Munich. The BMW Motorrad Motorsport factory rider family is
expanding further with the addition of Frenchman Sylvain Guintoli
and Briton Bradley Smith. Both have been fixtures in international
racing for many years, participating in various world championships
with high-displacement racing motorcycles from different
manufacturers. Now, as riders of the newly formed test team, they
will bring their extensive expertise to the development and testing
of the BMW M 1000 RR.
41-year old Guintoli has comprehensive experience in various areas of
motorcycle racing. He has been a two-time world champion, winning the
FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) in 2014 and the FIM
Endurance World Championship (FIM EWC) in 2021. He also spent several
years in MotoGP. In addition to his work in the BMW Motorrad
Motorsport test team, Guintoli is set to participate in the FIM EWC
with the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team. The detailed rider lineup
for the team will be announced shortly.
33-year old Smith is primarily known for his time in MotoGP. The
Briton began his lengthy international career in the 125cc class of
the world championship. After two years in the Moto2 class, Smith
moved up to MotoGP in 2013, where he remained active until 2020.
Additionally, Smith won the Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race in 2015.
Now, he joins the BMW Motorrad Motorsport family as a test rider.
“Welcome aboard, Sylvain and Bradley,” says Christian Gonschor,
Technical Director BMW Motorrad Motorsport. “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.”
BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director Marc Bongers adds: “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. 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.”
Guintoli says: “I am very happy to join the BMW Motorrad Motorsport
WorldSBK factory project as a test rider, the project is very exciting
and I am looking forward to bring my experience into it. I can’t wait
to get started and enjoy the BMW M 1000 RR.”
Smith says: “To be asked by BMW Motorrad to join the test team is a
great privilege. I will work my hardest to deliver what our four
WorldSBK factory riders need to battle with the best in the championship.”
