WSB: Sylvain Guintoli and Bradley Smith join BMW test team

Sylvain Guintoli and Bradley Smith have joined BMW Motorrad Motorsport as part of the German manufacturer’s new test team.

The pair have been brought in to help develop and improve the M1000 RR, which has so far struggled in the World Superbike Championship. The factory team have signed 2021 champion Toprak Razgatlioglu for 2023, and are keen to give him all of the resources he needs to turn the team’s fortunes around.

Guintoli has vast experience across multiple championships, including MotoGP, WSB, BSB and the Endurance World Championship (EWC). The Frenchman, who claimed the WSB title in 2014, was crucial to Suzuki’s MotoGP efforts as a test rider until the Japanese brand quit the championship at the end of the 2022 season.

As part of the move, Guintoli is set to join BMW’s EWC squad next season, having claimed the title with Suzuki in 2021.

Meanwhile, Smith sent multiple seasons within the Grand Prix paddock, in the 125cc class, Moto2 category and then MotoGP with Yamaha and KTM. The Brit is the only rider to have podiumed in 125s, Moto2, MotoGP and MotoE, whilst he’s also competed in World Supersport and EWC.

“Welcome aboard, Sylvain and Bradley,” Christian Gonschor, Technical Director BMW Motorrad Motorsport, said. “It’s fantastic that their wealth of experience strengthens our project. Sylvain brings extensive knowledge from many years in the Superbike and Endurance World Championships, where he also secured the titles, as well as from MotoGP.

“Bradley complements this knowledge perfectly with his extensive experience as a race and test rider in MotoGP. They are the perfect riders for our new test team, which focuses solely on testing work on the track, independent of race commitments.”

Garrett Gerloff was the highest-placed BMW in the championship this season, ending his campaign 12^th overall onboard the unofficial Bonovo Action BMW machine. The American secured a best result of fourth at Most, which was the highest any BMW rider finished in 2023.

Factory rider Scott Redding, who moves to Bonovo in 2024, was 14^th overall and finished fourth on two occasions. Teammate Michael van der Mark missed several races after breaking his leg at Assen.

BMW’s last podium in WSB came at Magny-Cours in September 2022 when Redding finished race one in second. Van der Mark’s sprint race victory in mixed conditions at Portimao in 2021 was BMW’s first in WSB in eight seasons, and they haven’t won since.

“I am proud that, under Chris’s leadership, we have assembled such a strong lineup to support our factory commitments in WorldSBK and FIM EWC with the test team in the background,” Marc Bongers, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director, said. “It is also a clear indication of BMW Motorrad’s strong commitment to motorsport. The significant input provided by the test team has already shown promise in recent months, and we are confident that this structure will contribute to success.”

Razgatlioglu jumped onboard the M1000 RR for the first time earlier this week at Portimao and Jerez.