BMW lost the WorldSBK manufacturers’ title to Ducati at Cremona, in a weekend that gave its two riders sharply contrasting outcomes. Miguel Oliveira finished eighth in the Superpole race but did not reach the chequered flag in either main race. He crashed from tenth position around the halfway point of race one. In race two, he moved into the top five on the opening lap before an early retirement ended his challenge.

Oliveira linked the second incident to his use of slightly more rear brake at Turn 10. The BMW began to chatter and he could not keep control of it. Despite the result, the Portuguese rider considered BMW to be in a better position than it had been after Magny-Cours. The pace and track position he had shown before the retirement were, in his view, signs that a much stronger result had been possible.

Petrucci’s final Italian weekend

Danilo Petrucci finished 14th and 12th in the two main races. He was 11th in the Superpole race, a result that brought no points. Petrucci described the two Sunday races as his last in Italy. For 2027, he is expected to move to a national series outside Italy, although that change has not yet been finalised.

Petrucci is targeting a strong finish to the season and said BMW had tested at Estoril ahead of the next round. Brad Binder will take his place alongside Oliveira for 2027, while Michelin will become WorldSBK’s exclusive tyre supplier from the same season.