Marcel Schrötter named Best Rookie of 2026: “It was a wonderful comeback”

Things would have had to go extremely well for Marcel Schrötter – and extremely badly for his rival in the title race, Ducati rider Lukas Tulovic – for the BMW rider to still stand any chance of winning the title. Things went very well for Schrötter, and not too badly for Tulovic either. As a result, Marcel Schrötter ended up with the runners-up title. And, as a bonus, he can also celebrate winning the Rookie of the Year award. After all, it was his first season on a Superbike, which he rounded off successfully at the season finale in Hockenheim with a second place and a win.

The 33-year-old rider from Bavaria went into the weekend with great determination. From the very first practice session on Friday morning, he was in top form, which the BMW rider underlined on Saturday by securing second place on the grid. The championship leader and defending champion, Lukas Tulovic, finished sixth in Superpole but was demoted to ninth place due to a penalty.

The pace was there

In the first race on Sunday afternoon, the eventual winner Markus Reiterberger and Schrötter set the pace at the front. Schrötter crossed the finish line in second place, just under two tenths of a second behind his Bavarian compatriot. Tulovic finished fifth, which meant the championship was decided in his favour well ahead of schedule.

“I’m absolutely thrilled to have had such a brilliant weekend at the Hockenheimring,” said Schrötter, despite missing out on the title. “There was an incredible atmosphere. There were loads of spectators there, including lots of friends, acquaintances and almost my entire fan club, who’d come to support and cheer me on. It was simply wonderful to experience it all first-hand, to feel all that support and hear their cheers. Overall, Hockenheim was a really great end to the season. From a sporting point of view, I can be satisfied with my performance. I had strong practice sessions and rode well in the races too. The only downside was the first race. It really annoys me that I didn’t win it. I had the pace for it, but during the race I struggled a bit more than expected. I was therefore a little unsettled and didn’t want to crash under any circumstances. That would have cost me the championship title through my own fault. That’s why I was a bit disappointed, because as the winner I could have at least delayed the title decision until the second race.”

Marcel Schrötter (Mitte) gewinnt das letzte Rennen des Jahres

Foto: GERT56 by RS Speedbikes

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The final race of the season, which took place in the late afternoon in glorious late-summer weather at Hockenheim, was admittedly of lesser importance, but that didn’t stop Schrötter from giving it his all once again. Together with his GERT56 team-mate Jan-Ole Jähnig, he dominated the race. In the end, Schrötter celebrated his second win of the season, whilst Jähnig finished second.

Successful Superbike debut

“But I really enjoyed the second race as well,” he said. “Standing on the podium alongside my team-mate JO (Jan-Ole Jähnig) in the final race of the season was a great way for the team to round off the season. We dedicated this success to KW (Karsten Wolf). The win was a small consolation, but above all it confirmed my competitiveness this weekend. Many thanks to everyone, especially the sponsors and partners who made such a season possible. I’d also like to thank my team for their tremendous effort. Congratulations to Lukas and his Triple-M team on winning the championship. I’m highly motivated to fight for victories right from the start next year. Thank you – it was a wonderful return to the national championship for me.”

Following a gruelling end to his racing season – which included, amongst other things, the World Endurance Championship final at Le Castellet in France the weekend before last, immediately followed by the race weekend at Hockenheim – the ambitious rider is treating himself to a short break before undergoing further examinations on his injured left knee. These examinations will determine whether an operation is necessary.