ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team Principal Shaun Muir is going back to the drawing board with his rider pair of Miguel Oliveira and Danilo Petrucci to try to find the feeling once again and get their project back on track, as well as looking forward to a fresh 2027 season with their signing of current MotoGP rider Brad Binder. Big crashes from each rider- Oliveira at Balaton Park and Petrucci at Most derailed what was otherwise looking to be a promising first season with the team for the #9, and the first season in the Championship in general for the #88. Now, however, the team is proceeding in a different direction, rolling back prior setup changes as well as implementing new ideas as they look forward to a new chapter in the season to come
“THEY ARE A SIMILAR AGE, AND HISTORICALLY THEY HAVE HAD A SIMILAR SETUP, WHICH HELPS US TREMENDOUSLY”
With the announcement of Petrucci’s departure from the manufacturer’s WorldSBK team at the end of the 2026 season, his replacement has been recently announced: none other than Oliveira's longtime running mate, Brad Binder. Muir expanded on the decision to sign the South African, highlighting the synergy between the pair and similar directions on the bike.
On their new signing for next season, Muir said: “Bringing Brad on board is a bit strategic; he and Miguel are a similar height. Different riding styles; Brad is super super aggressive on the brakes. They are a similar age, and historically they have had a similar approach to the setup, which helps us tremendously. The fact that he wants to be on the team and progress, and we hope our package will be a straightforward setup for both of them.”
“WE'VE MADE A LOT OF GEOMETRY CHANGES FOR MIGUEL”
With Oliveira in P11 and Petrucci in P16 in the Riders’ Championship, the 2026 title race is a wash; however, that has not stopped the industrious German squad from addressing the issues with their 2026 M 1000 RR. For Oliveira, the team has made changes to his position atop the bike; for Petrucci, they've been tinkering with his electronic setup to improve his power delivery on track.
Said: “We've made a lot of geometry changes for Miguel. Mikey has been chatting with the riders about what he thinks the base needs to be. We lifted up Miguel’s footpad position, his ride height position, and his seat position, not massively, but something to give him confidence in the quick changes of direction, which there are a lot of here. When he comes back in and he’s talking nonstop, we know it's a positive because there’s lots to talk about instead of scratching his head. Danilo, we had an issue with him; he did an installation lap, and we had a few gremlins with his new engine. I’m hoping it will put him in a good way. His future is mostly decided now. We want to keep him in the BMW group, but there may be an opportunity overseas.”
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