Micky Winkler is frustrated with the Balance of Performance and hopes for improvements

At the fourth race weekend of the Euro Moto Sportbike season at the Motosport Arena Oschersleben, WSC rider Micky Winkler put in a solid performance in qualifying and secured ninth place out of 20 entrants. “In the first race, however, the impact of the updated Balance of Performance (BoP) was clearly evident,” his Aprilia team explained. “Despite strong lap times and giving it his all, Micky lost ground to the competition on almost every straight and was even overtaken by riders who were potentially slower than him. Under these conditions, successfully defending his position was extremely difficult. Nevertheless, Micky fought his way through and brought the bike home in 15th place – earning a hard-fought championship point as a reward.”

The situation in the current Euro Moto Sportbike class is somewhat confusing. Last year, the IDM – the predecessor to Euro Moto – was still operating under regulations modelled on those of the British Championship. Since this year, this relatively new class has also been included in the World Championship, with slightly different regulations that allow for fewer modifications than the IDM/BSB variant. The Euro Moto promoter had decided at the start of 2026 to approve both sets of regulations. Even at the risk that spectators might not know which motorbike is built to which set of regulations.

The differences in performance are difficult to explain. The ambitions of the manufacturers represented in the Euro Moto Sportbike class are also likely to play a role. Micky Winkler’s team is competing with the 2024 Aprilia model. This has a smaller throttle body diameter than the new model. Furthermore, the different electronic systems used by the various manufacturers certainly play a part. Verifying compliance is no easy task for the technical commissioners.

Ahead of the second race on Sunday at Oschersleben, a sense of cautious optimism was emerging among Winkler and his team. Following adjustments to the mapping, exhaust system and fuel, the engine felt, subjectively speaking, slightly

more competitive. This made the setback shortly before the start all the more bitter: a fault with the fuel pump during the planned warm-up prevented them from taking part in the second race.

Micky really battled hard in the first race – albeit with a blunt weapon.

Roland Matthes

“In the time remaining before the start of the race, it was no longer possible to replace the pump,” said Winkler. Nevertheless, the team’s assessment remains forward-looking. Despite the unfortunate outcome, the WSC team is taking the valuable data from Oschersleben with them, analysing the technical challenges and focusing on preparations for the next race so they can attack again with full vigour.

Team boss Roland Matthes was not entirely dissatisfied: “Micky put in a strong practice session and really battled it out in the first race – albeit with a blunt weapon. I can well understand why he is particularly disappointed about missing the second race.”

The WSC boss is also hoping that the organisers will adjust the Balance of Performance soon. The next challenge is already on the agenda in just under two weeks’ time: the fifth round of the Sportbike Championship in Assen.