It’s been confirmed that Eugene Laverty replaces Reiterberger at BMW WorldSBK in 2020. The 33-year-old Irishman will be reunited with BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team Principal Shaun Muir, for who he raced on an Aprilia in 2017 and 2018.
Laverty will ride alongside Tom Sykes, and replaces German reigning European Superstock 1000 champion Markus Reiterberger. There’s no update on the future for the 25-year-old rider at the moment.
For 2019, Laverty has been competing for Team GoEleven on a Ducati Panigale V4 R after spending two years on an Aprilia with the Milwaukee Team run by Muir.
Marc Bongers, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director: “In Eugene Laverty, we welcome a very experienced rider on board – someone who is also very familiar with Shaun Muir’s team. At the same time, we would like to say a big thank you to Markus Reiterberger. He was closely involved in the development of the racing version of the new RR from the word go, and has thus been instrumental in the success we have enjoyed. We will do everything we can, in the remaining races we have together in the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team, to ensure that we have a successful end to the season with Markus.”
Shaun Muir, Team Principal BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team: “First of all, we have got to thank Markus Reiterberger for his commitment and efforts. Equally, I’m delighted to welcome Eugene Laverty into the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team for 2020, and also to welcome him back to the SMR team. Eugene joins the team and brings with him a wealth of experience. We strongly believe that he can be a strong challenger for the podium. We are hopeful that as soon as he hits the track at pre-season testing in November, the bike will be on another level and I think that the combination of his experience and his speed will be a welcome addition to the WorldSBK project.”
Currently Tom Sykes is the top placed BMW rider in the World Superbike championship in eighth place on 170 points. Reiterberger is 14th on 60 points, with Laverty 16th on 41 points.
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