05/10/22

• Round nine of the 2022 FIM Superbike World Championship at Autódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal.
• Michael van der Mark and the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team claimed their first victory together there in 2021.

Portimão. BMW Motorrad Motorsport will compete at the final European event of the 2022 FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) this weekend (7th to 9th October). Autódromo Internacional do Algarve near Portimão (POR) is the venue for round nine of the season. BMW Motorrad Motorsport, the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team and the Bonovo action BMW Racing Team then head overseas. The final three events of the season will be held in Argentina, Indonesia and Australia.
 
The BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team has moved on from the difficult race weekend at Barcelona (ESP). Scott Redding (GBR) is looking instead to back up the success he had enjoyed previously, while team-mate Michael van der Mark (NED) is hoping to take the next step towards the front of the field. The team and van der Mark have fond memories of Portimão, where the Dutchman last year won the Superpole race on the Sunday morning.

“After Barcelona, where we fell short of our own expectations at times, we now want to start afresh at Portimão. In the final races in Europe, we need to carry on where we left off at Magny-Cours. It is also important to significantly cut the gap to the front-runners with all four riders. The character of the track at Portimão has suited us in the past, and we hope that will be the case again this year. In the short time since Barcelona, we have worked hard to analyse where our weaknesses are and how we can solve them. We want to bring the European leg of the season to a close on a high so that we can then carry the momentum into the final spurt overseas.”

“For me, Portimão is a good circuit, very technical. I quite enjoy riding it because of the character, the up and down, the long corners, the slow corners, so I am very excited to go there. Obviously, after a tough weekend at Barcelona, it would be nice to try to get back to where we were, but again it’s another new track for me with BMW, so I don’t know the potential. I know BMW had a good result there last year in the rain-mixed conditions so let’s see what we can do. It would be nice to get back to the top five, and if we are feeling really strong it would be nice to try and get a podium again or at least fight for it. I am looking forward to it.”