The Althea BMW Racing Team had varying success this season between it’s WorldSBK and STK1000 teams. Raffaele De Rosa won the FIM Superstock 1000 Cup and was a frequent presence on the podium. On the other hand in WorldSBK, Althea BMW riders Jordi Torres and Markus Reiterberger were unsuccessful in reaching a single podium finish. Considering they all competed on BMW S 1000 RR machinery, the differences couldn’t be more obvious this year between the categories.

“I think that the base product we have is really good,” explained Bevilacqua. “Of course when you switch to Superbikes we have some tools that are not so good at the moment. We are trying to develop electronic parts; the engine is quite good but the chassis we still need to improve a little bit. The difference between the stock product and the Superbike is the added volume, sometimes it doesn’t show so clear but all the package is not working in harmony at the moment and this is something we’re trying to improve.”

Furthermore, the 2016 season wasn’t without its challenges for the Althea squad. Markus Reiterberger suffered injuries to his lower back that hindered the rest of his season to a certain extent. Additionally, all riders were learning some aspects for the first time this year: Torres raced on Aprilia in 2015, while De Rosa raced on a Ducati, and 2016 was the first full season of WorldSBK for Reiterberger. Despite this, Bevilacqua remains pleased with their results this season.

“The season was quite good, I consider the performance of our riders quite good this year,” said Bevilacqua. “Unfortunately we suffered some physical problems, for example with Reiterberger in Misano. He had a big crash and it slowed the development of the bike a little bit. But until now I consider it a good season especially in Superstock. We got a good result where we were able to win the Championship, so it means the base of our bike is very good.”

Looking ahead to 2017, Bevilacqua acknowledges the track ahead won’t be straight but is confident that teamwork will push them forward saying, “We have to improve a little bit on the electronics, which at the moment is a little off and with the engine brake. We will work together to help give our riders more confidence that they need to do a good job for next year.”