12 Hours Estoril: BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team ready for round two of the FIM EWC 2021.

Estoril.
The stage is set for the second round of the FIM Endurance
World Championship 2021 (FIM EWC): This Saturday (17th July) BMW
Motorrad World Endurance Team will take on the 12-hour race at
Estoril, Portugal. After third place on the podium at the season
opener, the 24 Hours of Le Mans (FRA) in June, Werner Daemen’s team
is confident ahead of the second endurance race with the new #37 BMW
M 1000 RR.

 

The #37 M RR will be ridden by Markus Reiterberger (GER), Xavi Forés
(ESP) and Kenny Foray (FRA), the fourth rider of the BMW Motorrad
World Endurance Team, at Estoril. Ilya Mikhalchik (UKR) will be in
action in the International German Motorcycle Championship (IDM) at
the Nürburgring (GER) at the same time. Forés was recently forced to
sit out races after injuring his wrist in the British Superbike
Championship (BSB) but was able to take part in the Estoril test rides
without any restrictions on Tuesday, and was given the go-ahead to
race at the weekend by the official FIM race doctors on late Tuesday
afternoon. Eugene Laverty (IRL) was on hand just in case Forés was
unable to ride, which is why he also completed test laps on the #37
BMW M 1000 RR on Tuesday.

 

Last year the 12-hour race in Estoril was held as the season finale
in September. From third on the grid, BMW Motorrad World Endurance
Team took an early lead and broke away from the pack. After a fall and
ensuing repair break, the team battled its way back up the field from
19th place to finish the race in seventh place.

 

In addition to BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team, privateers BMW Team
LRP Poland will also be in action at Estoril with the #90 BMW S 1000 RR.

 

Quotes ahead of the ‘12 Hours Estoril’.

 

Marc Bongers, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director: “Our
goal at Estoril is to carry on where we left off with the strong
performance at Le Mans. We proved the potential of our new BMW M 1000
RR in endurance racing. We were initially pushed back down the field
due to a technical issue, but the team resolved it quickly. The test
on Tuesday was promising once again, so we are optimistic going into
the race weekend. All three of our riders, Markus, Xavi and Kenny,
were riding at the same very high level once again so we are
well-prepared and hope to be as strong as we were at Le Mans. Thanks
also go to Eugene for coming to Estoril at short notice to jump in as
reserve rider if necessary.”

 

Werner Daemen, Team Manager BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team:
“If you see the result from Le Mans where we finished third
despite some setbacks, I expect that we will aim for the podium again
as a minimum. If we stay on two wheels and if we don’t have any
technical problems, which I’m not expecting, I think we will be among
the frontrunners, going for the podium or maybe more.”

 

Markus Reiterberger: “We’re very confident and highly
motivated going into the second race of the FIM EWC season at Estoril.
We have good memories of last year’s event, and it’s a fantastic track
that should suit our motorbike and the tyres should perform well again
there. I expect that it will be really hot, which will be a big
challenge for everyone but we are well-prepared. The team has been
working on the motorbike intensively since Le Mans, and I hope that we
will be able to take the next step and do battle for the win with our
package. We’re hoping for a great, accident-free, successful weekend.
I’m really looking forward to Estoril.”

 

Xavi Forés: “I am really focused on the Estoril race.
It is going to be a very important race for us because we had a good
finish at Le Mans, so the feeling we have from the bike and the tyres
is quite good. I hope that Estoril will suit us all. Last year, the
team did a great job there and I was also fast in World Superbikes
there so hopefully we can do a very good job. The target definitely
has to be to go out and try to fight for the win.”

 

Kenny Foray: “I am really looking forward to being
part of the #37 BMW M 1000 RR line-up in the second round of the FIM
EWC season. It is great to be back on the bike and to ride with Reiti
and Xavi. I think it is possible to secure a strong result. I will
give it my all to help the team to be successful, I will definitely
enjoy this week and I am sure that we will be strong.”