BMW Motorrad finished third in the 2026 WorldSBK Manufacturers’ World Championship after a demanding final round at Jerez de la Frontera. Miguel Oliveira’s tenth place in the final race delivered the points needed for that position, while Danilo Petrucci completed his final WorldSBK races with the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team on the #9 BMW M 1000 RR.

Jerez was also the end of Petrucci’s BMW chapter. On Saturday evening, the team and fans gathered on the main stage of the WorldSBK Paddock Show to honour the Italian rider, known as “Petrux”. The farewell marked the conclusion of a partnership that BMW Motorrad described as committed and hard-fought, but less successful than both sides had hoped.

A difficult final weekend

The sporting picture was complicated from the opening race. Oliveira retired from Saturday’s Race 1 because of a technical issue. The race was held in dry conditions, with 20 laps, an air temperature of 26°C and a track temperature of 38°C. Petrucci finished 17th, while Nicolò Bulega set the fastest lap in 1:38.195 on lap two.

Oliveira recovered to 11th in Sunday morning’s ten-lap Superpole Race. The session was also dry, with the air at 21°C and the track at 25°C. Bulega again led the pace, recording a 1:37.196 on lap three, a new lap record. Petrucci finished 19th in that race.

The afternoon’s Race 2 brought a better outcome for Oliveira. He finished tenth in a 20-lap contest that began in dry conditions before drops of rain appeared later. The air temperature was 24°C and the track temperature 30°C. Bulega was again fastest, setting a 1:37.573 on lap two. Petrucci placed 20th in his final race for the team.

Those results explain the significance of Oliveira’s final ride: tenth place secured BMW’s third position in the manufacturers’ championship after all 36 races of the 2026 season. The weekend did not offer BMW the kind of track performance that would have changed the front of the classification, but it ended with the championship objective at the finale protected.

A season of speed and setbacks

BMW Motorrad Motorsport’s assessment of the wider campaign was mixed. The team pointed to podium finishes, but also to serious injuries suffered by Oliveira and Petrucci. Those setbacks meant that BMW sometimes competed without both of its factory riders, affecting the progress of the season. The manufacturer also said that the BMW M 1000 RR was often more competitive than the final results suggested and that its pace in many races had improved compared with 2025.

That progress did not yet produce a race win. BMW said winning races had been the target, while stressing that speed on its own was not enough. The next step is to turn the potential of the overall package into results with greater consistency. In that context, third in the manufacturers’ standings is a useful closing result, but not the end point BMW had wanted from the year.

Petrucci said the outcome had not matched the hopes attached to his BMW move, while thanking the manufacturer and everyone involved in the project. He described racing for BMW as a dream and said he was proud of the effort made by the team. BMW, for its part, praised his fighting spirit and commitment through the final round, adding that he would remain part of the company’s wider family despite the end of the WorldSBK partnership.

Oliveira left the final race with a more positive view of the weekend. He said the team had tried a change that worked well for Race 2, after qualifying problems had left the bike too far back on the grid and Saturday’s retirement had added another setback. The Portuguese rider also said he was looking forward to winter testing and to returning to work with the crew for the following season. He thanked Petrucci for his effort and called him both a strong teammate and a good person.

BMW’s 2027 direction

The next BMW WorldSBK project will bring changes on several fronts. Oliveira is set to remain with the team, while Brad Binder will join as BMW’s new signing. BMW is also preparing for a new motorcycle and new regulations in 2027, making the work between the Jerez finale and the next campaign particularly important.

For BMW, the combination of a revised technical package and a changed regulatory environment creates a fresh opportunity to address the gap between qualifying and race-day results. For Oliveira, the tenth-place finish provides a more encouraging end to a difficult weekend. For Petrucci, the three Jerez results—17th, 19th and 20th—close his time with the team, after a season defined by both determined effort and difficult circumstances.