, isn't it essential for you to have a satellite team?
"More bikes on the grid provide more data but, thanks to the test team, we already have other bikes to collect it with. Now we have two on the grid and two for testing, plus, we have the team in endurance, which is also connected and in which our test team riders race. This way, we get a lot of feedback from the riders and a lot of data. So, it doesn't matter if there are two, three, or four bikes on the grid."
We know that Ducati will have a new bike in 2026. Are you already thinking about what to do for that year?
"We know what we want to change on our bike in the next year or two, but that's completely independent of our competitors. It's definitely important to be ahead of them, but it isn't easy. We try to get out there and be the best, but the game is the same for everyone, and our Italian colleagues are definitely a strong brand, with a strong bike, and they're going to get better and better, like our bike. So, we don't need to focus on other brands. Our path towards development is clearly independent of others, and we just focus on our bike, our potential, the regulations, and our riders."