Van der Mark on Suzuka: “With our package, we can fight for the podium”

With their victory at the Spa 8 Hours, the BMW works team has made an impressive return to the fight for the World Endurance Championship title. Following an unfortunate start to the season at Le Mans, Markus Reiterberger, Michael van der Mark and Steven Odendaal not only secured their first win of the season, but also picked up the maximum points haul from pole position and the race.

For Michael van der Mark, the success held a very special significance. The Dutchman had recently completed a veritable marathon programme, stepping in as a replacement for the injured Miguel Oliveira in the Superbike World Championship at Most and Aragon, and competing again at Misano immediately after the EWC weekend at Spa. Nevertheless, the victory in Belgium was one of the highlights of the season for him.

“It’s a home race for me, but even more so for the team,” van der Mark explained in an interview with SPEEDWEEK.com. “Above all, they had so many guests here. After all the bad luck last year at the Bol d’Or and this year at Le Mans, it’s just lovely to win here. We knew we had the pace.”

Great memories of the EWC weekend at Spa

For the former World Superbike rider, the victory on the historic circuit was particularly emotional. Several years ago, he had already stated that he was determined to compete in a motorcycle race at Spa at least once.

“It’s something very special,” enthused van der Mark. “The track layout is unique and I’m really enjoying it. The only thing that’s difficult here is the weather. You have to react constantly and it’s hard to predict what’s coming next. But that’s exactly what makes this track even more special.”

Indeed, riders and teams had to cope with almost every conceivable weather condition at Spa. Whilst the BMWs clearly set the pace in dry conditions, the changeable weather proved a particular challenge.

“In the dry, we had an incredibly good pace,” said van der Mark. “The bike was so easy to ride and I was able to set very good lap times without any trouble. We didn’t have to worry about that. The only question was the timing of the pit stops – and the team handled that perfectly.”

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

Foto: BMW

Particularly demanding were those phases of the race where the riders were on wet tyres on a drying track or on slicks on sections that were still damp. “That was very difficult,” admitted the Dutchman. “In the end, though, I followed the SERT-Suzuki. The team has won the world championship several times, so they were the best to learn from.”

This experience helped him to assess the difficult conditions correctly. “I simply watched them whilst keeping an eye on our pit board. At some point, I saw that we could extend our lead. Situations like that are extremely difficult, but they become much easier when you can follow a rider with a lot of experience.”

With the victory at Spa, BMW has significantly reduced the gap in the World Championship and re-established contact with the leaders. “That was our goal,” emphasised van der Mark. “Endurance races are always something special, but Le Mans was a real shame. Our plan here was to take pole position, pick up the five bonus points and win the race.”

Great optimism for the 8 Hours of Suzuka

With two of four races in the season now complete, the title race is wide open once again. “There are still two races to go and a lot can happen. But it’s great to have secured this victory.”

Next up is the Suzuka 8 Hours, the most prestigious race of the season. Traditionally, numerous Japanese factory teams join the fray there, which makes the battle for the top spots even tougher.

Van der Mark is nevertheless optimistic about the season’s highlight. “Last year we were fighting for the podium there before bad luck struck,” he recalled. “Of course, Honda will be one of the strongest teams at Suzuka. But with the package we have now, we should also be in a position to fight for the podium places.”

A particular challenge for the Dutchman remains the constant switch between different bikes and tyres. After his races in the Superbike World Championship, he had to switch back to the BMW M1000RR of the Endurance World Championship with Bridgestone tyres at very short notice.

“It feels completely different,” explained van der Mark. “But because I’ve been switching back and forth between the bikes so often now, it gets easier with time.” The philosophy in endurance racing also differs significantly from sprint series. “With three riders, you’ll never have a perfect bike all to yourself,” said the BMW works rider. “That’s why you get on the bike feeling a bit more relaxed. And if the pace is right, then you just have to ride fast.”