When Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) landed in BMW in the winter of 2020, it didn’t take long for the Dutchman to leave his mark. A first win in eight years for the manufacturer arrived in September of 2021, and van der Mark finished the season 6th overall in the standings, the best result for a BMW rider since 2013.
That encouraging start should have led to greater things in the following years. Alas, a pre-season injury in 2022, followed by two more lengthy spells on the sidelines spread across the following 18 months, derailed the momentum the pairing had and perhaps even played a part in the overall weakening of the project, with BMW’s most experienced rider unable to be fully involved in the development of the new M 1000 RR.
Returning to full fitness in the final third of 2023, and with some impressive pace in the final two rounds of the season, the 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship could signal the return of Michael van der Mark at his best. Speaking at the BMW launch in Berlin, the 31-year-old has certainly not lost his confidence.
“I’m fully fit again, I’m ready to race”, confirms van der Mark. “I think we all have one goal in BMW, and that’s to win. So, I’m trying really hard, and BMW is pushing really hard. I have a lot of confidence in the project. Signing Toprak, changing a lot of things inside… I have a lot of confidence we’ll get there”.
The signing of Toprak Razgatlioglu – reuniting the Pata Yamaha duo from back in 2020 – has also helped to reinvigorate many people inside BMW, no less than the riders themselves. Van der Mark was able to witness first-hand what the Turkish rider could bring to the table in his first season with the R1, four years ago.
“Honestly, I think Toprak is the rider with the most talent in the whole field. His style is different from everyone else. He’s really strong on the brakes, so that’s something we can learn a lot from. And he’s a fast rider, you can always learn from a fast rider. I think everyone’s really motivated that he wanted to join this project”.
Does the extra attention, and the extra investment from BMW’s side – including the creation of a test team with former teammate Sylvain Guintoli and ex-MotoGP™ rider Bradley Smith – bring with it extra pressure? Not according to van der Mark.
“I don’t feel pressure. I love to see that they’re putting a lot of effort in, more and more. It gives me more confidence. The confidence from seeing them pushing that hard, I think it will make me faster as well”.
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Source: WorldSBK.com