BMW Motorrad Motorsport to use NORDOEL alternative fuel in WorldSBK championship

International motorcycle racing is setting the course for greater sustainability and one of the areas is fuel. With this in mind, the Superbike commission of the FIM World Superbike Championship (WorldSBK) had in March 2023 decided that, as in MotoGP, the fuels used must be made from at least 40% fossil-free components as of the 2024 season. BMW Motorrad Motorsport will be doing just that in association with NORDOEL.

The partnership between BMW Motorrad Motorsport and NORDOEL has led to the development of a fuel aimed at reducing the environmental impact of racing. By integrating advanced technologies and sustainable production processes, a fuel has been developed that not only keeps engine performance but also significantly reduces CO2 emissions during the production phase. The CO2-reduced fuel RacE-Fuel WSBK R40-A, with a regenerative share of at least 40%, will officially debut at the start of the 2024 FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) season in Australia (February 23-25).

Real-world testing
The initial tests with the alternative fuel were successfully completed in January in Jerez, Spain, and Portimao, Portugal. This was preceded by countless hours of development on the engine test facilities in Munich.

During the tests in southern europe, the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team, Bonovo action BMW Racing Team, and BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Test Team optimised the efficiency and performance of the alternative fuel for motorsports. The competitiveness and readiness for use of the regenerative fuel RacE-Fuel WSBK R40-A, with a minimum of 40% ‘non-fossil’ content as mandated by the FIM regulations for 2024, were confirmed. Thus, the RacE-Fuel WSBK R40-A becomes the first regenerative fuel based on MtG (Methanol-to-Gasoline). Development work continues to deepen the insights from previous experiments and identify potential areas for optimisation.

“Due to the regulations in FIM WorldSBK, the use of fuels with a non-fossil content of at least 40% will be mandatory starting this season. We are very pleased to have found a partner with tremendous expertise in NORDOEL,” said Christian Gonschor, Technical Director, BMW Motorrad Motorsport. “We have worked closely with NORDOEL in the development of such a fuel already last year, and this winter, during the season preparation, we were able to use it successfully without any technical issues. All our bikes were on the track with this new fuel during the tests in Spain and Portugal, and we are convinced of this collaboration.”

“We are very excited about the collaboration with BMW Motorrad Motorsport to develop this innovative fuel RacE-Fuel WSBK R40-A,” said Dirk Wullenweber, Director Commercial Fuel & Marketing of NORDOEL. “Our goal is to create sustainable solutions for the motorsport industry, and this CO2-reduced fuel is a significant step in that direction. The aim of our collaboration is to develop a 102 octane fuel with 99% CO2 savings, similar to eFuel 95 Octane (99% renewable).”