Danilo Petrucci’s switch to BMW for the 2026 WorldSBK Championship sees big goals envisaged for the Italian.

After three years with the Barni Spark Racing Team aboard a Ducati, Petrucci will switch from Italian to German machinery in 2026.

His move to the Bavarian brand sees him work in a factory setup for the first time since 2020, when he and Andrea Dovizioso represented the factory Ducati in MotoGP.

The agreement sees the 34-year-old sign only a one-year deal due to BMW’s existing contract structure, but the Italian is hopeful of improving on his current provisional best of third in this year’s championship.

“I’m proud and very happy to be a factory rider again,” Petrucci stated to Speedweek.

“BMW was both an easy choice, but also a difficult one. It was easy because you can’t say no to a factory team, especially not to a world championship-winning bike.

“This bike is extremely fast with Toprak [Razgatlioglu] – if I look at the overall standings, there’s one bike better than mine, and that’s the BMW.

“The safe choice for me would have been to stay with Barni. But I’ve always liked challenges. I have to take this step to move up.

“I want to try to be competitive with this bike and fight for the world championship title. This year I’m third, but way behind the top two.

“I want to see if I can be a title contender.”

Danilo Petrucci: BMW switch will be ‘one of the biggest challenges of my entire life’

Petrucci understands that the task ahead of him will be extremely challenging, considering WorldSBK championship leader Toprak Razgatlioglu is the standout performer on the BMW.

Although the two-time champion produced a surprise title win last season, he has arguably elevated his performance even further this year, thanks in part to BMW’s revised chassis.

In contrast, teammate Michael van der Mark is 15th in the standings and still searching for a podium finish in 2025, raising questions for Petrucci about the true competitiveness of the M1000RR.

“”My expectation is that I can improve my performance. It will be tough – one of the biggest challenges of my entire life,” Petrucci admitted.

“It reminds me of the end of 2019, when I joined Ducati’s MotoGP factory team as a replacement for Jorge Lorenzo.

“That was also very difficult. I want to improve on my performances from this year, but I also know that Toprak is doing an amazing job.

“He’s on another planet, as he showed again in Hungary. That makes me curious to ride this bike and see how fast I can be with it. Maybe it will be very difficult and tough for me, but I want to fight for the world title.”

READ MORE – Danilo Petrucci switches to BMW for 2026 WorldSBK season

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BMW has admitted it is “not viable” for the German manufacturer to assemble a MotoGP team ahead of the 2027 regulation changes.

The German manufacturer has been continuously linked with a MotoGP debut since the new era began in 2002, but the project has never progressed beyond the rumour mill. 

BMW were linked with purchasing the structure of Suzuki following the Japanese manufacturer’s withdrawal from the championship in 2022, but these attempts were blocked by Dorna.

The Berlin-based factory was also rumoured to have bid to take over KTM’s MotoGP entry after the Austrian manufacturer entered administration, but the new owners, Bajaj, eventually gave the green light to continue with its racing project. 

Following Toprak Razgatlioglu’s scheduled departure from the manufacturer to head the Pramac Yamaha project, it seems increasingly unlikely that BMW will enter MotoGP in the near future as all signs pointed to the Turkish rider heading the project. 

Markus Flasch, CEO of BMW Motorrad, also admitted that “2027 is definitely not viable” for the Manufacturer to enter MotoGP.

“We haven’t made a final decision yet,” said Flasch when asked by Australian Motorcycle News whether BMW would enter MotoGP along with the upcoming regulation changes in 2027.

“The topic of MotoGP has been under discussion at BMW for a long time and I can assure you that no definitive answer has been given.

“First, we’ll make the strategic decision, and then we’ll define the technical path to follow. 2027 is definitely not viable for us.

“We’re constantly working on our motorsport strategy: GP is one option, off-road is another and, besides, WSBK is doing fairly well – it’s just very European. 

“So please give us a few more months, and we’ll give you an answer,” he concluded, leaving the door slightly ajar for a last-minute entry.

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Danilo Petrucci will replace the departing Toprak Razgatlioglu at BMW for the 2026 WorldSBK season.

Petrucci joined the WorldSBK paddock in 2023, reuniting with the Barni Spark Racing Team where he began his career in the Superstock 1000 Cup. He finished seventh and fifth in the 2023 and 2024 campaigns.

In 2025, however, he currently sits third in the 2025 classification charts, behind title protagonists Razgatlioglu and Nicolo Bulega.

The switch over to the Bavarian brand means Petrucci will now move to factory machinery for the first time in WorldSBK.

Speedweek’s report stated that a verbal agreement had been reached between the two parties at the inaugural Balaton Park round.

Now that it’s been officially announced by both parties, Petrucci stated: “I’m really happy to join BMW Motorrad Motorsport for the next season in World Superbike and proud that I will ride the bike that currently bears the number one.

“It was my target to ride a factory bike because I really want to fight for the World Championship title. So, I think that this is the step that I needed to get in the position to achieve that goal.

“I can’t wait to join the team, and I want to thank everyone at BMW and all those people at home who support me.

“I also want to thank the Barni Spark Racing Team for these three years in World Superbike and that they enabled me to get into a factory team, which has been my target.”

As BMW has yet to reaffirm its commitment to the series beyond 2026, the Italian has signed only a one-year deal.

Sven Blusch, Head of BMW Motorrad Motorsport, added: “We are very pleased to welcome Danilo Petrucci to our BMW Motorrad Motorsport family in 2026.

“We are confident that we can continue our success story in WorldSBK with Danilo. His move to BMW Motorrad Motorsport is more than just a new contract – it is a recognition of his hard work throughout his career.

“Danilo has more than earned his place as a factory rider, and we are convinced that his passion and skill will help lead our team into the future.

“His impressive career across various motorsport disciplines is a testament to his talent and ability to perform under the most demanding conditions.

“Danilo has not only excelled on the track but has also won the hearts of fans with his unique character and authenticity.

“He’s a true fighter who never gives up, and his positive attitude inspires not only his team but everyone who follows him.

“We look forward to the challenges and successes ahead, and we are proud to soon have Petrux as a member of our BMW Motorrad Motorsport family.”

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Philipp Eng headed a BMW RLL 1-2 finish at the checkered flag following a hectic 180-minute IMSA SportsCar Grand Prix sprint at Road America.

The #24 BMW M Hybrid V8 duo of Eng and Dries Vanthoor secured victory after 66 laps of hectic, action-packed racing at America’s National Park of Speed.

It was Eng’s second time leading a 1-2 race finish for the Bavarian manufacturer in the GTP category, since doing so in last year’s six-hour Indianapolis enduro.

BMW RLL executed masterful timing in pitting both cars as the race headed into the final hour, soon before the fifth full-course-yellow caution period went out.

From then on, they turned a flawless performance into triumph with the pole-sitting #93 Meyer Shank Acura ARX-06 of Renger van der Zande chasing down the #24 and #25 BMWs towards the end.

The #31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R duo of Earl Bamber and Jack Aitken secured fourth place, followed by the highest-placed Porsche Penske 963, the #6, of Mathieu Jaminet and his team-mate Matt Campbell.

Heart of Racing claimed a worthy sixth position, their best race finish, in the #23 Aston Martin Valkyrie, driven by Ross Gunn and Romain De Angelis.

Tom Blomqvist took seventh for the #60 Meyer Shank Acura team with his co-driver, Colin Braun, after a drive-through penalty for running over equipment during the first pit stop phase halted their chances of a strong result, despite evidently being one of the fastest cars in the field.

Ricky Taylor and his #10 Wayne Taylor Cadillac team-mate Filipe Albuquerque claimed eighth after an incident with another GTP car sent them off-course but not out, followed by the other #40 Wayne Taylor Cadillac of Louis Deletraz and his team-mate Jordan Taylor rounding out the top 10 GTP finishers.

Yelloly heads the field at the start

At the race start, Nick Yelloly asserted strong form in the #93 Acura — as he did numerous times during his time behind the wheel — to retain the lead ahead of both BMWs behind him.

After only two minutes of green flag racing, race control brought out the first caution.

Daniel Goldburg of the #22 United Autosports USA Oreca 07 LMP2 made contact with George Kurtz’s #04 Crowdstrike Racing by APR Oreca before spinning around as the rear-left corner hit the tyre barrier. Remarkably, they did return to the race much later on after a lengthy recovery and repair job, with 45 minutes left of the race.

With the racing incident cleared, the race resumed with 2 hours and 26 minutes left on the clock.

Yelloly continued his run with a strong restart and consistently established a subtle lead gap, only for two minutes to pass before the second caution; Brendon Iribe of the #70 Inception Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 (GTD class) went off at Turn 7 on his own after taking slightly too much curb.

As the race resumed, Yelloly repeated his effort to keep the lead, although it was #10 Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac driver Albuquerque who got himself fighting for the podium places.

Naveen Rao of the #52 PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports Oreca triggered the third caution just before the end of the opening hour after a heavy impact after going wide at Turn 10.

After all GTPs pitted, the #93 Acura fell back in the busy pit stop cycle as the #6 of Matt Campbell led the pack of GTPs with Bamber behind him, as well as the #10 driven by Ricky Taylor.

BMW RLL make their race-winning call

The Road America sprint headed into the final hour, and BMW made their strategic call to bring both cars in for their final stops with 59 minutes remaining, clearly anticipating the race’s fifth caution period.

Back to the track action, #7 Porsche driver Nick Tandy passed R. Taylor’s #10 Wayne Taylor Cadillac at Turn 3 for fourth place. Furthermore, their battle continued when Tandy defended across at the Turn 5 corner exit, but made contact, which spun the #10 up the hill.

Fifty-three minutes remained for this caution drew all GTPs into the pits, apart from the BMWs, who pitted earlier, therefore inheriting the lead at the restart.

Unexpectedly, Tandy jumped the #6 Porsche of Campbell after their respective pit stops, although Tandy was awarded a stop-and-60-second penalty for earlier incident responsibility with the #10 Cadillac.

As Eng and Wittmann headed the BMW 1-2 formation on the restart, the attention sprang on van der Zande’s #93 Meyer Shank Acura, which dodged and weaved passed the two Porsche Penskes before reeling in Wittmann’s #25 BMW.

AO Racing wins from pole in LMP2

In the LMP2 category, AO Racing’s #99 ‘Spike the Dragon’ Oreca 07 pairing of PJ Hyett and Dane Cameron secured victory from pole position.

Inter Europol Competition, starting 10th on the grid, claimed second place in the hands of Connor de Phillippi and Jeremy Clarke ahead of the #11 TDS Racing Oreca of Steven Thomas and Mikkel Jensen.

Ben Hanley finished in fourth position in the #2 United Autosports USA Oreca with his co-driver Phil Fayer, as Era Motorsport finished their #18 Oreca in fifth.

Kaku Ohta, teamed with Tobias Lutke, fought within the top three and four positions until he went wide into Turn 5 towards the end.

Malthe Jakobsen brought the #04 Crowdstrike Oreca in sixth with his team-mate George Kurtz, followed by Sebastien Bourdais’/John Farano’s #8 Tower Motorsport Oreca and the #73 Pratt Miller Motorsport Oreca duo of Pietro Fittipaldi and Chris Cumming.

Scott Andrews and Gerry Kraut finished ninth in the #79 JDC Miller MotorSports Oreca ahead of the 10th-placed pairing of Felipe Fraga and Gar Robinson, and their #74 Riley Oreca.

See here for the full results – Stay tuned for the in-depth GTD Pro / GTD race report

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BMW has affirmed its commitment to its Hypercar future in the FIA WEC and IMSA championships, whilst confirming its imminent split with RLL.

BMW M Motorsport will continue in the premier Hypercar era and conclude a 17-year partnership with Rahal Letterman Lanigan (RLL) Racing at the end of the current 2025 IMSA SportsCar Championship season.

Whilst they work with Team WRT in the FIA World Endurance Championship, this news marks the end of a historic racing relationship, scoring 24 victories and over 100 podium finishes with RLL.

Andreas Roos, Head of BMW M Motorsport, said: “I am very pleased that we will continue our successful Hypercar programme long-term in both the FIA WEC and the IMSA series.

“As part of our future planning, we have decided to pursue our goals with a revised setup and not extend the contract with BMW M Team RLL for race operations in the IMSA series.

“I want to thank Bobby Rahal and his team for 17 fantastic years.”

BMW and RLL have partnered with one another for 14 years of GT racing and three years in the Hypercar era, when the formula replaced IMSA’s previous DPi class, succeeded by the GTP category.

This includes iconic machinery such as the BMW M3 GT, BMW Z4 GTLM, BMW M6 GTLM, BMW M8 GTE, and BMW M4 GT3.

Rahal called the rumoured speculation of a potential partnership conclusion “premature” earlier in the IMSA season, where recent wins have been difficult to come by since they stepped up to GTP with their two BMW M Hybrid V8s.

During the maiden 2023 season, they took five podium finishes, including a victory at the Six Hours of the Glen, followed up in 2024 by a highlight first 1-2 finish in Indianapolis, and four consecutive pole positions so far in 2025.

READ MORE – 49 entries set for Road America SportsCar Grand Prix

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Toprak Razgatlioglu proudly stated that winning the 1,000th WorldSBK race was a “very special” achievement for him.

The BMW rider stormed to a third consecutive treble in 2025 at the inaugural Hungarian WorldSBK round at Balaton Park.

His success meant the championship leader extended his lead to 26 points over Nicolo Bulega, capitalising on the Italian’s failed tyre gamble in the Superpole Race.

“It was an amazing weekend,” he told WorldSBK.

“We started very strong because this is a new track for everyone. I adapted quickly. We did a good job with my team. I’m happy with this.

“The Superpole Race was very difficult due to many wet patches on track. We just had a dry line but some parts were still wet. We didn’t make a mistake, just riding and focused on pace.

“This race was very important because I won races 800 and 900, and I needed to win 1000! I’m really happy. This is a very special race for me.”

Razgatlioglu won the 800th WorldSBK race on a Kawasaki, the 900th race on a Yamaha, and the 1,000th on a BMW.

Despite extending title advantage, Toprak Razgatlioglu searches for another treble

Heading into the summer break, Razgatlioglu has momentum on his side after claiming his 15th race win of the season in Race 2.

The Turkish rider is only looking one race weekend ahead, although he has previously stated that he wants to end his WorldSBK chapter as a three-time champion.

“I’m not on focused on the Championship, I’m looking race by race; this is very important for me,” he shared.

“The next race is at Magny-Cours and last year I didn’t race there. I’ll try to get a hat-trick there. I hope we win again because I’m on consecutive nine wins.

“Magny-Cours is one of my favourite tracks and I need to win there because Aragon and Jerez, I think all Ducatis will be very strong.

“We’re the Championship leader and we’ve got a bigger gap, but this is racing and everything is possible.”

READ MORE – Toprak Razgatlioglu prevails in 1,000th WorldSBK race at Balaton Park

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Toprak Razgatlioglu believed he “had everything under control” throughout all three races as he secured a historic treble at the Donington WorldSBK round.

The Turkish rider set a new race win record at Donington Park, surpassing Tom Sykes’ previous record of nine victories.

Razgatlioglu took the holeshot in each of the three races, but led almost all laps aside from when Bimota rider Alex Lowes led briefly in Race 1.

His treble success in Derbyshire means the reigning WorldSBK champion leads the championship standings for the first time in 2025.

Now that he has taken the championship lead for the first time this season, his ambition to leave BMW with back-to-back titles has only grown.

“This weekend, I had everything under control except for Friday,” Razgatlioglu stated to select media including Motorsport Week.

“I don’t talk about the rules anymore; they don’t concern me anymore. My bike was slowed down again before England – I laugh about it and focus on my work.

“When I approach it that way, I ride much better. Plus, I have a contract for next year, a two-year contract in fact, and I’m relaxed.

“I just have to ride my bike and enjoy it, which helps a lot. My biggest goal is to try to win the championship.

“If I succeed, I’ll be very happy. Before I leave BMW, I have to give something back to them.”

Toprak Razgatlioglu reveals what he will miss most about Donington Park

The BMW rider has always shared his affection for Donington as it’s one of his favourite tracks on the WorldSBK calendar.

However, Razgatlioglu faces the new opportunity of riding in MotoGP for 2026 and 2027, meaning he will ride at Silverstone for the foreseeable.

“I love the fans,” when asked by Motorsport Week what he loves about Donington Park specifically.

“I like to hear the atmosphere. Also, I love this circuit, you don’t see some corners. I really like it here.

“I have rode one time at Silverstone with Red Bull Rookies, but never with a big bike.

“I hope one day we come here again.”

READ MORE – Toprak Razgatlioglu completes Donington WorldSBK treble

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BMW says losing Toprak Razgatlioglu departure from its WorldSBK team to join Pramac Yamaha in MotoGP feels like “losing a family member.”

Razgatlioglu and the Bavarian brand achieved a landmark feat in 2024, winning the WorldSBK Championship at their first attempt together.

BMW also earned its first championship on two-wheels after entering the series in a collaboration with Shaun Muir Racing in 2019.

Sven Blusch, Head of BMW Motorrad Motorsport, expressed his support for Razgatlioglu on his next chapter despite his departure: “For us, it’s hard to lose him for sure,” he told media at Misano.

“We all knew he had this big dream of going to MotoGP which we can’t offer him.

“From our side we wish him all the best. For sure, we are losing an amazing rider but even more an amazing personality.

“Everything grew to a family here together and losing a family member isn’t easy. It’s like that and we wish him all the best for next year and I think even more we have the goal to win the championship this year.

“We will always look back fondly on our successful partnership, our historic championship win, and many other great moments.

“We are very grateful to Toprak for everything he has contributed to our WorldSBK project. But it’s not yet time to say goodbye.”

With the reigning WorldSBK champion ten points behind Ducati rider Nicolo Bulega in the standings at the halfway stage, both parties have admitted that a dream farewell would be winning the title once again.

“More than half of the 2025 WorldSBK season still lies ahead, and we have a clear goal that we will continue to work hard toward.

“Our joint focus for the rest of this season is the mission to successfully defend the world title.”

READ MORE – Former WorldSBK champion explains changes Toprak Razgatlioglu must make ahead of MotoGP switch

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IMSA season debutant Dan Harper felt glad to take his maiden GTD Pro class race victory in the Six Hours of the Glen for Paul Miller Racing.

The BMW works driver won in the GTD Pro category in the #48 Paul Miller Racing M4 GT3 Evo with his team-mate Max Hesse.

Harper kept within distance of the #9 Pfaff Motorsports Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 at the start, even though a sudden, heavy rain shower swept the Watkins Glen circuit.

In the second hour, Harper incurred a 60-second stop-and-go penalty for running the red light at the pit exit.

Nevertheless, the race’s seven caution periods meant the #48 BMW kept within regular sight of the GTD Pro leaders throughout.

“I was trying to keep cool in very hot conditions,” said Harper on the hectic six-hour enduro.

“Obviously, I admit the little error at the beginning of the race that cost us the penalty.

“I was just glad we were able to make up for it, to be honest.

“I said to the team I wanted to finish the race to try and make up for it.

“Max did the hard work in the middle of the race to get us back to the front.

“The team also did a great job […] The pit stops were bang on, good fuel strategy.

“Great to pull it off and get our first win. It’s just amazing.

“We’ve had pace through every race, maybe [in] Detroit we struggled a bit.

“We’ve just sort of been waiting for that moment to get a big win or a big result. We finally got it.

“So hopefully that can kick-start the second half of the year and we can climb our way back into the championship.”

READ MORE – Ollie Gray, rising British star, finishes second at Le Mans

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Toprak Razgatlioglu believes he has achieved his “best Sunday” in WorldSBK after completing a hat-trick of victories in Misano. 

Razgatlioglu saw off title rival Nicolo Bulega in Race One before dominating the Superpole Race and Race 2 on Sunday to complete his second treble of the campaign. 

The Turkish rider closed the gap in the riders’ standings to just 9 points following his three victories as he seeks to win a third title before departing for MotoGP in 2026. 

The BMW rider praised his team for the improvements made to the bike throughout the weekend, but stressed there were still areas to work on.

“This was my best Sunday I think,” Razgatlioglu said via GPOne. 

“We improved in some corners from [Turns] 8 to 10, and also in the last sector I took a step forward. Turn 4 on the other hand was still giving me problems, the engine brake was not working as it should. 

“I saw that Bulega was starting behind, it took me a while to find the rhythm. But in the end I was lapping often in the 33, doing a 33.8 on the final lap because I knew I still had the margin. 

“I am very satisfied, this result is the result of the whole team.”

Razgatlioglu ‘surprised’ Nicolo Bulega involved in Misano first corner incident

Razgatlioglu was able to close the gap in the championship to rival Bulega after a first-corner incident in the Superpole race. 

Bulega had started on pole, but was wiped out at Turn 1 after the fast-starting Axel Bassani lost the front after a late braking manoeuver. 

The incident meant Razgatlioglu picked up 12 points, while Bulega scored zero, which the Turkish rider attributed to not taking “unnecessary risks.”

“When I came into that corner, I was focused on staying in front of [Bassani], but he came faster than me,” Razgatlioglu noted.

“I braked and saw that he was braking late, so when I realised he was going down I waited to close the corner to avoid getting involved. 

“I was surprised, however, that Nicolo was involved, so when I realised what had happened I didn’t push to the limit. 

“There was no reason to take unnecessary risks, I rode at my own pace.

‘My biggest goal is to go to MotoGP after winning WorldSBK title’ – Toprak Razgatlioglu

Razgatlioglu’s perfect weekend at Misano came after he was officially announced as a MotoGP rider for 2026. 

The Turkish rider will join Pramac Yamaha next season, with the potential of a factory ride should he impress.

He also confirmed he has signed a two-year deal with Yamaha in MotoGP. 

“I know I will face the next two years in MotoGP,” said Razgatlioglu.

“My biggest dream, my biggest goal, is to get there after also winning the 2025 title here in Superbike. 

“I don’t know if I will be competitive enough in 2026, maybe it could happen so next year is very important. If I do well it’s an option, we’ll see.”

Read More – Nicolo Bulega: Axel Bassani Misano WorldSBK Superpole race collision ‘destroyed everything’

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