Now official: BMW secures Miguel Oliveira for several years in the World Superbike Championship

As SPEEDWEEK.com reported on 13 July, BMW’s aim was to extend its contract with Superbike rookie Miguel Oliveira for several years. On 3 September, the German manufacturer announced that the Portuguese rider would continue to ride a BMW M1000RR in 2027 and beyond.

“We are in the middle of the 2026 season, but alongside our intensive preparations for the upcoming races, it is important for us to plan for the future,” said Sven Blusch, Head of BMW Motorrad Motorsport. “We are delighted to be continuing our partnership with Miguel in the coming years. Following his move from MotoGP, he settled into our WorldSBK project very quickly and has become an important part of our team, both on and off the track. Together, we’ve made a very successful start to the 2026 season; on just his second race weekend on the BMW M1000RR at Portimão, he finished on the podium in all three races. His injury following a crash through no fault of his own was, of course, a setback, but we are convinced that together we can achieve great things this season and in the future.”

In 2026, Oliveira switched from MotoGP to the World Superbike Championship. So far this season, he has been on the podium four times – he secured three third-place finishes at Portimão, and in Hungary he finished Race 1 in third place. The 31-year-old has already proven on several occasions that he is fast on the BMW.

“Throughout my career, I’ve learnt that success is based on the courage to take on new challenges and the willingness to constantly develop. The extension of my partnership with BMW Motorrad Motorsport and the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team is a reflection of the trust we have built together and our shared ambition for the future,” emphasised Oliveira. “I am aware of the responsibility that comes with representing such an iconic brand, and I will give my all, both on and off the track, to achieve our shared goals. This season we have laid the foundations, but I am convinced that the best is yet to come. I’m really looking forward to continuing on this journey together and continuing to build something we can all be proud of. I’d like to thank everyone at BMW Motorrad, as well as the whole team, for the trust they’ve placed in me. Let’s get on with it!”

Miguel Oliveira und Sven Blusch

Foto: BMW

Serious crash in Hungary set Oliveira back

In early May, Miguel Oliveira suffered a serious crash. After a strong third-place finish in the first race at the Balaton Park Circuit in Hungary, the BMW works rider had a run of bad luck in the sprint race on Sunday morning: at Turn 6, Oliveira and Andrea Locatelli braked far too late and were unable to hold their line. Sam Lowes, who was riding immediately behind Oliveira and Locatelli, held the ideal line. When Locatelli tried to return to it, he crashed sideways into the Englishman’s Ducati and went down. The falling Yamaha struck the rear wheel of Oliveira’s BMW. As a result, Miguel was thrown from his bike and hit the tarmac hard with his helmet. He was also struck by his BMW and lay motionless on the track. He was diagnosed with a concussion, fractures to his shoulder blade and ribs, and injuries to his shoulder tendons. Oliveira then worked intensively on his recovery. He had to sit out the race weekends at Most and Aragon. He made his comeback in mid-June at Misano, where, despite being in pain, he finished 8th and 6th.

Before moving to the World Superbike Championship, Miguel Oliveira spent seven years in MotoGP – from 2019 to 2025, he competed in the premier class for KTM, Aprilia and Yamaha.

Miguel Oliveira mit der BMW M1000RR

Foto: BMW