Sandro Wagner has experienced a roller coaster of emotions in the IDM Superbike series. As a rookie in Germany’s top motorcycle racing class, he scored 44 points right off the bat in 2022. That same year, he achieved three top-ten finishes. The 23-year-old from Ofterdingen, Swabia, aims to return to that level this year after a grueling slump. To that end, Wagner has made a clever move.
Ofterdingen is located 13 kilometers south of Tübingen. With a population of five and a half thousand, everyone knows each other. People stop on the street to chat with one another. The town hall is a half-timbered building. The Ofterdinger Berg is home to some rare bird species. The residents have to live with the fact that the B27 runs right through the town. For Sandro Wagner, however, the state highway is the direct access road to the interstate and thus the fastest route to the race tracks.
After two tough years, Wagner wants to make a comeback in the IDM Superbike series and has joined forces with his Motoforce Racing team for 2025 as a satellite team under GERT56, where he’ll receive technical support from Ronny Schlieder. “We also bought our race-ready motorcycles from him, and he helped us out a bit last year. Plus, we didn’t have an electronics specialist. Ronny got us out of a tight spot, which was especially evident at Hockenheim. After that, we sat down together,” says Wagner, summarizing how the partnership came about.
However, things could get tight with the 2025 BMW model that the Swabian now plans to race. “We’ve ordered a motorcycle, but delivery is scheduled for April, if not May.” The season opener in Oschersleben is already set for May 9–11.
Another thing Wagner doesn't have yet is a new leather suit. The reason: He's gained weight—a full five to six kilos. "I haven't gotten fat," Wagner laughs heartily, dashing any hopes his competitors might have, "it's all muscle mass I've built up through training."
The BMW M 1000 RR rider was testing in Almería with his GERT56 teammates Toni Finsterbusch and Jan-Ole Jähnig. “Yes, they were faster than me,” Wagner reports, “but not by much.” When the season starts, he wants to score points. “That’s the plan. Top-10 finishes would be even better.”