After an incredibly successful partnership with Toprak Razgatlioglu in 2024 and 2025, the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK operation has been brought back to earth with a bang in 2026 in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship. A winter testing programme marred by bad weather and limited mileage left Miguel Oliveira of the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team playing catch-up right from the start.
A crash on his first flying lap in Superpole at Phillip Island showed just how unforgiving WorldSBK can be. Yet, starting from last on the grid in 21st, Oliveira fought his way to finish inside the top ten in a stunning debut, beating his teammate Danilo Petrucci who had started on the second row.
Round two at Portimao brought the highlight of the season for Oliveira's home round, delivering three podiums. BMW were buoyed by this performance, while two top-ten finishes for Petrucci suggested the package was strong. After six races, BMW had genuine reason to believe the season could develop into a solid campaign.
Following top-ten finishes at Assen, a second-row start and a Race 1 podium in Hungary reinforced what BMW were beginning to realise; Oliveira had emerged as the team's leader. Through his opening ten WorldSBK races, he proved to be a rider they could bank on. Unfortunately, the Superpole Race in Hungary marked the end of that false dawn when a crash left Oliveira with a fractured shoulder.
At the next round, a huge highside left Petrucci with a fractured coccyx and an assortment of other ailments. When Petrucci tried to return at Donington Park after such a serious injury, it was little surprise that he wasn't competitive. BMW's decision to move on from Petrucci came quickly, with Brad Binder hired as his replacement for 2027 alongside crew chief Tom O'Kane moving over from Yamaha.
The return to action after the summer break saw BMW reach the nadir of their WorldSBK season, lining up 18th and 19th on the grid and finishing outside the top ten in all three races. Ultimately, bad luck and serious injuries have left both riders playing catch-up, and BMW is now left looking beyond the present to build a new era for 2027.
