After a month-long break, BMW Motorrad Motorsport is heading to Misano in Italy for round five of the FIM Superbike World Championship 2023 (WorldSBK) from 2nd to 4th June. The ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team, with Scott Redding and Tom Sykes, and the Bonovo action BMW Racing Team of Garrett Gerloff and Loris Baz had a productive two-day test at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli three weeks ago to prepare for the upcoming races.
The BMW M 1000 RR riders had different programmes at the Misano test for their individual requirements. They compared components, worked on geometry and weight distribution, and Scott and Garrett focused on these aspects. Tom Sykes is stepping in for Michael van der Mark, who is currently injured. According to Marc Bongers, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director, the test was good preparation for the coming races, with BMW riders well equipped.
Quotes Ahead of the Misano Round
Marc Bongers, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director, said that the team’s goal is to perform well with both teams and all four riders at Misano. He wants to convert their hard work into good results and is confident that Loris Baz will be stronger at Misano after his weigh-in test, which was about getting a feel for the bike after his leg injury. He also gave Tom the opportunity to get familiarized with the BMW M RR and Michael’s crew.
Garrett Gerloff is looking forward to the Misano event and showing off what he can do on Friday. It’s a track he enjoys, and he mentioned that the team had a test a few weeks ago, so they feel they are in a good place for the setup. Scott Redding is also happy about the weekend, and he hopes they can make improvements from Barcelona where they tried different setup changes. Tom Sykes said he’s excited to compete for the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team and looks forward to heading to Misano, where the circuit always produces great racing. Loris Baz said he’s finally feeling 100% going into this race, and it feels good. He stated that he loves going to Misano and that he’s confident heading into the race.
Track Facts for Misano
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Track Facts Misano. |
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Circuit length |
4.226 km – clockwise |
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Corners |
16 – 10 right-handers, 6 left-handers |
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Pole position |
Right |
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Longest straight |
510 metres (start-finish straight) |
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Grip level |
Medium |
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Track layout |
Several long straights, partly fast corners, hard braking zones |
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Strain on brakes |
Medium |
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Amount at full throttle |
30 % |
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Top speed / lowest speed |
276 km/h / 55 km/h |
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Best overtaking opportunity |
T1, T8 |
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Key factors |
Good feeling on the brakes, stability, traction |