BMW Italy launched its satellite team at Monza on Monday, which will see James Toseland partnering with WSBK rookie Ayrton Badovini, on BMWs that are only barely removed from the factory effort. According to Bernhard Godmayer, Head of BMW Motorrad Motorsport, “Now we can count on two teams, and we want to establish an excellent relationship between them, allowing for a constant exchange of data.
The German engineers will have a chance to compare themselves to the Italian engineers, and vice versa. The first step in development will be given to the factory team, and once it is tested and approved, it will be passed on to the Italian team.”
As such the major engine development for the BMW Superbike effort will fall on factory riders Troy Corser and Leon Haslam. Toseland is on his second season back in WSBK after a failed effort in the satellite Monster Yamaha Tech3 MotoGP squad. His experience and double world championships should help BMW in its effort to improve beyond what Godmayer called the team’s “not satisfactory” 2010 season.
BMW approved this Italian arm of the BMW Superbike effort on September 21st, according to team director Andrea Buzzoni, in an effort to improve the company’s overall standings in World Superbike.
The Italian BMW team will mark its proper track debut at the Infront test at Portimao at the end of January, and as Toseland noted, the test at Potimao will be “crucial” for the team. He explained, “The first outing was useful only as a shakedown, and to understand which setup direction to move in.”
Current Superstock champion Badovini is excited for his opportunity with the BMW team. “I know how important this opportunity is, and I don’t want to waste it. I have raced in this category before, and I know how much it counts to have a good bike and a good team. From this point of view I’m very confident,” he said.
Source: GPOne
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