James Toseland to BMW Motorrad Italia for 2011

Henny Ray Abrams | October 28, 2010

Former Sterilgarda Yamaha World Superbike rider James Toseland has landed on a BMW, teaming with 2010 Superstock 1000 FIM Cup champion Ayrton Badovini on the newly-formed Team BMW Motorrad Italia Superbike team for 2011.The two-time WSB champion returned to World Superbike this season, swapping places with 2009 WSB titlist Ben Spies. But while Spies has been impressive in his rookie MotoGP season, scoring both a pole and a podium, and far surpassing anything Toseland did on the Monster Tech 3 Yamaha, Toseland had less success on the Sterilgarda Yamaha. The Brit had four podiums in the 23 races, but also nine DNF’s. It added up to ninth in the championship.

Badovini’s season was the complete opposite. The Italian rode the BMW Motorrad Italian Superstock S 1000 RR to nine of ten victories, finishing second in the season finale in Magny-Cours, France well after he’d wrapped up the number one plate. The team, which made its debut in international competition in 2010, swept the riders’ and constructors’ titles in the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup. The team will continue in the support series with Italian Lorenzo Zanetti.”After winning the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup, we are continuing with a renewed challenge in the sporting arena,” said Andrea Buzzoni, the director of BMW Motorrad Italia who will be team manager. “We planned this ambitious project with enthusiasm and determination and we are happy to find the same enthusiasm in BMW AG’s top management. Our Italian squad will receive technical support from Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport. The collaboration between the two teams will allow a profitable exchange of experience, know-how, solutions and ideas for development, all with the common objective of constantly improving performance. We are delighted to be able to assure Ayrton (Badovini), who has given us such satisfaction in our racing competition debut, a well-deserved promotion. Ayrton will be riding alongside two-time world champion James Toseland, who has shown great motivation and enthusiasm for the project.”