BMW rider Miguel Oliveira after Jerez: Few points, high hopes

More riders have struggled with the BMW in its World Superbike specification than have found success on it. So far, only Toprak Razgatlioglu has fully mastered the M1000RR, bringing the Bavarian manufacturer 39 victories and two riders’ world championships thanks to his exceptional talent. The next rider to do so could be Miguel Oliveira, who secured at least four podium finishes in his first Superbike season.

However, the season finale at Jerez was one of his poorer weekends. Having qualified 13th in Superpole, the Portuguese rider pulled his bike into the pits during the first race due to a problem. On Sunday, he finished 11th in the Superpole Race and 10th in the second main race. “The weekend was already compromised by the problems in qualifying. We couldn’t move any further up the grid,” lamented Oliveira. “Not being able to finish Saturday’s race was also frustrating. But we improved on Sunday, and I’m satisfied.”

Looking at Miguel Oliveira’s results, BMW’s main problem becomes clear. A good weekend is followed by one or more poor rounds, before the team is back in contention for the top positions. The aim over the winter must be to ensure the M1000RR delivers a more consistent performance.

Miguel Oliveira in Jerez

Foto: BMW

In fact, Oliveira is looking forward to the upcoming test sessions with confidence. “We’re leaving Jerez feeling positive, as we tried something that proved very effective in the second race,” revealed the 31-year-old. “I’m really looking forward to the winter tests. I can’t wait to get back on the bike and start working with the crew on preparations for next season. I’d also like to thank Danilo for his efforts this season. He was a brilliant team-mate and a great person, and we’ll definitely miss him.”

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In many races, we were faster than 2025.

Chris Gonschor, Technical Director, BMW Motorrad Motorsport

Following two outstanding seasons with Razgatlioglu, BMW was well aware that the 2026 Superbike World Championship would be a tough one. However, there were bright spots amidst the many challenges. “Even though we didn’t achieve our goal of winning races, our performance was often better than the results suggest,” emphasised Technical Director Chris Gonschor. “In many races, we were faster than in 2025. This underlines the potential of our overall package and the intensive development work carried out by the whole team. At the same time, we know that speed alone is not enough. Our task is to consistently translate this performance into results in future. The lessons learnt from this challenging season and the team’s unbroken fighting spirit make us feel confident about 2027. With a new motorbike and new rules, new opportunities are opening up.”