News

A prominent addition to the 2016 WorldSBK grid is Milwaukee BMW, as the Shaun Muir-run outfit steps up to the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship.

In 2011, Shaun Muir Racing won the British Superbike title with Tommy Hill, before repeating the feat this year as Josh Brookes convincingly claimed the crown at the helm of a Yamaha YZF-R1. Now comes a switch to the world scene, where the squad will field BMW S 1000 RR machines for Australian Brookes and Czech rider Karel Abraham, who steps across from the MotoGP World Championship.

Team Principal Muir catches up with WorldSBK.com.

Shaun, it is happening. Shaun Muir Racing will be on the 2016 WorldSBK grid. From a personal point of view, how satisfying is that?
We have thought about it, talked about it and pondered over it all for many months and even a considerable number of years. If we didn’t come now, I doubt we would ever come, because we have talked about it for so long. For us as a team, every single guy has embraced the whole project and we cannot wait to get rolling down the pit lane at Jerez for the first test. Everyone here is absolutely motivated 100%.

The term ‘Milwaukee Yamaha’ has become synonymous in bike racing over the last few years. Now it is a Milwaukee BMW…
Exactly. That’s the way it goes though, isn’t it? You can’t just be cornered into running with one manufacturer. If I felt it wasn’t right to switch to BMW, I would have persevered and maybe stayed another year in British Superbike, which is what Yamaha wanted us to do. I guess confidence was gone at that point, so we didn’t want to risk waiting again and the same thing happening again.

There will be technical support direct from BMW Motorrad in Germany. How sure are you that you will receive the same technical support as Althea Racing, which will also run two BMW S 1000 RR bikes?
If I’m perfectly honest with you, that has been one of the biggest aspects of getting the contract right. BMW is providing us with engines, electronics and engineering support. Obviously, in terms of engines, you have to seal them at the beginning of the year anyway. The rest of it, chassis-wise, is down to ourselves to develop. We have our own ideas on that front.

To answer your question, there is probably no cast iron insurance about receiving the same treatment as Althea Racing but we have been told that, contractually, it is written down that we will have best or equal of the four riders that are supported in total: Torres, Reiterberger and my two guys. I’m sure the rest will become apparent, if we start the season and we have a big difference in straight-line speed.

Would it be ridiculous to suggest that the two teams could work together in order to help push forward development of the BMWs?
You and I might not think it’s ridiculous. We put it forward to Althea. The good thing for me is that I have brought a couple of guys over with me who were previously working with Yamaha Germany. In terms of the development of the bike to get it into the right working window: BMW have some ideas from previous years and from Badovini last year but, as far as we are concerned, we put some ideas to Althea and they basically said, ‘Let’s just do our own thing and carry on as we are.’ We, effectively, are more than happy to carry on in our own direction.

As development goes, I think we are more than capable of getting the bike into the right area – and with the right equipment on it – very quickly. Actually, we are probably ahead of where Althea are at the moment because of the fact that we have ordered everything immediately and have actually got our own in-house design guys working on manufacturing carbon equipment, all the bracketry and all the small intricate details that turn it into what is effectively a factory bike.

The BMW people have been here to our factory, had a look at what we’ve done and have literally said, ‘Wow, you guys are well on your way here.’ For that reason, I am confident that we will be in a good position.

How many BMW personnel will attend the events?
Three people will be at each event from the BMW side. On our side as a team, we have manned up accordingly. I have two very good, qualified race engineers in Ian Lord and Mick Shanley: one for Karel, one for Josh. In terms of Chew Chiefs, Josh has got the same he had before and we have our own Crew Chief on Karel’s side. Overall, we have 14 members of staff excluding the BMW guys. We are well sorted in that respect. As far as the structure goes: Mick, Ian and the lead BMW technician will be reporting to me. That is effectively how we will run it.

Josh is a known quantity to the team. Karel is a new member…
I just hope Karel can replicate his form from some of his better times in MotoGP. It is difficult to measure where these guys are. I measure Karel like this: in MotoGP this year he has been on a similar bike to what Nicky Hayden and Eugene Laverty have been on and, when he has been fit, he has not been a million miles from them. I’m not going to big him up because, of course, the proof will be in the pudding. He has got to switch from Bridgestone to Pirelli tyres. He is going from a GP chassis to what is effectively a production chassis. There are a lot of question marks hanging over him, but if your expectations are not too high I think you can show some surprises.

The big question: can Milwaukee BMW win races in 2016?
I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that we will be competitive when we reach the European rounds. Come Round 3, when we have had a bit more time, we can be competitive. Can we win the championship? No. Let’s be realistic. Can we compete for podium positions? I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that we can.