BMW; ‘MotoGP has no appeal for us’

The boss of BMW Motorrad has said the company has no interest in competing in MotoGP, and places much more importance in the BMW S1000RR winning press group tests.

Stephan Schaller (no relation to Karl Viktor Schaller) oversees the entire BMW motorcycle division, and told MCN he sees no point in BMW racing in MotoGP, confirming that there are currently no plans for the firm to take part in the series.

Rumours surrounding BMW entering MotoGP have been rumbling away for years, ever since the firm opted to quit WSB back in 2013. The company had spent millions developing the then brand-new S1000RR into a racing machine, but were ultimately denied much in terms of significant racing success. Insiders have told MCN the company was still happy with the outcome of competing in WSB, because it changed the profile of BMW and communicated to the world that the company was capable of making a highly competitive litre sportsbike.

Schaller told MCN: “We opted to get out of the World Superbike series in order for us to spend that money developing the road bike. I see no reason to change that. As for MotoGP, when it comes to the money BMW has enough to take part in this championship – but we do not want to spend it on two guys racing in MotoGP.”