Marcel Schrötter (BMW): To Oschersleben with a handicap – 3rd place on Friday

Marcel Schrötter faces a tough test at the fourth round of the national championship season at the Motorsport Arena. A lack of track knowledge and a knee injury are dampening expectations for the BMW rider from Team GERT56.

A crash through no fault of his own during the final night-time practice session for the 8-hour race at Suzuka, Japan, earlier this month has had more serious consequences for 33-year-old Marcel Schrötter than initially thought. An MRI scan of his left knee following his return from Japan revealed a tear in the medial collateral ligament and the posterior cruciate ligament. The absence of the anterior cruciate ligament and a partially torn meniscus are further compromising the stability of the knee.

Schrötter is attempting to treat the injury with physiotherapy, as surgery at this stage would mean the end of his season. He will therefore have to grit his teeth over the remaining race weekends to keep his chances of winning the title in the top class of the new Euro Moto series alive. This weekend’s race at Oschersleben marks the start of the second half of the season and the decisive phase of the championship.

“Oschersleben is just around the corner, and I’m looking forward to getting back out on track in the Euro Moto,” he said ahead of the first practice session. “However, the situation is a bit complicated due to my knee injury. The disappointment weighs more heavily than the pain, as I’ll probably have to cope with it and persevere until the end of the season. But I’m confident that things will improve from race weekend to race weekend. Nevertheless, I’ll have to undergo an operation at the end of the season to repair the damage to my knee. That’s why I’m a little disappointed that I won’t be in top form for the title fight. We know it’s already hard enough to hold our own against Lukas Tulovic and his overall package. Nevertheless, as a rider, I see myself at a level where I could succeed and give him a run for his money should the opportunity arise.”

Oschersleben has always been the track that worries me the most.

Marcel Schrötter

“But that’s just the way it is,” he said, “and I’ve often lined up on the grid despite injuries throughout my career. I’m sure I’ll manage quite well this time too. A knee injury like this has even more serious consequences on a motorbike, where mobility plays such a big part. So Oschersleben won’t be easy, but it will give us a good indication of where we stand, and then I’ll have two weeks until Assen to further improve my physical condition. At the moment, I’m focusing on this weekend and entirely on myself.”

“Oschersleben has always been the track that worries me the most, because I’ve ridden far fewer kilometres there than anywhere else and I’ve never ridden a Superbike there either,” he said. “On top of that, the track layout demands everything from a Superbike. Nevertheless, we’ll have enough time on Friday to get me up to speed and adjust my riding position on the bike as best as possible to suit my knee. But I’m looking forward to the next round, and I’ll definitely be giving it my all to aim for the podium in both races – or even to stand on it.”

After the first two free practice sessions, he clocked a time of 1:25.613. This put the Bavarian in sixth place, one second off the pace. The day concluded with the Superbike PrePractice. The BMW rider didn’t hold back there, securing third place with a time of 1:24.578 minutes and thereby qualifying directly for Superpole 2.