Most. It is less than two weeks since BMW Motorrad Motorsport, Scott Redding (GBR) and BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team celebrated their first podium of the season at Donington Park (GBR). In the Bonovo action BMW Racing Team, Loris Baz (FRA) achieved consistently good race results at Donington. Next up is the sixth round of the FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) at Most, Czech Republic, where both BMW teams are eager to build on their achievements and head off into the WorldSBK summer break of several weeks on a high.
At Most, Peter Hickman (GBR) will compete for the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team alongside Redding. He is standing in for the injured Michael van der Mark (NED) who is planning to return after the summer break. Ilya Mikhalchik (UKR), who filled in for van der Mark at three events, is preparing for his appearance as a regular rider in the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team at the third round of the FIM Endurance World Championship (FIM EWC) at Suzuka (JPN). This will be Hickman’s first race at Autodrom Most.
The two riders of Bonovo action BMW Racing Team, Baz and Eugene Laverty (IRL) have never competed in the WorldSBK at Most either but Baz is familiar with the track from the FIM EWC, and Laverty completed laps there at a track day in the run-up.
The sixth round at Most draws the first half of the season to a close, after which there will be a summer break lasting several weeks, until early September.
Quotes ahead of the Most round.
Marc Bongers, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director: “At Donington we confirmed that we are making good progress with our further developments. The feedback from both Scott and Loris was very positive, and this was reflected in the race performances. Now we need to build on this at Most, even though the characteristics of the track are totally different. We’re delighted that Peter is able to step in for BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team at short notice, and would like to thank Faye Ho and FHO Racing Team for allowing him to race at Most. Huge thanks also go to Ilya, who stood in for Michael for three race weekends. Now he needs to focus on the FIM Endurance World Championship. We wish him and BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team all the best at Suzuka.”
Scott Redding, BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team: “Most is a track I like and I have great memories there from last year. I would like to continue the level we had at Donington Park. We will continue to work on our way and we will see how it goes.”
Loris Baz, Bonovo action BMW Racing Team: “I’m excited to ride at Most, although it’s not one of the most thrilling tracks. I felt a really good step up at Donington with the new swingarm and new parts that BMW developed. I just feel like I need a bit more time to readjust the set-up of the bike and we have some ideas with the guys. It’s really important to have a strong race ahead of the summer break. Then we also have some opportunities to adjust the bike to make it even better for the rest of the season. This weekend will be important to confirm the good feeling I had with the new swingarm at Donington, which is a completely different track to Most. It should be cool, hot and a really good weekend.”
Eugene Laverty, Bonovo action BMW Racing Team: “Most is a circuit that I haven’t raced at before, but one month ago I was grateful that the Bonovo action BMW Racing Team provided me with a bike to ride there at a track day, just to learn the layout. That means I can start FP1 knowing the direction of the track. The last round was tough for me, so I need to regain the form that I had at the start of the season. That is my target. The BMW is capable of more, so it’s up to me to deliver the results that I know me and the bike are capable of.”
Peter Hickman, BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team: “I am really looking forward to Most. It is a circuit that I have never been to before. I always like to go to new places. The circuit looks like an interesting layout. I am joining the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team for the second time now. The first time was in 2019 at Donington, where I had a really good weekend with the team, qualified fourth and finished seventh in the first race. It would be great to replicate that but it is still going to be a new bike for me obviously. I understand the bike from the BSB point of view but not from WorldSBK, especially with all the electronic changes and other things are slightly different, too, but I am really looking forward to the challenge and being team-mates with Scott. I get on with Scott really, really well, so let’s see what we can achieve as a team.”
Track Facts Most.
Circuit length
4.212 km – clockwise
Corners
21 – 14 right-handers, 7 left-handers
Pole position
Left
Longest straight
720 metres (start-finish straight)
Grip level
Comparatively high
Track layout
Very few straights, apart from start/finish; mainly slow corners, chicanes
Strain on brakes
Medium
Amount at full throttle
19 % / 19 seconds
Top speed / lowest speed
295 km/h / 55 km/h
Best overtaking opportunity
T1
Key factors
Dynamic changes in direction, lots of confidence in the front wheel