After 15 years in the World Championship, Marcel Schrötter is returning to the German racing scene. The 33-year-old Bavarian will be competing for the title in the EURO MOTO Superbike class on a BMW in the GERT56 team. Schrötter probably celebrated his greatest triumph on January 3. One day after his own birthday, he and his girlfriend became the proud parents of a daughter named Maja. We spoke to him exclusively.
After 15 years, you didn't get a World Championship starting place. What was the reason?
I wouldn't say I didn't get a starting place. I still had several options. But under the given circumstances, I just don't see the point in continuing. I'm at a point in my career and at an age where I also have to consider the financial side of things. I had everything I needed to have a good season. But the level of the Supersport World Championship has risen dramatically over the last three years. There are more riders at an extremely high sporting level. It's not like in previous years, when there were one or two good riders and the rest were just average. I'm just saying that without meaning to be derogatory. There are now a lot of former Moto2 riders competing. At least 10 to 15 guys are incredibly fast. The level of the riders has increased enormously, but not that of the teams. Motorcycling is my greatest passion, but I also have to earn my living from it. And the Supersport World Championship is a very, very, very difficult place to do that.
Even if, like you, you had three podium finishes and three pole positions in Moto2 in 2019?
Coming from Moto2 is always a big plus. I've been earning money for three years now. But then you have a season like last year, and at my age, I had to deliver even more. And that wasn't the case.
What was the problem?
There are extreme fluctuations between good teams and bad teams. I was sometimes shocked to see that at World Cup level there are teams in which some buddy or "pal" does something because he feels like it, has a bit of money, or whatever. And that just doesn't work.
How was your year with Wepol on the Ducati Panigale V2 in 2025?
We had everything we needed to be successful, but we didn't make the most of it for reasons I don't want to go into. And that's why, unfortunately, we didn't achieve more.
What was the most exciting time in your entire World Championship career?
I think it was the first few years in the World Championship, when you're a young person aged 16, 17, 18, 19 and you get to travel around the world and see everything for the first time. I really appreciate that. But also the races at the Sachsenring, especially my podium finish in Moto2 in 2019. There were several races where I fought for the podium. In 2022, I missed out because of a gear change error in the last corner. I always gave the fans everything I had. Sometimes I was the only German rider they could cheer for. You don't get that feeling anywhere else. It's something very special, and we know what we're doing it all for. Another highlight for me was being able to ride for the Intact GP team for six years. It was like being part of a family. Over the years, a deep friendship developed. I still feel like part of the team today.
Can you still remember the early days of your career, how Toni Mang, Sepp Schlögl, and Adi Stadler gave you a boost? Did you sometimes miss having such people behind you later on?
I can remember that very well indeed. They were able to make a lot out of very little. The people behind me, with their excellent contacts, were the best you could have had together with Honda. We didn't have much in terms of manpower, and the budget wasn't the biggest, but we had that certain support. What I miss are people who are simply good. Especially in the Supersport World Championship, that was a great pity. They are all good people, nice people, but the way they worked back then and now in Grand Prix, the attention to detail, the performance, the many little things, that's different. Sure, Sepp comes from a different era. We rode the entire IDM season and even the entire first World Championship year without data recording. I was a rookie in the World Championship, and without data recording, it was extremely difficult when you come to a six-kilometer-long track in Malaysia that is extremely difficult to ride and then have zero data to look at from other riders. But on the other hand, it also shows that you can work together successfully when people are simply good. I miss that today.
Now you're back. How involved are you still in the scene?
To be honest, not very much. After entering the World Championship, I went to maybe three IDM events, even as a guest starter. I followed the series on YouTube, but I'm not 100% involved in the scene anymore.
How did you get in touch with Team GERT56?
We have the same physical therapist, and GERT56 wasn't even on the list at first. There were talks with manufacturers and also about a BSB season. But none of that would have really worked out. And then the GERT56 phone number came up via Physio-Alex. I knew that the team was among the front runners, so I called team boss Karsten Wolf. Because I also wanted to ride a BMW. Because I also ride a BMW for ERC Endurance in the World Endurance Championship. That was the first thing that was decided. Because it gives me financial security this year. I'm glad to have gotten the go-ahead from the EWC team to also compete in EURO MOTO. That was important to me. Four EWC races in a year is very few, and I still like to race. And I'm really excited to be part of the new EURO MOTO Superbike.
How ambitious are you to make your mark in the EURO MOTO Superbike series? Last year, Lukas Tulovic, a former Moto2 rider, entered the top class and won the title straight away.
I am well aware that expectations are very high. I was a World Championship rider for long enough, so the goal has to be to fight for the national title. That doesn't mean it will be easy. Sure, Tulo came and won, perhaps with a slight advantage in terms of equipment. But that doesn't matter. There are definitely expectations of me, from outside and from myself, of course. But I don't want to make big statements; I'm aware of what I have to do. And yes, I just have to show it with my performance and convince people. The important thing is to have fun and ride in a familiar environment. And in front of lots of German fans who have been supporting me for years. My crew chief Ronny Schlieder also told me that we will be getting the latest equipment from our new partner Öhlins and that the bike will be perfectly set up with the BMW MRCK electronics kit.
You were once a two-time freestyle skiing champion and ice hockey player. What became of that?
I still play ice hockey, at least. We have our own amateur team, the "Lechroaner." There's also a championship with a points round, playoffs, semifinals, and finals. It's always really cool. I've actually always played with them. When I moved up to the Motorcycle World Championship, I stopped playing so intensively in my second year. It's also a commitment. It was too much to be on the road all year without a single break. Ice hockey with training days per week and then two games. All of that until Easter. Then the World Championship season started. At some point, I realized that I had to focus on one thing and needed the winter to prepare—and to wind down.
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