(Motorsport-Total.com) – After a rather mixed start to the 2023 WSBK season, things have recently gone a little better for BMW. Bonovo driver Garrett Gerloff had a positive weekend in Barcelona. The WSBK event in Catalonia went less well for factory driver Scott Redding, who failed to score a single point and is under increasing pressure (which is what problems Redding had in Barcelona). With Tom Sykes, Redding has an experienced teammate until Michael van der Mark’s return.

It will be interesting to see how well the BMW M1000RR performs in Misano. BMW was not able to achieve top times during the test, but it did lay the foundation for the future. “We used the break and the test in Misano to further adapt our new BMW M1000RR to the individual requirements of the riders,” reveals BMW Motorcycle Sport Director Marc Bongers.

“The teams and drivers ran different programs, compared components and worked on geometry and weight distribution, especially with Scott and Garrett,” reports the BMW manager.

For returning rider Tom Sykes, the Misano test was a good opportunity to get used to the BMW Superbike again. Sykes was a BMW factory rider from 2019 to 2021. “During the test, Tom had the opportunity to familiarize himself with the new M1000RR and Michael’s crew. Overall, the test was good preparation for the next races,” said Marc Bongers.

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“Our goal is to present ourselves strongly in Misano with both teams and all four riders and to translate the hard work into the corresponding results,” said the BMW Motorrad Sport Director ahead of the fifth event of the current season.

Scott Redding only in P15 in the drivers’ standings before Misano

After a third of the season, factory driver Scott Redding is only in 15th place in the drivers’ standings. Can Redding improve significantly in Misano? “Misano is a great track that I like and the fans there are always great. I’m looking forward to the weekend,” he says.

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“I hope we can make some improvements compared to Barcelona. We tested in Misano a few weeks ago and tried out a lot of set-up changes there,” explains the former vice world champion.

The fact that Redding has to share the pit with fellow countryman Sykes creates a certain amount of tension. In the past, the two Brits have exchanged blows on social media. At the Misano test, Redding and Sykes avoided each other.

Can Tom Sykes cause surprises?

In the four events that Tom Sykes competed in for the Puccetti Kawasaki team, the former champion only managed to score one meager World Championship point. Recurring problems with the electronics of the Kawasaki ZX-10RR and a lack of speed both on a lap and in the race set Sykes back.

Is the former factory driver back to his old strength at BMW? “I’m really looking forward to coming to Misano this weekend and racing for the BMW factory team. It’s a race track in a great part of the world that always has great races,” he commented.

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“It also helps that we did a sort of shakedown test there beforehand. I was hoping to do more laps in this test, but unfortunately the weather wasn’t very consistent. Despite that, I feel like I’ve had enough time in the dry on the BMW M1000RR to get used to it again and work on the riding position and pace,” reports Sykes.

Bonovo: Can Garrett Gerloff continue to annoy the factory drivers?

With 39 points, Bonovo driver Garrett Gerloff is currently the best-placed BMW driver in 13th place in the World Championship. Gerloff also performed well at the Misano test. “I’m really looking forward to Misano. It was good that we had a test there a few weeks ago,” said the American.

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“I have the feeling that we are well positioned in terms of set-up. I hope that we can show that directly on Friday in FP1, be fast straight away and then do well all weekend,” says Gerloff, looking ahead to the start of training in Misano.

Loris Baz fights for his future at BMW

Bonovo’s team-mate Loris Baz was set back by his leg injury. The Frenchman was not at full strength in Assen and Barcelona. From Misano onwards, Baz will have to deliver if he wants to keep his place in the team. With the signing of Toprak Razgatlioglu, BMW currently has one driver too many in the squad.

“After a few months of problems with my leg and the last few races where I was in pain and not fit enough to be fast, I finally have a race weekend where I feel almost 100 percent fit,” says Baz happily. “It’s a good feeling.”

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“The last time I was able to ride the bike at 100 percent was in Mandalika, and things actually went pretty well there. Since then, it’s been more or less about getting through on the bike. I’m just happy to put this difficult start to the season behind me now and to be able to work properly again,” explains the Frenchman.

“So I’m starting my season in Misano, so to speak. In terms of mobility, it’s still not perfect, but the strength and power in my leg are finally back,” says Baz, who has been doing a lot of kilometers on his racing bike in recent days.

“I have been training hard since the last round, so I come to Misano with confidence. It’s a place I’ve always loved to be and I’m looking forward to seeing my guys, working with them and enjoying the next races from Misano on the BMW,” said Baz.