BMW address big concern over WSBK downsize to only two bikes

BMW will have only its two factory bikes on the WorldSBK grid in 2025, but that is of little apparent concern for its technical director, Chris Gonschor.

BMW’s downsizing from four to two bikes in 2025 will coincide with Ducati’s presence increasing to eight bikes, as the MGM Bonovo team that ran M1000 RRs last year will field a single Panigale V4 R this season.

This will mean a reduction in data for BMW on race weekends, and force the evaluation of new parts on a race weekend to the factory riders.

However, it also means that the focus of the race department is more focused on the two riders – Toprak Razgatlioglu and Michael van der Mark – who are spearheading the project.

“Luckily I can focus on my bikes and our riders,” BMW’s WorldSBK technical director Chris Gonschor told WorldSBK.com at last week’s BMW WorldSBK team launch.

“Having just two bikes on the grid is also a chance because you can focus on two high-class riders.

“At the end, anyway, just one rider can win the race, and just one rider can win the championship.

“Both of them [van der Mark and Razgatlioglu] are capable to do the job, and I am looking forward to seeing both riders on the podium, it doesn’t matter in which ranking.”

Gonschor believes that BMW’s two-rider test team, which will consist this year of Endurance World Championship regulars Sylvain Guintoli and Markus Reiterberger, will be able to compensate for any disadvantage incurred by BMW’s lack of WorldSBK race bikes this year.

“I’m not afraid of the situation,” he said.

“We have two strong race bikes on the grid and we have the test team in the background so we can do the work we need to do anyway, we can do the work in the test team even more and more hard.

“So, we gain the information and the test items in the test team, the race team will receive feedback and the parts verified and optimised.”

Gonschor added: “We have Markus Reiterberger and Sylvain Guintoli as our test riders for this year, so they can do a parallel job doing the test team work additionally to the endurance racing,” Gonschor said.

“So, they keep sharp, they make experience in both championships.

“This is the best ‘win-win’ situation for the whole BMW Motorsports group because we get experience from different riders on different bikes in different teams – like endurance racing, superbike racing, and test team.”

Gonschor added, though, that the test riders will likely not be wildcarding this year, saying “Wildcards [are] not the target for 2025.”

Superconcessions, “Our bike will be according to the regulations” - Gonschor

Superconcessions is another key part of BMW’s season, with them losing their Superconcessions for the 2025 season but other manufacturers concerned that their 2024 parts will carry over to the new season with their new M1000 RR homologation.

“Based on the regulations, we can carry on our concession parts,” Gonschor said.

“There are some discussions about fine-tuning the regulations. In case the regulations will change, our bike will be according to the regulations; so let’s see and wait the final outcome of the regulations, [...] and when we are in Phillip Island our bike will be perfectly prepared according to the regulations.”

Gonschor added that he has no doubts about the M1000 RR being homologated in time for the season, with the homologation process set to be carried out by the FIM

“Our bike will be definitely fully homologated,” he said.

“I think in two weeks [the last week of January] they [the FIM] come here to make the homologation for the 2025 model.

“We are fully prepared, and there is definitely no doubts to be not prepared – everything will be sorted and in Phillip Island we will be ready to race.”