After confirming his departure from the PATA Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team, Michael van der Mark was announced that he’ll be competing with the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team for the 2021 season. With vast experience on multiple manufacturers, the young Dutchman is set on bringing the fight with the latest BMW S 1000 RR.
BMW Motorrad made its return to the FIM World Superbike Championship in 2019. It wasn’t actually a dream return as their lead rider, Tom Sykes, only managed to place himself in the eighth position in the championship with four podium finishes and no race wins. It’s even worse for his teammate at the time, Markus Reiterberger.
After only one round in 2020 (followed by a long pause in the season due to COVID-19), Sykes is currently in the top 10 with 17 points while his teammate, Eugene Laverty, sits at 15th with five points. With the signing of Michael van der Mark for 2021, there’s still no news on which Englishman will be axed next season.
According to Shaun Muir Team Principal of BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team, “We are delighted to welcome Michael to the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team. He brings a wealth of experience and is one of the youngest, most talented riders on the WorldSBK grid. Securing Michael’s services emphasises the focus and determination we have to compete for top honours, and we will give Michael every chance to reach that goal.”
