Here is the thing: the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team is hitting the reset button. Team Principal Shaun Muir is currently forced to rethink their entire approach with Miguel Oliveira and Danilo Petrucci, trying desperately to rediscover the feeling on the M 1000 RR and salvage a difficult campaign.
It has been a brutal road so far. Promising early momentum for the #9 and a debut championship season for the #88 took massive hits thanks to heavy crashes: Oliveira went down hard at Balaton Park, while Petrucci suffered his own major accident at Most. Now, the squad is actively rolling back previous setup modifications and testing entirely new directions to get the project back on track.
Meanwhile, the future is already knocking. Following the news of Petrucci's departure at the conclusion of the 2026 season, the German squad has locked in none other than current MotoGP rider Brad Binder (yes, that Brad Binder) to step into the seat alongside his longtime running mate, Oliveira, for 2027.
Bringing the South African on board is far from accidental. Muir laid out the cold, hard logic behind the recruitment, noting that Binder and Oliveira share a similar height and approach to machine setup historically, even if their actual riding styles differ—with Binder described as super super aggressive on the brakes.
Muir explained the decision candidly, stating: “Bringing Brad on board is a bit strategic; he and Miguel are a similar height. Different riding styles; Brad is super super aggressive on the brakes. They are a similar age, and historically they have had a similar approach to the setup, which helps us tremendously. The fact that he wants to be on the team and progress, and we hope our package will be a straightforward setup for both of them.”
With Oliveira sitting down in P11 and Petrucci languishing in P16 in the Riders’ Championship, the 2026 title fight is already a distant memory. Yet the team is refusing to simply mail it in. They have heavily altered the geometry for Miguel, adjusting his footpad position, ride height, and seat position to inject some much-needed confidence through quick changes of direction. For Danilo, attention has shifted to the electronics side to smooth out power delivery, despite an early engine gremlin during an installation lap.
Action resumes at Cremona, where the WorldSBK field will contest the Tissot Superpole session on Saturday at 11:15 Local Time UTC+2.
