BMW Motorrad Motorsport made significant progress at the sixth round of the 2023 FIM Superbike World Championship at Donington Park. Scott Redding and the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team achieved a top-four finish at their home race. Garrett Gerloff and the Bonovo action BMW Racing Team also performed well. However, the positive results were overshadowed by a serious accident involving Tom Sykes, Loris Baz, and Michael Ruben Rinaldi. Sykes suffered multiple rib fractures and is currently undergoing further examination at the hospital.
In the Superpole qualifying session on Saturday morning, Sykes was the highest-placed BMW rider in eighth position. Gerloff finished in tenth place, Redding in twelfth, and Baz in fifteenth. In the first race on Saturday afternoon, Redding overtook Sykes just before the finish line, securing eighth position. Sykes finished behind in ninth place. Unfortunately, Gerloff and Baz had to retire due to a crash and a technical issue, respectively.
In the Superpole race on Sunday, Gerloff improved to seventh place, and Redding finished ninth. Sykes crashed on the penultimate lap but managed to finish in 18th position. Baz also had an early fall but crossed the finish line in 23rd place. In the second main race, Redding climbed up to fourth place and defended it until the end, securing his best result of the season. Gerloff finished ninth.
The next round of the WorldSBK 2023 will take place in Imola, Italy, from July 14th to 16th.
The ABK Beer 0% BMW F 900 R Cup also took place at Donington Park as part of the WorldSBK support programme. The cup features highly competitive racing with identical BMW F 900 R Roadster bikes. Richard Cooper and Nikki Coates were among the winners in the races held over the weekend.
BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director, Marc Bongers, reflected on the mixed emotions of the weekend and wished a speedy recovery to Sykes and Rinaldi. Redding expressed his satisfaction with his performance, and Gerloff shared his positive experience in the Superpole race. Baz expressed disappointment but remained determined for future races.