Michael van der Mark drops massive hint about what BMW’s intentions are

Michael van der Mark has admitted he is considering options outside of the World Superbike Championship for 2026.

It is a stark admission that BMW will seek a new rider to replace Van Der Mark next season.

BMW have already signed Barni Ducati’s Danilo Petrucci to replace the MotoGP-bound Toprak Razgatlioglu.

But while Razgatlioglu, the reigning champion, fights for the 2025 WorldSBK title his teammate Van Der Mark sits 15th in the standings.

“I know that my results in WorldSBK this season are not great,” he wrote in a column for Racesports.nl.

“That hurts, because I know what I can do. But in Suzuka I showed that I haven't lost it. This was also seen within BMW Motorrad.

“Of course I ask myself: what now? What will next year bring?

“There is currently no offer from BMW Motorrad for next season. But I don't rule anything out. I look beyond just the World Superbike.

“Yes, the level is high, but the championship itself: there is only one weekend outside Europe, in Australia.

“Regulations that they change that no one understands and things they change that don't work at all. That doesn't really work either, so to speak.

“My hunger to race is still there, and as long as I feel I can do it, I'll love to keep racing. We'll probably find a nice spot somewhere, we're working on it.”

Van Der Mark has raced in WorldSBK for 10 years, achieving a best result of third overall on a Yamaha in 2018.

But his inclusion in the 2026 WorldSBK rider line-up now looks in serious doubt.

Michael van der Mark: "Painful" crash, "giving up is not an option"

Van Der Mark was part of BMW’s effort to finish fifth at the Suzuka 8 Hours but even that does not appear to have earned him a new contract.

“Suzuka is always tough,” he wrote. “The weather, the humidity, the speed of the local drivers – everything makes it a tough race.

“The test beforehand went well, we were confident. I also felt strong in qualifying and we took a place in the top ten.

“The race started a bit rough, with a difficult start, but when I finally drove my first stint, I was in a good position. My pace was good, I was third and we could really compete for a podium.

“Until it went wrong. At start-finish the footpeg suddenly broke off. I drove a whole lap with my foot on the exhaust, which bizarrely went reasonably well.

“But at the entrance to the pit lane, the inevitable happened: the broken support came under the rear wheel and I crashed. Not a quick crash, but a painful one.

“I fell right on my bad leg and immediately felt the pain. The team was ready immediately. In endurance you know: giving up is not an option.

“We lost more than 4.5 minutes, and in a race like Suzuka that is almost insurmountable. Yet we did not give up.

“From P20 we fought our way back to fifth place. That feels double: you know there could have been more, but you also show character by fighting back.

“For me personally, it was tough, physically and mentally. But it proved again that I still have the speed and the will.

“And that's important – for myself, but also for BMW Motorrad.”