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Markus Reiterberger prepares to tackle the PATA Riviera di Round of the eni FIM Superbike World Championship as a wild card, taking place this weekend at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli”. The 21 year old German is no stranger to the WorldSBK paddock, having contested two full seasons in the FIM Superstock 1000 Cup in 2011 and 2012. His best result was third place at the Nürburgring (2012). One year later Reiterberger made his World Superbike debut as a wild card on the same track and finished the two races in 12^th and 13^th, respectively.

Reiterberger will ride for the same Van Zon Remeha BMW team he is racing with in the German Superbike Championship (Superbike-IDM), claiming so far seven wins out of the first eight races. In 2013 he won the German Superbike Championship title, whilst he ended last year’s edition in third place behind the factory Ducatis of Xavi Fores and Max Neukirchner.

Markus, your first of three Superbike World Championship wild card rides is about to get underway at Misano. Do you know the track and what are your hopes for the round?
“I know the track from my Superstock 1000 days in 2011/2012, I’ve raced there already and have some testing mileage under my belt as well. I know the track OK but I cannot say the same about the new tarmac, which has been installed there at the beginning of this year. My goal is realistically the top 10. Of course, it will be my first World Superbike race this year and we need to make some experience, it is a different racing series and we will be riding on a World Superbike machine, which I have to get to know properly and learn how to set up first. Furthermore, the race distance is generally longer than the one in IDM.”

You just tested your WorldSBK spec BMW S 1000 RR at the Lausitzring. How big are the differences to your IDM bike and how did the testing unfold?
“The test was really important. The weekend before we were on track with our IDM bike and then switched to the WSBK-spec machinery on Monday, so we had a good comparison. The team did an awesome job as they built a bike which is very similar to my IDM machinery and so the difference was not too big for me. I felt comfortable on the bike immediately. The WorldSBK bike has better forks and stronger brakes and I was able to lap faster than on my IDM bike, so the test was more than satisfying.

You finished seven out of eight IDM races not only in front of Xavi Fores, but also on top of the podium. On his WorldSBK outing at Aragon he took fifth and sixth place finishes. Does that mean we might see you on the podium at Misano?
“Haha! [laughs] If I only knew! Xavi is a very good rider and got the finest machinery in a factory team in the World Championship. He showed some impressive performances. The IDM is on a very high level, but you cannot just translate the results. We need to be realistic: being on the World Championship podium in a wild card ride might be too high of a goal. But I think we will cut a figure.”

There are more wild cards to come after Misano: Magny-Cours and Doha. All in place for that?
“Yes, they are as safe as houses. Actually we had planned four wildcards at the beginning but given my further commitment to the FIM Endurance World Championship besides the IDM there was simply not enough time.”

You will also take part in the legendary 8-Hour Suzuka race for BMW Motorrad France Team Penz13.com and you will share the track with some World Superbike rider such as Michael van der Mark there, who was part of the winning team in the last two editions. What do you think is possible there?
“Suzuka will be an exciting experience. The track will be new for me, many notable riders will be lining up on the grid there and the Japanese manufacturers will field many factory teams. We will see how everything will unfold there and I will try to do my best.”