BMW Motorrad Motorsport has announced the signing of 30-year-old World Superbike ace Ruben Xaus to head up their WSB challenge in 2009 and 2010 aboard the new S1000RR.
Most of Xaus’ top-level career has been on Ducatis – he’s currently teamed with Max Biaggi on the Sterilgarda satellite team – so the inline-four BMW will be quite a switch.
The Spanish rider, who currently lives in Andorra (the usual tax reasons …) has 10 years of World Superbike behind him, during which he’s collected 34 podiums and 10 wins.
There was also a brief unhappy period in Moto GP in 2004 with the Ducati satellite D’Antin team. Before hitting the big leagues, he had a successful period in Spanish and German national racing, then World Supersport.
Peter Mueller, BMW Executive Vice President Development & Model Lines, said, “Ruben is a strong and combative rider, full of enthusiasm and with a passion for racing. This fits our philosophy completely … We know that the Superbike World Championship is a very hard and competitive series, but we are not entering it just to make up the numbers: we will be taking part because we want to win!”
Xaus said, “When I met the BMW guys, I was very impressed by their commitment, their passion for racing and their ideas about the future. … It is not often that you get the chance to start a completely new project, but I am really looking forward to the challenge.”
