San Juan. BMW Motorrad Motorsport kicks off the overseas leg of the 2022 FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) in the west of Argentina this weekend (21st to 23rd October). The tenth event of the season will take place at Circuito San Juan Villicum, roughly 180 kilometres north of Mendoza. The WorldSBK circus then moves on to Indonesia in November, before the season finale in Australia.
San Juan hosts WorldSBK for the fourth time, having previously done so in 2018, 2019 and 2021. BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team is looking to find its way back to the top with riders Scott Redding (GBR) and Michael van der Mark (NED), and to back up last year’s results in Argentina. Twelve months ago, the team consistently achieved good top-six results with van der Mark.
For the relatively new Bonovo action BMW Racing Team, which is now in its second season in WorldSBK, Argentina is the first overseas event in the World Championship. While the team enters uncharted waters in San Juan, the two riders Loris Baz (FRA) and Eugene Laverty (IRL) are familiar with the Argentinean circuit. The goal is to claim more top-ten results.
Quotes ahead of the San Juan round.
Marc Bongers, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director: “Our goal for San Juan is clear: to get back to where we were in the middle of the season. We were too far behind the leaders at the last two race weekends at Barcelona and Portimão, and we need to reduce that gap again. San Juan is a very interesting circuit. It poses specific challenges, which have to be overcome. They include the very low grip level. Our engineers, riders and teams are working meticulously to prepare the BMW M 1000 RR for the track. We are excited to see how the weekend plays out, and are looking forward to the outing in Argentina.”
Scott Redding, BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team: “Argentina is a track that I like. I enjoyed riding there last year and I enjoyed it with all the fans so I look forward to going back there, and I always like racing overseas, it is a bit different feeling which is nice towards the end of the season. My hope is that our bike can work well there so we can get some good results. That is the goal. Of course we are always working but the track seems to have a big effect on our results. So I hope here we can find something and try again to be towards the front.”
Michael van der Mark, BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team: “It is always nice to go overseas and San Juan is a really nice racetrack. I enjoy going there a lot. So I am looking forward to it. We’ve had some positive results at Portimão, so we are making progress. I am feeling better and better with the bike and my body. Racing overseas is always a little different atmosphere but if we can continue the progress we made at the last round I am pretty sure that we will have some good results there.”
Loris Baz, Bonovo action BMW Racing Team: “Finally overseas! That was always a part of the season that I really liked and it’s always a different feeling to race overseas. It is very exciting, especially because it will be a new experience for the majority of the team. San Juan is a special track. Most of the time there is a lot of sand on the asphalt and the grip is very low. That’s why you always have to spend your Friday ‘cleaning’ the track first. But other than that, the layout is nice and I’ve really enjoyed riding there in the past. I can’t wait to find out how the BMW M 1000 RR works there.”
Eugene Laverty, Bonovo action BMW Racing Team: “My final run of flyaway races begin in Argentina. The one kilometre long straight suits the horsepower of the BMW M 1000 RR but we’ll need to work hard on putting the power to the ground exiting the slow stuff. I’ve been feeling really good on the bike during the past couple of rounds which ought to set us up nicely to finish the season strongly.”
Track Facts San Juan.
Circuit length
4.276 km – anti-clockwise
Corners
17 – 7 right-handers, 10 left-handers
Pole position
Right
Longest straight
Approx. 850 metres
Grip level
Extremely low
Track layout
Mainly slow corners, stop & go nature
Strain on brakes
Medium
Amount at full throttle
29 %
Top speed / lowest speed
312 km/h / 61 km/h
Best overtaking opportunity
T10, T15
Key factors
Confidence in the bike, engine performance, brake stability