Jan Mohr ended his IDM career with candour and a clear self-assessment

There are many reasons for ending a career in motor racing. Often, old injuries slow riders down; younger riders decide to pursue a career in a different field; or, after years of racing, the bank balance is simply empty. Some have also reached a more advanced age, so it is time to call it a day as a racing driver. None of these reasons apply to Jan Mohr, who is competing this year for the Masteroil-alpha-Van Zon-BMW team in the 2026 Euro Moto Superbike championship. Nevertheless, the Austrian rode his final two sprint races at the season finale at the Hockenheimring. Mohr is calling it a day.

“It’s just not enough,” is his honest answer, “at least not for my liking.” Anyone who thinks that Mohr has lost his passion for racing following his very serious crash four years ago at the Schleizer Dreieck and the subsequent long recovery is mistaken. “No, it’s got nothing to do with Schleiz,” Mohr assures us. “I achieved my best results after that. Two years ago, I was still in contention for victory at the IDM Superbike final. I was close to the front.”

The injury at Most remains fresh in his memory

In 2025, Mohr then had a spell with Yamaha, where things didn’t go quite so smoothly for him, until he returned this year to the BMW team run by the Belgian Werner Daemen. “I’ve got faster on every Euro Moto circuit this year,” reports the Austrian, “but that’s not enough. To be honest, I’d already been thinking about calling it a day last year – after the crash at Most and the subsequent injury. The knuckles heal again, of course. But after the concussion, I suffered from headaches and dizziness for two months.”

Following discussions with the team, the sponsors and his family – his brother Ken, having successfully completed his studies, is making a name for himself as a videographer in the IDM, amongst other things – everyone agreed: “You can’t just stop like that. Werner then gave me another chance.”

Mohr isn’t looking for excuses. “It’s down to me,” he says confidently, glancing at the results lists, “and it’s not down to any external circumstances. In competitive sport, there simply comes a moment. You just have to take a self-critical view of it.” The racing journey began eleven years ago in the ADAC Junior Cup and has now come to an end at the Hockenheimring. “Oh yes, we’ve burnt through a lot of money,” he admits, “but we’ve also created an incredible number of memories. Just the podium finishes in the IDM and also in the EWC. That was fantastic. Simply great moments of success.”

University instead of the IDM Superbike

“When you walk into the paddock,” he explains, “you know everyone there and there’s a great atmosphere. You need people who can celebrate with you.” Mohr wants to stay in the World Endurance Championship. “There are four races, so the workload is manageable. Financially, it’s less stressful and the chances of success are greater. Besides, I’ll be putting more effort into my psychology degree. I’m not doing very well at the moment – I’ve been at the racetrack far too often.”

Mohr, who plans to complete his bachelor’s degree in 2027, would like to stay in the world of sport. “I’m not sad,” he says, describing his feelings following the end of his career. “More nostalgic, really. It’ll feel strange in the spring when I’m not travelling to Spain for tests.” At the season finale in Hockenheim, Mohr quickly secured his best result of the year with a sixth-place finish. Not bad, really, but for the Austrian’s liking, simply too far off the pace. In a quiet moment after the season’s final race, Jan Mohr bid farewell to an exciting chapter of his life in the turbulent Sachskurve.