Ever since BMW Motorrad Motorsport decided to invest heavily in its presence in World Superbike by taking on the market none other than one of the brightest talents of recent years – Toprak Razgatlioglu – it has never stopped adding important players in view of a series of seasons that will have to see it as a protagonist in the world championship dedicated to production-derived motorcycles.
Today the Bavarian team announced the hiring of two drivers who will take on the role of testers. We are talking about Sylvain Guintoli and Bradley Smith.
Both drivers have an enviable wealth of experience behind them. Furthermore, over the last few seasons, they have contributed to the preparation and development of various bikes. Now, for them, it will be the turn of the BMW M 1000 RR.
The 41-year-old Guintoli has comprehensive experience in various areas of motorcycling. He is a two-time world champion, winning the FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) in 2014 and the FIM Endurance World Championship (FIM EWC) in 2021. He also spent several years in MotoGP. In addition to his work in the BMW Motorrad Motorsport test team, Guintoli will participate in the FIM EWC with the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team. The team’s detailed driver lineup will be announced shortly.
Guintoli said: “I am very happy to join the BMW Motorrad Motorsport WorldSBK project as a test rider, the project is very exciting and I can’t wait to make my experience available. I can’t wait to get started and to enjoy the BMW M 1000 RR”.
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Bradley Smith, Ten Kate Racing Yamaha
The 33-year-old Smith is best known for his time in MotoGP. The Briton began his long international career in the 125 class of the world championship. After two years in the Moto2 class, Smith moved to MotoGP in 2013, where he remained active until 2020. Additionally, Smith won the Suzuka 8 Hours in 2015. He now joins the BMW Motorrad Motorsport family as a test rider.
Smith said: “The fact that BMW Motorrad has asked me to join the test team is a great privilege. I will do my utmost to provide what our four official WorldSBK riders need to compete with the best in the championship.”
“Welcome aboard, Sylvain and Bradley,” says Christian Gonschor, Technical Director BMW Motorrad Motorsport. “It’s great that their wealth of experience strengthens our project. Sylvain brings with him a wealth of knowledge from many years spent in the Superbike and Endurance world championships, where he also won titles, and MotoGP. Bradley complements these perfectly knowledge with his extensive experience as a rider and test rider in MotoGP. They are the perfect riders for our new test team, which focuses exclusively on test work on the track, regardless of racing commitments.”
BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director Marc Bongers adds: “I am proud that, under Chris’ leadership, we have put together such a strong line-up to support our factory commitments in WorldSBK and the FIM EWC with the test team in the background. also a clear indication of BMW Motorrad’s strong commitment to motorsport. The significant contribution made by the test team has already yielded good results in recent months, and we are confident that this structure will contribute to success.”
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