[kropotkin thinks...] - Marco Melandri Signs With BMW For 2012 WSBK Season

[Ninjette Newsbot]

If you enjoyed reading this article, please click here to view it on Kropotkin's site, MotoGP Matters.

-----------------


After Yamaha announced that they would cease factory support for their World Superbike team, the team's two riders, Marco Melandri and Eugene Laverty, became two of the hottest properties on the World Superbike rider market. Interest was especially keen for Melandri, the former MotoGP winner making a huge impact on his first foray into the World Superbike series, the Italian having switched to WSBK after leaving MotoGP at the end of 2010.

Melandri had offers of factory rides from both Aprilia and BMW, but the prospect of being stuck alongside his arch rival Max Biaggi, in the certain knowledge that he would be the number two rider in the Aprilia garage persuaded Melandri to head to the German manufacturer alongside Leon Haslam. There is still plenty of work to do at BMW - the homemade electronics system is notoriously complex to set up causing problems with tire wear - but if Melandri can help get that sorted using his experience of MotoGP-level electronics (still a couple of years' ahead of the systems used in WSBK) then BMW may finally be able to make the breakthrough to regular wins that they have been looking for. The BMW S1000RR provides an outstanding basis to be competitive, and the aim is for Melandri and Haslam to help the factory make the next step.

The official press release announcing Melandri's signing appears below:

read more

[Alex]

I think this is a good move for both Marco and BMW.