WorldSBK: Jonas Folger and Eugene Laverty confirmed with BMW Satellite teams

Jonas Folger and Eugene Laverty have been confirmed to race in WorldSBK for 2021 on satellite BMW machinery.

After months of speculation, it has been confirmed Jonas Folger and Eugene Laverty will both race for BMW in World Superbikes for 2021 in satellite teams, however will not be teammates, Folger will ride for the Bonovo Action team which he won the 2020 IDM championship with and who he participated in wildcards for, whilst Laverty will ride for RC Squadra Corse, Laverty will also participate in development for the bike as he played a major role in the development of their bike during 2020.

Folger has experience in Moto3, Moto2 and has even taken a MotoGP podium finish in Sachsenring also, boasting a wealth of experience, whereas Laverty raced for the factory BMW squad in 2020, but was replaced by Dutchman Michael Van Der Mark but remains on BMW machinery for 2021.

Markus Schramm, BMW Motorrad Director said: “Cooperation with satellite teams represents another important step for our involvement in the FIM Superbike World Championship. It is great to have two more BMW M1000 RRs in the field alongside the two motorbikes from our works teams, the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team with riders Tom Sykes and Michael van der Mark. I would like to extend a warm welcome to the two satellite teams in our WorldSBK project. The Bonovo Action Team with Jonas Folger is the first German team to register to compete in the WorldSBK with a Bavarian rider on a Bavarian motorbike. That is a special combination. I am also delighted that Eugene Laverty will remain an integral member of our BMW family, applying his talents and his knowledge of BMW superbikes in our satellite team RC Squadra Corse, newly formed but already known in the World Superbike paddock. I hope that they will all enjoy a successful 2021 WorldSBK season!”