Van der Mark on Reiterberger: “Markus never ceases to amaze us!”

For Markus Reiterberger, winning the 2026 World Endurance Championship was far more than just another success in his racing career. The Bavarian, who has had close ties with BMW for many years, had to overcome numerous setbacks along the way. His perseverance was finally rewarded with victory at the Bol d’Or and BMW’s first EWC World Championship title.

Together with Michael van der Mark and Steven Odendaal, Reiterberger led the BMW works team to this historic success. For the German, it was his first world championship title in endurance racing, even though he has been one of the key riders in the BMW project for many years. In an exclusive interview with SPEEDWEEK.com, team-mate van der Mark paid particular tribute to Reiterberger’s tenacity.

“Markus really deserves this title. He’s been involved for so many years and has, of course, celebrated a number of successes. But when you consider how long he’s been in racing, it’s hard to believe that this World Endurance Championship title was still missing from his collection,” explained the Dutchman. “He’s never given up either. That’s why it’s great that he’s finally won this title.”

Van der Mark: “The talent and the speed are still there”

Reiterberger’s career hasn’t always gone to plan. Although the Bavarian attracted attention early on with his successes in the IDM and strong performances on BMW Superbikes, he never managed to make the definitive breakthrough in the Superbike World Championship. Yet for many observers, his riding potential was beyond question.

Markus Reiterberger

Foto: Gold & Goose

Van der Mark, too, is convinced that the results in the Superbike World Championship do not reflect the true capabilities of his team-mate. When asked why Reiterberger did not achieve the hoped-for success there on a consistent basis, he pointed above all to the circumstances of his career.

“I think it was simply a case of bad timing. We all know how much talent Markus has. You can still see that today. His talent and his speed are still there,” emphasised van der Mark. “I believe that things simply didn’t fall into place for him at the right time.”

Markus Reiterberger brachte die BMW über den Zielstrich

Foto: BMW

The Dutchman, who himself has many years’ experience in the Superbike World Championship, still sees Reiterberger as an exceptionally fast rider. “If you look at what he achieved before he joined the Superbike World Championship and what he’s still showing today, he never ceases to surprise us. There’s still an incredible amount of talent there,” praised the BMW rider.

Three riders, one motorbike: Why the BMW trio works so well together

A key factor in the BMW works team’s success in 2026 was the collaboration between Reiterberger, van der Mark and Odendaal. In endurance racing, three riders have to share one motorbike, even though their riding styles, body sizes and personal preferences can vary considerably. This often means compromises have to be made, particularly when it comes to setting up the suspension and ergonomics.

Michael van der Mark und seine Endurance-Kollegen Odendaal und Reiterberger

Foto: BMW

According to van der Mark, however, this was hardly a problem for the BMW trio. The three riders had very similar ideas about how the M1000RR should handle on the track. For the Dutchman, the collaboration was particularly straightforward because, as a newcomer, he initially based his approach on the existing set-up.

“We’re quite similar and give very similar feedback. This year in particular, I felt that, as the last to join the team, I had the least say,” reported van der Mark with a wink. “So I just accepted the set-up as it was.”

It became clear over the course of the season that this was by no means a disadvantage. “We now have a set-up that works for all three of us. I don’t think the crew chief and the whole team could be any happier about it,” explained the Dutchman.

For Reiterberger, the World Championship title is the well-deserved reward for many years of dedication, successes and setbacks. His team-mate van der Mark is convinced that the Bavarian still possesses his extraordinary talent today – and that what he lacked most in his career was simply the right timing.