It’s freezing cold up in the far north right now. Hannes Soomer traveled to the warm south for the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team’s recent team presentation. He’ll be the team’s fourth rider in the World Endurance Championship. Even better: In the IDM Superbike series, the 26-year-old “Baltic Bullet” is on the starting grid for every race. In Germany’s top motorcycle class, the Estonian has only one goal: to win the championship. We spoke with him about racing, his personal life, and even money—including his biggest fan, Christoph, and Bruno, the dog.
In 2023, you finished fourth in the championship on a Honda; at the end of last season, it was only seventh place. Did you ever regret switching to BMW?
No, no, no, absolutely not. Because our performance level wasn’t good enough for seventh place in the championship. I was just unlucky because I crashed in another championship and broke my shoulder twice in one year. So we missed two out of seven races due to injury. Basically, there were two races—Oschersleben and Schleiz—where we performed poorly. For the rest of the season, we were right up there at the front, fighting for wins—in Most and in Assen. Our performance level was definitely better than seventh place. BMW’s level is also high. It took me a while, though, to figure out how to ride the bike fast. But I think the win at the Nürburgring was a key moment for us. For us, that means we can ultimately consider the season a success.
You mentioned the existing potential earlier. But we know that, compared to the other teams in the IDM paddock, you have a small crew and apparently a limited budget. Are there any plans to expand or improve your team?
Yes, definitely. We’re making plans that give me the best chance of winning the championship. Because that’s the clear goal for this year. My team, my people—that’s the best part of our team. We all work very well together, and I want to keep it that way. Whatever we need to improve, we’ll improve this year.
Will the blue color scheme stay the same as in 2024, or will there be new colors on the bike?
I’d like to keep the blue. But as you saw today, my helmet is blue, too. So there will be blue, but I think there will be other colors on the bike as well.
Did you get offers from other teams?
The IDM paddock is so small that you end up talking to almost every team manager on your way to lunch over the weekend. Champion Alpha BMW is the most successful IDM Superbike team of recent years, so for me, it was never even a question.
Have you tested anywhere yet?
The only thing I’ve tested with my physical therapist since my injury at the Bol d’Or is my shoulder mobility. After the surgery on September 25, I’ve been focusing solely on recovery and getting back to full fitness. Now I can finally ride on the ice in Estonia and, in a few weeks, on a motorcycle in Spain. In the IDM, there are no testing restrictions. Testing at the calendar’s race tracks before the races is an important area we need to improve. We did that in our first year with the Honda. Last year, we didn’t do it as often because we were very familiar with the tracks. You often see that teams that have tested on-site are a step ahead in FP1. For us, it was the same throughout the entire season: if you miss the first race, you’re always playing catch-up because everyone else has more racing experience. The same goes for the weekend: if FP1 goes badly, you spend the whole weekend trying to make up ground. Some weekends went well; others, like in Schleiz, were a disaster.
How did you spend Christmas?
I tried not to eat too much, but I didn't succeed. This year, Christmas in Estonia didn't feel very Christmassy because there was no snow. That's not normal.
Who is your biggest fan?
My friend Christoph holds that title. In 2023 in Schleiz, there was a huge Estonian flag in the stands, and I thought someone from Estonia had come to watch the race. When I spoke to them in Estonian in the paddock, I found out they were German through and through. They’ve hardly missed a race since then.
One more thing that a lot of IDM fans are really curious about: Do you have to work to make a living?
Yes, I work. I have my own company and do engineering work, since that’s what I’m trained to do. I have clients in Germany and Estonia. In the winter, I also help out my dad and my brother a bit. My dad has a construction company, and I help prepare excavators and things like that. Mentally, it’s really good for clearing my head. It’s a relaxing job. It feels good to be in the workshop and do real work.
Do you have a pet?
Not officially, but my dad has a one-year-old dog named Bruno who’s over at my place a lot. He’s the black one who often shows up in my stories.