Bastien Mackels, the 2018 IDM Superbike runner-up, will not be competing for the title in 2019. Last year’s four-time race winner—and the toughest competitor to overall champion Ilya Mikhalchik—will not be on the starting grid for the time being. What happened?
According to a statement from the team headquarters in Nordhorn, the team gave the matter careful consideration and decided to delay the“Wilbers-BMW-Racing”team’s entry into the 2019 IDM Superbike 1000 series .
CEO Benny Wilbers explains that the decision was a very difficult one. A combination of several factors was decisive in reaching this decision. These include the delay in the construction of the new company building and the resulting delay in the start of production for Wilbers suspension products. Clearing the backlog is the top priority. Another reason for the temporary withdrawal is the delayed delivery of racing parts to the team for the new BMW S 1000 RR.
What will happen to Bastien Mackels now? “We’re planning to return to racing, well-prepared, by the Hockenheim finale at the latest. We hope to have enough time to get the new BMW machine up to top IDM level,” says Benny Wilbers.
The Superbike development program for the IDM, led by Burkhard Stember, will be supported by test rider Bastien Mackels. A two-year contract has been agreed upon with the Belgian rider.