This dream car has four wheels, usually 431 PS, and is totally awesome. It's called BMW M4 and is currently in the hands of Bastien Mackels. The race car isn't exactly known for its understated elegance; instead, it shines in gold paint and features the Belgian driver's oversized "91" race number. BMW Team Principal Benny Wilbers He kept his word and has now fulfilled his promise to let his driver enjoy a few days behind the wheel of the sports car as a reward for his victory in the IDM Superbike 1000 season opener at Oschersleben. The boss really went all out. During the handover at the IDM race in Assen, Mackels learned that he could keep the race car until the season finale in Hockenheim—a total of three weeks.
At Hockenheim on the last weekend of September, it’s all or nothing. The title race will be decided between the leader, Ukrainian Ilya Mikhalchik (alpha Racing-Van Zon-BMW), and Wilbers-BMW rider Mackels. The weekend at Assen, with its two-second penalty, dealt Mackels a major setback. He now trails the leader by 31 points. But the season isn’t over until the checkered flag is waved for the last time. Anything is still possible.
What’s in store for the 2019 season? “We’ll keep Bastien on the team. That’s as good as certain,” says Wilbers. There are no plans to bring in a second rider. Mackels is set to develop the new BMW S1000 RR , which will be unveiled to the public for the first time in early November 2018 at EICMA in Milan. “According to BMW Motorrad Germany, we’re supposed to receive the first bike two weeks after the show,” says Wilbers. According to Wilbers, a second rider would mean even more work during testing. A more likely scenario would be technical support from a rider who has his own team.