Emotional season finale: Farewell to “Petrux” at Jerez
Jerez de la Frontera. A season finale full of emotion: The final round of the 2026 FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) was about more than bringing the racing year to a close for BMW Motorrad Motorsport. Danilo Petrucci contested his final WorldSBK races for BMW Motorrad at Jerez de la Frontera. On Saturday evening, the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team and the fans came together at the WorldSBK Paddock Show to bid “Petrux” farewell.
The weekend marked the end of Petrucci’s time aboard the #9 BMW M 1000 RR. The Italian finished 17th, 19th and 20th in his final three races with the team, but the sporting results took a back seat as his farewell became one of the defining moments of the weekend. Petrucci was honoured by the team and fans with heartfelt words on the Paddock Show stage. “I’m really happy. I simply want to thank BMW. For me, it was a dream to race for the biggest manufacturer in Europe,” says Petrucci.
Sven Blusch, Head of BMW Motorrad Motorsport, also looks back on their time together: “Danilo is a true fighter and never gave up, giving his maximum right until the end. It’s a shame that we weren’t as successful together in WorldSBK as we had hoped. But we’re all racers and we know that can happen. He will always be part of our family – grazie, Danilo!”
On track, the season finale proved challenging for BMW Motorrad Motorsport. Miguel Oliveira was forced to retire from Saturday’s opening race due to a technical issue. The Portuguese rider finished eleventh in Sunday morning’s Superpole Race before breaking into the top ten in the final race of the season. His tenth place secured valuable points and confirmed third place for BMW in the manufacturers’ championship.
“We leave Jerez with a good feeling because we tried something today that proved very positive in the second race,” says Oliveira. After difficulties in qualifying and the retirement on Saturday, the team was able to make progress on Sunday. Oliveira is already looking ahead to the winter tests and preparations for the new season. He also paid tribute to his departing team-mate: “He was a great team-mate and a great person, and we will definitely miss him.”
BMW Motorrad Motorsport therefore concludes a WorldSBK season that featured podium finishes as well as setbacks and injuries to both factory riders. Despite not achieving its goal of winning races in 2026, the team sees potential to build on. According to Christian Gonschor, Technical Director BMW Motorrad Motorsport, the performance was stronger than in 2025 in many races. The task now is to translate that speed consistently into results.
Attention now turns to 2027. With a new bike, new regulations, Miguel Oliveira and new signing Brad Binder, BMW Motorrad Motorsport is ready to begin the next chapter of its WorldSBK campaign.
