Bonovo action BMW expand for season 2022
The Bonovo action BMW Racing Team will expand its involvement in 2022 and run two BMW M 1000 RR motorcycles in the series. In the saddle will be two well-known WorldSBK riders: Eugene Laverty (IRL) and Loris Baz (FRA).
35-year-old BMW works rider Laverty has been racing in WorldSBK since 2011 and enters his third season with BMW Motorrad Motorsport in 2022.
Eugene Laverty
“I’m very happy to continue with BMW Motorrad and join the Bonovo action BMW Racing Team for the 2022 World Superbike season. It is fantastic to remain in the BMW WorldSBK family. The past six months have been tough for me as a rider and so I’m very grateful for the continued support and belief from everyone involved in this project. I’m very motivated to repay that faith in my abilities and I feel confident that following a solid winter testing campaign we can arrive ready and competitive at round one.”
Baz also comes with plenty of WorldSBK experience: The 28-year-old Frenchman rode a BMW S 1000 RR in WorldSBK in 2018 and made his Superbike World Championship debut in 2012 and started in the series for three years, before switching to MotoGP from 2015 to 2017. He then returned to WorldSBK. In the 2021 season, Baz has been riding in MotoAmerica but has also impressed on a number of outings in WorldSBK. His WorldSBK record to date: two wins and 20 podiums. Baz will now be a BMW works rider in the 2022 season.
Loris Baz
“I am really happy to be back in WorldSBK so I want to thank BMW and the Bonovo action BMW Racing Team for giving me this opportunity. I think that I have shown during these two rounds in Spain and Portugal that I have the pace to fight at the front in this championship. BMW is the brand that grew the most in the second part of the season. I have closely watched how the bike was improving. I have been racing with BMW before so I know a lot of people there and also, I have been competing with MGM Racing for one race back in 2012. I am really happy and really excited about this opportunity and am looking forward to trying the bike and to starting to work together with the team and BMW. Thanks again to all the people involved in this project.”
Jonas Folger (GER), who lined up in WorldSBK with the Bonovo MGM Racing team in 2021, will be looking for a new challenge after what has been a difficult season for him. The cooperation in the WorldSBK has been terminated by mutual consent.
Marc Bongers – BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director
“The course is set for a successful second season together for BMW Motorrad Motorsport and the Bonovo action BMW Racing Team in the WorldSBK. The team and we have gained a lot of experience in the first year of our cooperation, and that now forms the basis as we continue to move forward together. The two riders starting for the Bonovo action BMW Racing Team also underline our ambition. We are very pleased that Eugene Laverty remains a part of the BMW works rider family and lines up with us in his third season. Although the 2021 season was not always easy for him, he showed a lot of fight and was very committed to our project. At the same time, we are pleased to have Loris Baz on board. Having spent a season on the BMW S 1000 RR in 2018, he is now part of the BMW works rider family. Loris has more than impressed on his WorldSBK outings this season. We are confident that, with their skill and experience, Eugene and Loris will help move the Bonovo action BMW Racing Team forward. We would like to thank Jonas Folger. It is a shame that his debut season in WorldSBK did not play out as we were all hoping. However, he and the team never gave up and always worked hard. We are very grateful to him for that tireless commitment.”
Jürgen Röder – Team Owner Bonovo action BMW Racing Team
“I am overjoyed that we are heading into the next year as a strong BMW Team and that two top riders like Eugene Laverty and Loris Baz will be in the saddle of the Bonovo action BMW Racing Team bikes. The goal is for the two BMW teams to cooperate even more closely. It is great for us to have two strong riders on board. Particularly Eugene, who has been on the BMW for a few years, is an extremely analytical rider, and provides feedback that can be excellently incorporated in the further development of the bike. He knows all the structures at BMW, and who he needs to contact and when, and is obviously a great addition to the team. I think 28-year-old Loris is a great young rider. We have seen what he is capable of. He has done well in MotoAmerica, has returned to World Superbike and has achieved some very impressive results. It is a real godsend for me to have someone like him in our team. I think we have a real chance of consistently finishing in the top ten with both riders next season. That is obviously a real asset for the whole BMW family. At this point, I would like to thank Dr. Markus Schramm and Marc Bongers again for integrating us so closely in the BMW structure. We will do everything we can to live up to this privilege that has been bestowed upon us. At the same time, I would like to thank Jonas Folger for his commitment. He showed great character when came to me and said that he would not be able to add anything to the team in 2022, and that he would not be taking up my option of continuing together in WorldSBK. I find that incredibly impressive. We still have a very good relationship, and that will remain the case.”
Michael Galinski – Team Manager Bonovo action BMW Racing Team
“We are pleased to be able to take this step together with Jürgen Röder, and are very proud of our two riders. In Eugene Laverty and Loris Baz we have two excellent riders. Loris has started in many classes, such as MotoGP and Superbikes, on many different manufacturers’ bikes, including BMW and Yamaha. He recently showed what he is capable of at the race in Portugal: two third places as a reserve rider is no mean feat. We are very pleased to have him on board. Eugene has been slightly below par this year, as he was unable to ride for a long time. He is a great development rider and will help us to develop the bike together with BMW. All in all, we are now on equal footing with the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team. They also have two tall riders on the bike, in Michael van der Mark and Scott Redding. Loris, as the third tall guy, will be able to contribute to the development in this regard. Eugene is not quite as tall, but nevertheless we are all moving in the same direction together. We are looking forward to the coming season!”
