BMW Management Changes at the Top

Cycle News Staff | October 12, 2010

BMW Motorrad Motorsport is making major management changes for the 2011 World Superbike season.Two weeks after BMW Motorrad and team manager Davide Tardozzi agreed to part by mutual consent, the head of the racing effort is changing. Bernhard Gobmeier will replace Berthold Hauser as BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director with immediate effect. Gobmeier will be responsible for all BMW Motorrad Motorsport activities, including the company’s factory involvement in the Superbike World Championship and a possibly move into MotoGP in 2012 when the rules allow 1000cc engines.”I’m pleased to announce this fundamental realignment,” says Hendrik von Kuenheim, General Director of BMW Motorrad. “The new structure puts BMW Motorrad Motorsport in extremely good shape to meet the challenges of the future. Bernhard Gobmeier has filled a variety of roles within the BMW Group over the years and brings his experience in motor sport to the job. I’m in no doubt that he will continue to take BMW Motorrad Motorsport forwards with his analytical and structured approach. He will bring himself up to speed with the current situation as quickly as possible and put the necessary measures in place.”I would like to thank Berthold Hauser for all his good work over recent years. He can look back on some impressive successes in his career as BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director. Under his leadership Richard Sainct won the Paris-Dakar Rally in 1999 and 2000 as BMW Motorrad made its return to the event. And Berthold Hauser was also responsible for the team’s successful start to life in the Superbike World Championship and its first podium finishes. He will continue to perform a managerial role for BMW Motorrad.”Gobmeier, added, “I’m looking forward to taking on this new challenge in a top-class race series with a professional racing team and two strong riders. Our aim is clear: to build consistently on the positive foundations which Berthold Hauser and his team have put in place over recent years, so that we can be in a position to win races on merit as soon as possible.”Gobmeier has worked for BMW AG for more than 16 years in a number of capacities. In 1994 and 1995 he was responsible for overhauling the company’s sales activities for BMW M vehicles in North America and restructuring its racing activities in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) with the BMW M3 GT. The native Bavarian then filled various management positions within BMW M GmbH between 1996 and 2008, before taking over as head of chassis development at BMW Motorrad in 2008.BMW recently announced that Leon Haslam will replace Ruben Xaus as Troy Corser’s WSB teammate in 2011.