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BMW

Victory and podiums for the BMW M 1000 RR in WorldSBK and FIM EWC: Successful Super Weekend for BMW Motorrad Motorsport at Assen and Le Mans.

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Assen / Le Mans. Two World Championship occasions with the BMW M 1000 RR in a single weekend – and far celebration at BMW Motorrad Motorsport on a very ‘Super Weekend’. At the third spherical of the 2024 FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) at Assen (NED), Toprak Razgatlioglu (TUR) and the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team celebrated a sensational victory within the second primary race on Sunday after ending second on Saturday. In the FIM Endurance World Championship, the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team began the 2024 season with a second-place end on the Le Mans (FRA) 24 Heures Motos.

 

WorldSBK at Assen.

At the WorldSBK occasion at Assen, Razgatlioglu was heading in the right direction for victory within the first primary race on Saturday. In extraordinarily changeable circumstances, ranging from third place, he was on his solution to taking the lead when the race was red-flagged, thus ending second on the rostrum. A difficult Superpole race on Sunday morning didn’t deter him. Razgatlioglu completed ninth and needed to begin the second race within the afternoon from that place. However, ‘El Turco’ charged by way of the sector and took the lead for the primary time on the eighth lap. In the ultimate levels, he secured the highest spot definitively, thus incomes Razgatlioglu his third victory with the BMW M 1000 RR following the successes at Barcelona (ESP). After Assen, he’s in second place within the championship standings.

Razgatlioglu’s teammate Michael van der Mark (NED) additionally fought for podium positions at his Assen dwelling race. Starting from thirteenth place, he completed seventh within the shortened first race. In the Superpole race, he was the most effective BMW rider, ending eighth. In the second primary race, van der Mark was among the many contenders within the main group earlier than ending sixth. Due to a penalty, he was categorised as ninth. In the Bonovo motion BMW Racing Team, Scott Redding (GBR) secured two top-ten finishes, eighth in race one and tenth within the Superpole race. The finest consequence for his teammate Garrett Gerloff (USA) was eleventh place within the Superpole race, adopted by twelfth place in race two.

FIM EWC at Le Mans.

The well-known 24 Heures Motos at Le Mans marked the opening spherical of the 2024 FIM EWC. The BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team, led by Team Manager Werner Daemen (BEL), made a powerful begin to the brand new season with the #37 BMW M 1000 RR. The three common riders, Markus Reiterberger (GER), Ilya Mikhalchik (UKR), and Sylvain Guintoli (FRA), secured second place on the rostrum. The trio began the twice-around-the-clock marathon from fifth place. With flawless performances from the riders and the crew’s glorious work within the pit, the #37 shortly climbed into the rostrum positions and was already in second place on Saturday after just a few hours of racing. The crew maintained this place till the end on Sunday afternoon.

In the FIM EWC Superstock class, the Tecmas-MRP-BMW Racing Team fought for its second Le Mans victory with the #9 BMW M 1000 RR. Starting from second place in school, Kenny Foray (FRA), Jan Bühn (GER), Loïc Arbel (FRA), and Hannes Soomer (EST) had been briefly within the lead. After a crash in the course of the evening, they labored their manner again as much as fourth place in school, nevertheless attributable to a technical subject, the #9 bike retired prematurely.

Reactions after the race weekend.

 

Marc Bongers, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director: “I’m extraordinarily glad – it has been an excellent weekend. Of course, I may solely partly observe Le Mans from Assen, however I watched it till 1 a.m. on Saturday evening and from 6 a.m. on Sunday morning. It’s nice that the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team secured P2 there. We had been additionally a bit fortunate with points at different groups, however that’s additionally a part of a 24-hour race. After ending third final 12 months and second this 12 months, you possibly can think about what the purpose is for subsequent 12 months. It has been a fantastic begin to the FIM EWC 2024.

Here at Assen, it was my dwelling race and a mega occasion for me personally. The many followers, together with the numerous Turkish followers, created a improbable environment. On Saturday, we had been disillusioned to not have a win within the first primary race as a result of we had been very shut nevertheless it confirmed that now we have the tempo to make it. The Superpole Race was barely disappointing; all 4 BMWs had tyre points, leading to positions eight to eleven, however we made up for it within the second primary race. It was a fantastic battle on the entrance with seven or eight bikes inside a second, and Toprak and Mickey proper in the course of it. In the tip, we celebrated one other victory with Toprak and at the moment are additionally within the prime group of the championship. Mickey’s sixth place was sturdy too, although he was sadly moved again. We noticed that the bike has the efficiency, not solely with Toprak, although he squeezes out that further bit. We take these constructive boosts with us.”

Toprak Razgatlioglu, ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team (SP: 3 / R01: 2 / SP Race: 9 / R02: 1): “I am very happy. We did a very good job this weekend, especially in race two. It was not easy to take the win but in every lap I pushed hard. Everyone was working so hard this weekend and we finally won in race two. It was my first victory at Assen in the Superbike class, and also the first win here for BMW so I am very happy. It was not really important that I started from P9 because if you are really fast this is not a problem. The only problem was that after the first corner, Alex Lowes almost crashed and I closed the gas. After that, I tried to pass all the riders step by step. I felt confident and especially after ten laps I had very good pace. When the rain came, I just closed the gas because I did not want to take a risk. I just followed Alvaro Bautista who is more experienced than me. Then I started to push again. I wanted to win this weekend and I did.”

Michael van der Mark, ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team (SP: 13 / R01: 7 / SP Race: 8 / R02: 9): “I think we should be quite happy with the results this weekend. This morning in the Superpole race, the goal was to be in the top nine and we managed to do it so we had a better start position for race two. I then had a good start and gained some places straight away. I had good pace and the top group was just in front of me. At some point it started raining again in the middle sector. We had some really nice battles and it was great to fight with the guys in front. I struggled a bit at the end of the race with the riding style and fell back a bit into my old habit. I tried to push too hard to follow the guys. Then at the end I got a time penalty. It was a shame to lose P6 but it is what it is. If you look back on the weekend we showed that we are strong. It was also fantastic to see Toprak taking another win today so I am pretty sure that soon we will have two BMWs on the podium.”

Scott Redding, Bonovo motion BMW Racing Team (SP: 15 / R01: 8 / SP Race: 10 / R02: DNF): “The warm up was very cold, but the Superpole Race was pretty good. I managed to find a better feeling again from yesterday which was the goal. It was a lot to play for with the tyres. Everyone went more or less with the same tyre, but it was dropping a lot. We could see that with the lap times and the performance of everyone but I actually felt quite good. The changes we made from yesterday to today were positive so going into race two I had a bit more confidence. I felt ready for the race. My start was ok, but I was stuck a little bit with two guys, struggling to pass them but then while braking into the last corner I lost the front, which I was a bit upset about because I felt I had good pace today for another top-ten or maybe even more. I’m just upset with that. I want to apologize to the team, they’ve been great. We’ll come back for Misano and try again.”

Garrett Gerloff, Bonovo motion BMW Racing Team (SP: 17 / R01: 16 / SP Race: 11 / R02: 12): “Today was better than yesterday. It was nice to just be higher up the order but I’m still so far back it’s getting frustrating. I’m trying different solutions to the things we’re struggling with, but it hasn’t been very clear. I’m pushing but it’s not coming yet. We just have to keep working and see if we can make some improvements for the next race.”

Werner Daemen, Team Manager BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team: “I am very proud that we finished in second place. All three riders made a tremendous job. Nobody crashed, we had some difficulties in the night when it was very cold but all three riders coped with the conditions and I am very proud of them. They went for it over the entire week, worked together well and we had a very good atmosphere in the team. We showed that we are a strong team and I think that the second place is just the start of a fantastic season. I am hundred percent sure that we can fight for the victory in Spa, Suzuka and Le Castellet.”

Sylvain Guintoli, BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team (2nd place 24 Heures Motos): “It was a good weekend. In the end we finished second and we have to be happy with that. We’ve learned a lot and it has been my first experience with the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team with Markus and Ilya. It has been a good experience. It’s a bit of a shame that we didn’t win because we wanted to bring it home but I’m sure that all the experience gained during this weekend and this race, which was pretty tough, will help us to get better in the future. It’s a good base to build on for the rest of the season.”

Markus Reiterberger, BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team (2nd place 24 Heures Motos): “We are very satisfied with the second place. Of course, we would have liked to win, but in such a tough, long race, with so much happening, so many crashes and mistakes, we did quite well. We had good pace, and especially at night, we were very fast when it was really cold. It was a real challenge due to the cold and tricky conditions. Thanks to the team and my teammates who gave it their all. I believe we have shown that we can be contenders in the World Championship. We also know where we need to make adjustments to get even better. Overall, it was a successful weekend with the second place at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.”

Ilya Mikhalchik, BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team (2nd place Heures Motos): “I am really happy about the result. It has been a very difficult race, especially in the night stints when it was almost zero degrees outside. It was a bit cold to ride the bike and the conditions were tricky but even then our bike performances really well, the tyres were working well and everything was okay. We were fighting for the podium places and in the end we got P2 so for sure we are happy. Thanks to the entire crew who worked through all the night and especially thanks to my team-mates who were really fast and did their best in all the stints, no matter what the conditions were.”

BMW

Next cease Assen: BMW Motorrad Motorsport prepared for the WorldSBK races on the ‘Cathedral of Speed’.

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Assen. The third spherical of the 2024 FIM Superbike World Championship 2024 (WorldSBK) brings BMW Motorrad Motorsport to the ‘Cathedral of Speed’. From nineteenth to twenty first April, WorldSBK visits the well-known Assen TT Circuit, Netherlands. Following a profitable season begin with wins and podium finishes for BMW Motorrad manufacturing unit rider Toprak Razgatlioglu (TUR) and ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team, the objective is to deliver the BMW M 1000 RR onto the rostrum at Assen as properly.

Assen is the house race for Razgatlioglu’s teammate, BMW Motorrad manufacturing unit rider Michael van der Mark (NED), who lately confirmed his return to the highest subject with top-four outcomes at Barcelona (ESP). The Bonovo motion BMW Racing Team may also think about the spherical within the Netherlands a house race, as its staff base in northern German Cuxhaven is simply two and a half hours away from Assen. The staff goals to proceed the place it left off in race two at Barcelona and to combat for the highest ten with each BMW Motorrad manufacturing unit riders Garrett Gerloff (USA) and Scott Redding (GBR).

 

Quotes forward of the Assen spherical.

Marc Bongers, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director: “Assen is always something special. The circuit has a long history, and the enthusiasm of the fans there is always great. The first two race weekends of the season have gone excellently, and accordingly, we come to Assen with a lot of optimism. We have shown on tracks that don’t necessarily suit us well how competitive the BMW M 1000 RR is, not only with Toprak’s wins and podiums, but with good results for our entire WorldSBK squad. However, we do not rest on our laurels, but we all work hard to continue this path at Assen. The past races have once again confirmed how tight it is in WorldSBK, but our goal is to be contenders in the top field at Assen as well.”

Garrett Gerloff (#31 BMW M 1000 RR, Bonovo motion BMW Racing Team): “I’m looking forward to Assen. It’s a track that I really enjoy and a track that I feel that I flow very well with. I think also that with some of the changes we have made with the bike it will be a good track for the BMW M 1000 RR and something that I can flow on. I’m looking forward to getting to the track and to seeing my team again after a couple of weeks off and putting our heads down and try to do the best we can.”

Toprak Razgatlioglu (#54 BMW M 1000 RR, ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team): “I am very happy to come back to Assen again. We don’t know yet how the weather will be, but it is always a bit difficult there. It looks like it will be cold and with maybe some rain; we will see. It’s Mickey’s home race and maybe he can help me a little bit because it’s my first time there with BMW and Mickey is always strong there so maybe he can help me with some lines and some data. We are always working together and I am very happy for that. My target is to fight for the podium again, but I am there with the BMW M 1000 RR for the first time and maybe my feeling is very good and I will be fighting for the win. We will see at the race weekend. In general I am happy, and as it is Mickey’s home race, I hope that we finish the race on the podium together. I am ready, I keep training every day, and I was pushing especially in the past five days with training two or three times per day. I’m feeling really ready to fight, and everyone in the team works a lot. This is also a very good motivation for me. We have done a very good job so far and I think we can also do so at Assen. We will see at the race weekend.”

Scott Redding (#45 BMW M 1000 RR, Bonovo motion BMW Racing Team): “I’m really looking forward to Assen. It is a track that I really love! A lot of history there and I enjoy racing on circuits like this. This weekend I am hoping for more potentially after finding some good directions at the end of the Barcelona race weekend. I hope for good weather and I look forward to seeing all the fans at the Cathedral of Speed.”

Michael van der Mark (#60 BMW M 1000 RR, ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team): “It’s really nice to come to Assen, my home round, and I think that we come there at the right time. We had two very good rounds before arriving at Assen with a lot of confidence which is always nice so I’m looking forward to it. It will be a busy weekend for me with a lot of friends and family but it’s great. It’s only once a year so I will enjoy it and I think we’ve shown now that the base of the bike is really good and we can be really competitive. My goal for the weekend is to fight for the podiums and it would be fantastic to get on the podium at my home round.”

News

MV Agusta To Unveil Limited Edition Brutale 1000 RR at 2023 Classic GP Assen

In 2023, MV Agusta will commemorate the 50th anniversary of its last victory at the Assen TT circuit in the Netherlands. MV Agusta has had a total of 35 victories at Assen, making it the most successful Italian motorcycle manufacturer in the circuit’s history. To celebrate this milestone, MV Agusta will launch a special edition motorcycle at the 2023 Tabac Classic GP Assen event, which will take place from September 8 to 10, 2023. This event will showcase various legendary single-seaters, classic sports and touring cars, and Grand Prix bikes racing at impressive speeds.

MV Agusta has given a teaser of the new motorcycle on its social media platforms. The motorcycle, named the MV Agusta Brutale 1000 RR Assen, will feature a blue and silver livery with special graphics on the tank. More details about this motorcycle will be revealed at the official unveiling on September 9, 2023.

The limited edition nature of the bike has been confirmed by MV Agusta, although the exact number of units produced has not been disclosed. The teaser image suggests that the blue and silver livery will follow a similar layout to the regular Brutale 1000 RR, and the carbon fiber bodywork will be retained.

Given that this special edition is meant to honor MV Agusta’s racing victories at Assen, there is speculation about whether the motorcycle will feature performance upgrades in addition to the paint and graphics package. The stock Brutale 1000 RR already boasts high-quality components from Öhlins and Brembo, as well as lightweight engine components and titanium connecting rods. It also comes equipped with electronic rider aids and 17-inch forged aluminum alloy wheels.

Past limited edition MV Agusta motorcycles have included special bike covers and boxes filled with keepsake trinkets. For example, the Superveloce Ago came with a full race kit box that owners could choose to install. It remains to be seen if the Brutale 1000 RR Assen will come with a similar package.

The full details of the MV Agusta Brutale 1000 RR Assen will be revealed on September 9, 2023.