Season Launch with the BMW World Championship factory teams in Berlin.

Berlin. With two world championships, two factory teams, six factory riders, a new generation of the BMW M 1000 RR, and a big racing family, BMW Motorrad Motorsport officially kicked off the 2025 season in the FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) and the FIM Endurance World Championship (FIM EWC) with a season launch event in Berlin (GER). At BMW Motorrad Welt, located next to the BMW Motorrad plant in Berlin-Spandau, the teams and riders unveiled their new bikes for the upcoming season: the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team with World Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu (TUR) and Michael van der Mark (NED), as well as the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team with Markus Reiterberger (GER), Sylvain Guintoli (FRA), new addition Steven Odendaal (RSA), and Hannes Soomer (EST).

“It’s fantastic to kick off the season together with our entire BMW Motorrad Motorsport factory family from both world championships, and to do so in the perfect location, BMW Motorrad Welt. This is where the heart of BMW Motorrad production beats, and it is also the home of our racing engines,” said Sven Blusch, Head of BMW Motorrad Motorsport. “We are still in the middle of a busy winter break, but the anticipation for the season grows with each passing day. In WorldSBK, we will see the new BMW M 1000 RR carrying number one, and after winning the title with Toprak last season, the goal is, of course, to become World Champion again. The same applies to the FIM EWC. We’ve stood on the championship podium several times before, and now we want to reach the top step. We are working hard with our teams and riders to achieve these ambitious goals.”

In WorldSBK, the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team, led by Team Principal Shaun Muir, will field the new M RR. World Champion Razgatlioglu is entering his second year with the team after an exceptional debut season with BMW Motorrad Motorsport. For van der Mark, this marks his fifth season as a BMW Motorrad factory rider. The WorldSBK season kicks off with the first races on 22nd and 23rd February at Phillip Island (AUS).

The BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team, led by Werner Daemen, secured third place overall in the 2024 FIM EWC standings. Reiterberger, a veteran of the team, has been part of the project since its debut season in 2019/20. For Guintoli and Soomer, it’s their second season with the team, while Odendaal joins as a new addition this year. The first race, the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans (FRA), is scheduled for 19th to 20th April.

Joining the stage live at the Season Launch were two well-known members of the BMW Motorrad Motorsport road racing family: Isle of Man winners Peter Hickman and Davey Todd (both GBR), who will race together for FHO Racing BMW in international road races and the British Superbike Championship in 2025.

More quotes from the Season Launch:

Christian Gonschor (Technical Director BMW Motorrad Motorsport): “I am very excited about the new season, and today’s event showed that the entire BMW Motorrad Motorsport and BMW Group are fully behind this. We had both factory racing programmes here, and there couldn’t have been a better way to start the year. The riders were happy, the fans were thrilled, and we as technicians and engineers were as well. The new BMW M 1000 RR is an outstanding foundation for the future. The goal remains, as always, to be successful and to approach every race with full focus. Naturally, we aim to defend the title in WorldSBK. We are now the ones to beat, which presents a challenge for any manufacturer as competitors grow stronger – but so will we. In the Endurance World Championship, we also aim to win the title, and I think that in 2025, with the new motorcycle, the new rider lineup, and the complete team package, we are very well positioned to succeed in endurance racing as well.”

Shaun Muir (Team Principal ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team): “It is great to be here in Berlin. It has been twelve months since we set off the project with Toprak and Michael as a pairing. It is fantastic to see the new 2025 BMW M 1000 RR in the new paint scheme. It’s looking really good. We are just happy that it is now January, pre-season testing starts in one week’s time and then we are quickly off to Australia. The expectations are very high because of the successes both Michael and Toprak had last year. We would like to get one step further for sure to get the manufacturers’ and riders’ championship and also Michael in the top three or four in the World Championship would be sensational. The test team have done everything possible to give us the tools to do the job and we are excited to go to the track. It has been great to be here, to see all the fans, the sponsors and we are looking forward to start the season.”

Werner Daemen (Team Manager BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team): “It was a great season launch. BMW Motorrad Welt is a fantastic location, and it’s always amazing to be here at the BMW Motorrad plant in Berlin, where our engines are built. It’s great to see how the employees work here and how professional everything is. I’m also very happy that we presented ourselves with our new motorcycle here. We’ve started the year off great, and as the saying goes, if something starts well, it will end well. We can’t wait to get the new season underway. We are well-prepared with a strong bike and a great rider line-up that has already synced up perfectly during the first test.”

Toprak Razgatlioglu (#1 BMW M 1000 RR, WorldSBK): “It was the second time we did the launch in Berlin and it was even better than last year. Everyone was really happy because now we came here as World Champion. It was exciting. We will now head into the new season. Everyone will see the number one on my bike. In general I am happy. It looks like we are ready to start the season. I hope that we can achieve a lot of success this year, especially together with Mickey. Thank you very much to everyone for the support!”

Michael van der Mark (#60 BMW M 1000 RR, WorldSBK): “It was nice to be here after one year. In this last year, we could see that a lot of people became fans of not just Toprak but of BMW and our entire WorldSBK project. It’s fantastic to be here, and it’s nice to start the season that way. Everything is looking fantastic and now I just want to race the bike. We finished last season so strong with the double podium, I think this is where we should start. I want to get as many podiums as possible. I think the ultimate dream of everyone in the team is to have the riders’, the teams’ and of course the manufacturers’ championship. That would be a nice goal and if we continue like last year, it should be possible.”

Markus Reiterberger (#37 BMW M 1000 RR, FIM EWC): “The days in Berlin were fantastic. Seeing the plant and also BMW Motorrad Welt is always interesting. The team presentation was something special; there were so many people present, and it is of great importance for us to be introduced together with the WorldSBK team. That gives us an extra boost heading into the new season. It has further strengthened our goal of winning races and securing the title.“

Sylvain Guintoli (#37 BMW M 1000 RR, FIM EWC): “It has been pretty amazing here in Berlin. It is first time here and visiting the factory, seeing how the bikes are being built, the way things are organised, was mindblowing. It has been great for us as the World Endurance project to be officially presented with the WorldSBK effort. There is a really nice vibe about the BMW Motorrad Motorsport programme and it was a pleasure to be here. I enjoyed every second and I can’t wait for the season to start now because with the new bike, the 2025 model, we are confident that we have a package we can win races. I am looking forward to the first race.”

Steven Odendaal (#37 BMW M 1000 RR, FIM EWC): “It has been a really warm welcome from the team and the entire BMW Motorrad Motorsport family. I really enjoyed it. It is a fantastic environment and it has also been a great launch. It brought all the people together and we had really great time. I enjoyed seeing the BMW Motorrad plant as well. I saw all the details and the quality that goes into building this machine for us. So it was very nice to meet all the guys who are building our machines before the season and I am super ready for what’s to come this year. Everything is looking really good and now it’s out time to do our part on track and give it full gas.”

Hannes Soomer (#37 BMW M 1000 RR, FIM EWC): “It has been a great event. I am proud to be part of this family and proud to be here. I am looking forward to the season. My role in the team is to support these three guys to fight for the World Championship. This means that I will do what they need. From my selfish side, I have the most experienced guys in World Endurance in my box so I will learn as much as possible and hopefully step in one of their shoes in the future.”