BMW has been the official MotoGP Safety Car vendor since 1999 but it has yet to enter the top-tier motorcycle racing competition. That might change in the future, according to Motorrad CEO Markus Flasch. The former M boss told German magazine Motorrad the two-wheeled division is actively considering a factory-backed effort in MotoGP.
“But it’s clear that it has to make sense for us, and that’s why we’re taking a close look at it. I wouldn’t rule it out.”
Motorsport speculates BMW Motorrad is unlikely to join MotoGP until the 2027 season at the earliest since that’s the year when new regulations will be introduced. Motorcycles will switch from the existing 1000-cc engines to smaller 850-cc units engineered to run on completely sustainable fuel.
In the meantime, BMW Motorrad is making some important management changes as current racing boss Marc Bongers will channel all his efforts into WSBK from June 2024. In his place, Motorrad has appointed Sven Blusch to take the reigns of the racing side. Flasch wished to point out that this management shakeup “will not prejudge a decision for one series or another,” adding that WSBK doesn’t represent the “only option.”
While the road car division has been rolling out M (from Motorsport) models since the 1970s, it wasn’t until 2020 when the inaugural M bike saw the light of day. The M 1000 RR was released nearly 100 years after the R32 – the first BMW motorcycle. M cars have been racing for decades in various competitions around the world, and it looks as though the bikes might finally enter top-class motorcycle racing later this decade.
The BMW Group has already intensified its motorsport programs by returning to endurance racing with the M Hybrid V8. It debuted last year in IMSA’s GTP class and from 2024, it’s also racing in WEC, meaning we’ll see it later this year at Le Mans where the V12 LMR triumphed 25 years ago.
Source: Motorrad (subscription required) via Motorsport
