All doubts have been removed: after a few weeks of suspense, MotoGP rider Miguel Oliveira has signed a contract with one of the best teams in the WorldSBK, or world superbike championship, with the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team.
If you’ve been following the career of the Portuguese rider from Almada closely, you’ll know that in recent months the relationship between Miguel Oliveira and his current MotoGP team, Prima Pramac Yamaha, has been a central issue in the paddock, especially as it was unclear why the team had adopted a different strategy to the one defined at the start of the season, even hiring a new rider – in the middle of the season – to replace one of the two current riders, Miguel Oliveira or his teammate, Jack Miller.
In short, the team eventually decided to renew with the Australian, who in 2026 will partner Toprak Razgatlioglu, who curiously left the team that Miguel is now joining.
Although the Portuguese rider hasn’t had the best conditions to show his full potential, due to injuries at the start of the season and the fact that he was riding a bike at a very early stage of its development, Miguel Oliveira has been showing good results in recent races, and is even Yamaha’s second best rider, only behind his factory teammate Fabio Quartararo.
Aprilia test rider or transition to World Superbike?
These were the two options on the table, but the Almada rider eventually decided on the latter and signed a contract to compete in the FIM Superbike World Championship in 2026, joining the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team.
After seven thrilling seasons in MotoGP, the Portuguese rider begins a new chapter in his career, now alongside Italian Danilo Petrucci (currently 3rd in the championship), forming the official BMW duo for next season.
The signing was confirmed by Sven Blusch, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director, who highlighted the Portuguese rider’s talent:
We are delighted to welcome Miguel Oliveira as the new factory rider of our ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team. Miguel has impressively demonstrated throughout his career that he belongs to the group of the most talented and versatile riders of his generation. With victories in all three Grand Prix categories, including five in MotoGP, he brings valuable experience and a high level of professionalism to our project. Together with Danilo Petrucci, his new teammate, they form a strong and competitive duo. The two already know each other well. This set-up gives us the opportunity to take the next steps in our development and to further strengthen BMW Motorrad Motorsport’s ambitions in WorldSBK. The whole team is very excited to be working with him.”
The move to WorldSBK is an opportunity to consolidate his career in a new competitive arena, this time with the BMW M 1000 RR.
In his first statements as a future BMW rider in WorldSBK, Miguel Oliveira highlights that
Joining the BMW family in the World Superbike Championship is an exciting step in my career, in which I see enormous potential. I’m becoming part of a project that is not only ambitious and competitive, but one that also has a significant impact on the championship and the motorcycle industry. Being involved with a new team, working alongside strong partners and embracing a new championship format gives me great motivation to keep giving my best.”
Miguel Oliveira’s new step makes him the first Portuguese rider confirmed as an official in a WorldSBK factory team, increasing the visibility of national motorcycling in a category where Portugal hosts one of the championship rounds every year, at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve.
Miguel Oliveira’s confirmation in a new motorcycling championship promises to capture the attention not only of Portuguese fans, but also of the entire international motorcycling community.
Aged just 30 in 2026, Oliveira has a career marked by versatility and consistency. Since his international debut in 2011, the rider from Almada has scored victories and podiums in every category he has ridden in:
- Vice-world champion in Moto3 (2015)
- Vice-champion in Moto2 (2018)
- MotoGP debut in 2019
- A total of 17 wins and 41 podiums, including 5 victories in the premier class
Until then, let’s focus on the MotoGP races still to come, and next weekend, from October 3 to 5, the route is the Mandalika circuit in Indonesia, where Miguel Oliveira won on the track’s debut.
The action kicks off early on Friday morning with the first practice session starting at 03h45, while the races take place at 08h on Saturday and Sunday, the Sprint race with 13 laps and the main race with 27 laps.
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