Breaking news
World Superbike
BMW adds two satellite teams, signs Folger and Laverty
BMW has announced that it will add two satellite teams to its World Superbike roster in 2021, with ex-MotoGP riders Eugene Laverty and Jonas Folger signed as riders.
Rachit Thukral
Edited: Nov 27, 2020, 1:32 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
BMW had been the only manufacturer without a satellite team in WSBK until 2020, and confirmed last month that it is in talks with as many as three teams to fill the vacancy.
The German marque has now announced that it will have two one-bike satellite teams on the grid next year in RC Squadra Corse and Bonovo Action.
RC Squadra Corse has been a part of the World Superbike paddock since 2016 and contested the World Supersport championship this season.
Laverty, who was dropped from BMW’s factory outfit to make way for Yamaha’s Michael van der Mark, will ride for RC Squadra Corse while remaining as BMW’s official test rider.
Bonovo Action, meanwhile, contested two rounds of the WSBK this year with Folger on Yamaha machinery, but will switch to a BMW M 1000 R for a full campaign in 2020.
Ex-Tech 3 rider Folger will remain with the outfit, having missed out on a graduation to Yamaha’s second-string GRT team.
“Cooperation with satellite teams represents another important step for our involvement in the FIM Superbike World Championship”, says Markus Schramm, Director of BMW Motorrad.
“It is great to have two more BMW M 1000 RRs in the field alongside the two motorbikes from our works teams, the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team with riders Tom Sykes and Michael van der Mark. I would like to extend a warm welcome to the two satellite teams in our WorldSBK project.
“The Bonovo Action Team with Jonas Folger is the first German team to register to compete in the WorldSBK with a Bavarian rider on a Bavarian motorbike. That is a special combination.
"I am also delighted that Eugene Laverty will remain an integral member of our BMW family, applying his talents and his knowledge of BMW superbikes in our satellite team RC Squadra Corse, newly formed but already well known in the World Superbike paddock."
BMW failed to finish on the podium this season, which concluded last month at Estoril in Portugal, with Tom Sykes’ run to fifth in Barcelona Race 2 its best result of the season.
Laverty led a 1-2 for BMW in a wet Superpole at Magny-Cours, but both riders were eliminated at the start of Race 1 in an incident with the GRT Yamaha of Garrett Gerloff.
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Bautista: Kawasaki treating WSBK like it's MotoGP
Next article Davies joins Go Eleven Ducati for 2021 WSBK season
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Rachit Thukral
Dakar Rally moves 2027 event out of Saudi Arabia; new location to be announced
Dakar
Dakar 4 h
Dakar Rally moves 2027 event out of Saudi Arabia; new location to be announced
Winner and losers from MotoGP’s cancelled Australian GP weekend
MotoGP
MotoGP
Australian GP
5 h
Winner and losers from MotoGP’s cancelled Australian GP weekend
More from
BMW Motorrad Motorsport
BMW "not far behind" WSBK rivals as Razgatlioglu targets 2025 title
World Superbike
World Superbike
BMW Motorrad launch
BMW "not far behind" WSBK rivals as Razgatlioglu targets 2025 title
Why Redding could be set for BMW reprieve after all
World Superbike
World Superbike
Why Redding could be set for BMW reprieve after all
Van der Mark adamant BMW seat not under threat from Razgatlioglu
World Superbike
World Superbike
Van der Mark adamant BMW seat not under threat from Razgatlioglu
Latest news
Charles Leclerc reacts to Ferrari fear: 'We know what line not to cross'
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
United States GP
2 h
Charles Leclerc reacts to Ferrari fear: 'We know what line not to cross'
Kyle Busch Remembered: Rowdy's wildest and most impressive Talladega moments
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Talladega II
2 h
Kyle Busch Remembered: Rowdy's wildest and most impressive Talladega moments
Lamborghini World Finals PRO-PRO/AM Race 2: Leitch/Stasi dominate to seal title
Lamborghini Super Trofeo
LBST Lamborghini Super Trofeo
World Finals - Monza 2026
3 h
Lamborghini World Finals PRO-PRO/AM Race 2: Leitch/Stasi dominate to seal title
Toto Wolff reveals he is actively vetting “two or three people” to replace him at Mercedes
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
United States GP
3 h
Toto Wolff reveals he is actively vetting “two or three people” to replace him at Mercedes
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe