In the final stages of the 2023 FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK), BMW Motorrad Motorsport is preparing for two consecutive race weekends in Spain and Portugal. The tenth season event will be held at MotorLand Aragón (ESP) from 22nd to 24th September, followed by round eleven at Portimão (POR) one week later.

After a strong showing by Garrett Gerloff (USA), who secured pole position and achieved two top-five results, as well as solid performances by Scott Redding (GBR) and Loris Baz (FRA) at Magny-Cours (FRA), BMW Motorrad Motorsport aims to showcase the potential of the BMW M 1000 RR in the upcoming races. Additionally, Michael van der Mark (NED) is looking to improve his performance following his return from injury.

BMW Motorrad Motorsport and its two teams, ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team and Bonovo action BMW Racing Team, are well-prepared for the race weekend at MotorLand Aragón. They conducted a productive two-day test with all four BMW Motorrad factory riders at the venue at the end of August.

In between the WorldSBK events at Magny-Cours and MotorLand Aragón, Loris Baz participated in endurance racing as the fourth rider of the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team at the Bol d’Or in Le Castellet (FRA), the season finale of the FIM Endurance World Championship (FIM EWC).

Here are some quotes from key figures ahead of the Aragón and Portimão double-header:

 

Marc Bongers, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director: “The test with our BMW M 1000 RR at Aragón was quite positive. The competition is very strong, but we’ve already been able to showcase the bike’s potential in the recent races at Imola, Most, and Magny-Cours. That’s why I’m very confident that we can build on that and carry the positive momentum forward. Whether it’s enough for the podium, we’ll have to see. But our focus is on laying the base for the upcoming season now. I’m looking forward to the next races. It’s a busy part of the season, with four race weekends in a row, including the finale of the FIM EWC, but after the podium for the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team in the endurance world championship, we’re excited to go into the WorldSBK double-header.”

Garrett Gerloff, BMW M 1000 RR, Bonovo action BMW Racing Team: “I’m happy that we were able to do the Aragón test a couple of weeks ago. I hope that will help us this race weekend. We have to wait and see. The test was okay, so hopefully from Magny-Cours we can make some improvements and bring those to Aragón. The team and I are working really well together. I know that we can have a solid weekend. It was also good to have tested on the BMW at Portimão even if it was long ago, at the beginning of the year when we didn’t know anything. So, it’s going to be different by the time we finally get there. But I’m looking forward to it. I like both tracks a lot. I know that as a team we’ll be ready for anything. I’m also super excited to have my friends coming for both rounds. That should be really cool to show my friends what World Superbike is like. It’s nice to have some home vibes there.”

Scott Redding, BMW M 1000 RR, ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team: “We’re heading into the next round at Aragón after a difficult weekend at Magny-Cours. I’ve had a good feeling on the bike but we just did not have the luck behind us and a couple of crashes. We tested at Aragón a few weeks ago and I felt pretty good there with the bike compared to the past, so it’s another weekend I’m looking forward to. Hopefully, we can have a better weekend than the last time at Aragón, which I think is possible. We’ll see how we get on, and I’m looking forward to getting back on the bike again and moving forward and seeing if we can get some better results than at Magny-Cours.”

Michael van der Mark, BMW M 1000 RR, ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team: “It’s nice to be back racing again. Obviously, Magny-Cours didn’t go as I had expected and also wanted, but I’m still working on my return. The only thing I can do right now is to do as many races as possible, so it’s nice to have two rounds back to back. We had a good test at Aragón, so it’s nice to go there with a good base, and the weather looks similar to the test, so that’s always good. Let’s see how it goes, and then I’m really looking forward to the Portimão round. It’s one of my favorite tracks on the calendar. I love being back there, and it’s nice to have back-to-back races. With the progression that BMW made over the last few rounds, I cannot wait to do the same.”

Loris Baz, BMW M 1000 RR, Bonovo action BMW Racing Team: “It’s a busy month, but that’s nice. I always enjoy when it’s busy like that with back-to-back racing with different bikes. After the endurance weekend at the Bol d’Or, I am now looking forward to being back on my Superbike. The feeling we had at Imola and Most was really good. We then had a tough weekend at Magny-Cours, but we were still able to go fast on one lap. I hope that the test at MotorLand Aragón will also help to have a stronger pace. I’m really looking forward to being back with my guys again and to enjoying the two rounds back to back with Portimão. That is always one of my favorite races to go to. Portimão is my favorite track in Europe, together with France. I love being there. It’s an amazing track, an amazing place, and there is always a lot of great racing there. That will be the penultimate round, so I will try to enjoy all the races before the season is over.”

Track Facts MotorLand Aragón.
Circuit length	5.077 km – anti-clockwise
Corners	17 – 7 right-handers, 10 left-handers
Pole position	Right
Longest straight	1,211 metres
Grip level	Medium
Track layout	Very long straight, flowing infield
Strain on brakes	Medium
Amount at full throttle	27 seconds or 24.5 %
Topspeed / lowest speed	322 km/h / 65 km/h
Best overtaking opportunity	T1, T16
Key factors	Engine performance, good chassis, feeling on the brakes

Track Facts Portimão.
Circuit length	4.592 km – clockwise
Corners	15 – 9 right-handers, 6 left-handers
Pole position	Left
Longest straight	770 metres
Grip level	Medium
Track layout	Significant changes in elevation, more slower sections but also fast corners with compression
Strain on brakes	Medium / low
Amount at full throttle	20 %
Top speed / lowest speed	308 km/h / 52 km/h
Best overtaking opportunity	T5
Key factors	Stability, confidence in the front, good turn-in