Euro Moto Hockenheim: Another win for Reiterberger at the 2026 finale
The Hockenheimring marked the final round of the 2026 season for Euro Moto and also for the Masteroil-alpha-Van Zon-BMW team. Team principal Werner Daemen had travelled to the former Formula 1 circuit straight after his success – including the World Championship title – at the Bol d’Or endurance final, and had entered Markus Reiterberger (GER), Hannes Soomer (EST), Jan Mohr (A) and Milan Merckelbagh (NL) for the Superbike class, and Ouri Bikkems (B), Manuel Schoewer (D) and Julius Ilmberger (D) for the Pro Superstock 1000 Cup.
Markus Reiterberger arrived at the final race of the season with plenty of momentum and even greater self-confidence. A week earlier, the Bavarian from the Masteroil-alpha-Van Zon-BMW team had secured the EWC endurance world championship title alongside his team-mates. Despite a lack of sleep and the championship celebrations, Reiterberger arrived at Hockenheim well-rested and improved with every practice session. In Superpole, everything then came together perfectly and, with a time of 1:24.198, the BMW rider ended up unassailable at the top. The final pole position went to Reiterberger and his crew. “To be honest, I couldn’t have imagined this lap time beforehand,” he revealed. “I’d been expecting something more like the mid-1.24s. But we’ve worked a lot on the bike’s geometry, and in the right direction. We made really great progress from Friday to Saturday, and then everything just clicked on that one lap. I think a 1.23-minute lap would also be possible, but for that, everything really has to be perfect. Of course, I’m in good spirits too. The World Championship title and now all these people here at the track. My fan club is here too – it’s all just brilliant.”
In the first race, Reiterberger then showed himself at his best. He planned his attack meticulously, took the lead with a neat overtaking manoeuvre and secured his second victory of the season – which is drawing to a close – following his win at Brno. “Pole position and the win – that was almost perfect.”
The second race, however, was more of a show for the spectators. Reiterberger got off to a perfect start, led the field… and then skidded into the gravel trap at the Parabolica. He fought his way back onto the track through the gravel and set off in pursuit of the field, 18 seconds behind. With top lap times that would easily have been enough for a top position, the BMW rider fought his way back into the action lap after lap. He finished in 10th place. “I wanted to pull away right from the start,” said Reiterberger, explaining his plan. “Then I simply braked too hard and too late, and was left with a choice between the gravel trap and the tyre barrier. I opted for the gravel trap. Yeah, that went pear-shaped. But I’ve done over 1,000 laps in the last week and here, so a mistake can happen now and then. I feel sorry for my team. It could still have been a win.”
“Apart from that, it was a really great, but also very exhausting weekend here at the Hockenheimring,” he revealed afterwards. “It’s absolutely mad how many people were there to support me. The emotions were really intense this week. First the World Endurance Championship title, then the brilliant welcome back in my home town of Obing, then so many people here at the Hockenheimring who wanted to congratulate me, have a chat with me, or express their appreciation. There was certainly a lot going on. I’m really pleased that we ultimately managed to make it onto the overall podium in the Euro Moto as well, finishing third. My team really is the best, and I’d like to thank them for never giving up and for always finding something that helped me. I really appreciate that. And now it’s time to raise a proper toast.”
Hannes Soomer still had his work cut out to get through the race due to his ongoing shoulder and wrist problems, stemming from his crash during practice at the EWC in Suzuka, Japan. The Estonian rider from Team Masteroil-alpha-Van Zon-BMW had to take the detour via Superpole 1, which he completed with flying colours and the fastest time. He would have loved to have gone one better in Superpole 2, which took place straight afterwards, but by then he’d already run out of steam and ultimately had to settle for 8th on the grid. “Superpole 1 was really superb,” he confirmed. “For Superpole 2, I did have a new rear tyre, but I was riding with the old front tyre. We’d run out of tyre stickers. Unfortunately, my shoulder is still too weak. But with the right training, I’ll definitely have that sorted by the end of the year.”
For the Estonian, the first race ended as soon as he reached the first corner. “Then I felt a jolt on the rear right-hand side and went down,” he reported after the all-too-short race. “I couldn’t see the other rider and was on the outside.” His rival was on the inside line after the start and made contact with Soomer, causing both of them to go down. Luck wasn’t on the Estonian’s side in the second race either, and he fought bravely to get through the 18 laps. “After the crash, my mechanics had their work cut out to get the bike back in shape in time for the second race. However, there were no grip patches on the new fuel tank. That made a huge difference for me, and I couldn’t compensate for it with my arm. I had to fight hard and find a different riding position on the bike. Naturally, that also had an impact on my lap times.”
With a crash through no fault of his own and a ninth-place finish, the season ended in a way that was far from to the ambitious Estonian’s liking. “I’m heading home now and will spend the next few weeks recovering from my injury so that I can finally put this behind me.”
Jan Mohr wasn’t just competing in the final race of the season at Hockenheim; for the Austrian, it was also his last race personally, as he will be devoting his time to other pursuits in future. In Superpole 1, he had stormed into second place with a blisteringly fast lap, only to be overtaken by two rivals in the final minutes. Fourth place also meant that the rider from the Masteroil-alpha-Van Zon-BMW team would not get another chance in Superpole 2. “It’s a shame,” he said, “racing in Superpole 2 again would have been a nice way to finish. I’m very happy with the time, but unfortunately it wasn’t quite enough once again. I’ve done the fast lap once, but two or three tenths slower – I can certainly manage that. That promises a fast race on Sunday.”
The Austrian was to be proven right. Whilst the pace proved too fast for some of his rivals – with one or two ending up in the gravel trap – Mohr stuck to his plan unwaveringly, refusing to be ruffled by the chaos around him, and was able to celebrate his best result of the season with sixth place – effectively a personal farewell gift. He almost managed another top-ten finish in the second race too, but his team-mate Markus Reiterberger had other ideas. Reiterberger had rattled through the gravel trap at the start of the race and had to work his way up through the field from the back. “Suddenly I saw ‘+0’ on my pit display again,” Mohr explained, “and I thought to myself, ‘Who on earth is that now?’” It was Reiterberger, who had fought his way back up with lap times matching the leaders. “I managed to keep him behind me for two laps,” says Mohr with a grin, “but on the final lap there was nothing I could do and I ended up eleventh.” In the Sachskurve, he was then able to enjoy one last proper celebration with his teammates in front of the packed grandstand.
Milan Merckelbagh, like his team-mate Markus Reiterberger, had competed in the Bol d’Or endurance race in France the previous week, and wasn’t in the best of moods after qualifying 15th at the Hockenheimring. He would have liked to have ended the season on a high note. This left the Dutchman from the Masteroil-alpha-Van Zon-BMW team with the two races on Sunday to ensure he got through the finale at the Hockenheimring in good shape.
In the first race, the plan didn’t go to plan at first. After just the first lap, the Dutchman rolled into the pits, disappointed. “Unfortunately, I had a problem with the motorbike,” he explained afterwards. “Everything was still fine during the warm-up lap. Then the launch control didn’t work and my clutch burnt out.” It particularly annoyed the Dutchman – who had been a paragon of reliability throughout the season and was one of only three riders in the entire field to have scored points in every race – that his previously spotless record was now no longer quite so spotless. Things didn’t go much better for the BMW rider in the second race either. His only consolation: at least he was able to finish the season in 13th place and thus cross the finish line. “I had a problem with the brakes,” he explained, “and had to go straight on more than once.”
It’s only too understandable that this had thoroughly spoiled the mood of the ambitious Dutchman, who had also finished 13th in the overall standings.
Pro Superstock 1000 Cup
For Ouri Bikkems, competing in the final was almost a non-starter. The Belgian had pretty much wrecked his BMW during a six-hour race, and it took a night shift or two to get his bike back on the road. But both man and machine were ready to race at the Hockenheimring. After finishing 4th in the first race, Race 2 ended with a crash.
“Looking back on this season, I can only be proud of the enormous progress we’ve made over the course of the year,” said Bikkems. “We’ve improved in every single race, learnt new things and kept making progress, and I’m really pleased with where we are now. A huge thank you to everyone who has supported me this season and helped make all of this possible. And a very special thank you to the whole Masteroil team for everything you’ve done for me. It no longer just feels like a team – it feels like a family.”
Manuel Schoewer had been desperately hoping for a podium finish for the season’s final race. But the BMW rider was unable to realise that dream. However, he put on a magnificent comeback for his fans, particularly in the first race. “My motorbike wouldn’t start on the grid,” he explained. Schoewer then had to head back to the pits, where, with the help of his mechanic, he was able to push the bike to the start. But by then the field – and the safety car – had already moved on, and Schoewer had to set off from the pit lane. The subsequent comeback was a sight to behold and ended with a sixth-place finish. He then finished fifth in the second race. “It was too hot and I had little grip,” he commented, “yes, I would have liked a podium finish after all.”
Julius Ilmberger had got through the much-maligned Nürburgring. But things didn’t quite go to plan for the junior rider in the Pro Superstock 1000 Cup at the finale. In the first race, he finished ninth. “I could have gone faster,” he said, “but I just couldn’t get past the rider in front of me, who rides in a completely different style. I was always right on his tail, but I just couldn’t get past.” Sunday ended in the gravel for the team’s junior rider. “I got my gears wrong,” he explained. “Going into the Sachskurve. That’s where I ended up in the gravel trap and crashed the bike. That was the end of the race for me.”
This also marked the end of a successful season for the Masteroil-alpha-Van Zon-BMW team. After a short break and an analysis of the past season, we can look forward to seeing what exciting plans team boss Werner Daemen and his well-coordinated team will come up with for the coming year.
SUPERBIKE
Results and Standings
Starting Grid
1. 1.24,198 min Markus Reiterberger (D/BMW)
2. 1.24,342 min Marcel Schrötter (D/BMW)
3. 1.24,381 min Jan-Ole Jähnig (D/BMW)
8. 1.25,139 min Hannes Soomer (EST/BMW)
10. 1.25,148 min Marcel Schrötter (D/BMW)
15. 1.25,832 min Milan Merckelbagh (NL/BMW)
Race 1
1. Markus Reiterberger (D/BMW)
2. Marcel Schrötter (D/BMW)
3. Florian Alt (D/Honda)
6. Jan Mohr (A/BMW)
DNF Milan Merckelbagh (NL/BMW)
DNF Hannes Soomer (EST/BMW)
Race 2
1. Marcel Schrötter (D/BMW)
2. Jan-Ole Jähnig (D/BMW)
3. Florian Alt (D/Honda)
9. Hannes Soomer (EST/BMW)
10. Markus Reiterberger (D/BMW)
11. Jan Mohr (A/BMW)
13. Milan Merckelbagh (NL/BMW)
Final Standing Euro Moto Superbike 2026
1. 258,5 Punkte Lukas Tulovic (D/Ducati)
2. 245,0 Points Marcel Schrötter (D/BMW)
3. 189,0 Points Markus Reiterberger (D/BMW)
10. 79,5 Points Jan Mohr (A/BMW)
12. 70,0 Points Hannes Soomer (EST/BMW)
13. 53,0 Points Milan Merckelbagh (NL/BMW)
Pro Superstock 1000 Cup
Results
Pro Superstock Starting Grid
1. 1.27,223 min Max Zachmann (D/BMW)
2. 1.27,458 min Dominik Blersch (D/BMW)
3. 1.27,627 min Sheridan Morais (POR/Ducati)
4. 1.27,832 min Ouri Bikkems (B/BMW)
5. 1.27,899 min Manuel Schoewer (D/BMW)
11. 1.28,798 min Julius Ilmberger (D/BMW)
Race 1
1. Max Zachmann (D/BMW)
2. Sheridan Morais (POR/Ducati)
3. Paul Fröde (D/Honda)
4. Ouri Bikkems (B/BMW)
6. Manuel Schoewer (D/BMW)
9. Julius Ilmberger (D/BMW)
Race 2
1. Sheridan Morais (POR/Ducati)
2. Max Zachmann (D/BMW)
3. Dominik Blersch (D/BMW)
5. Manuel Schoewer (D/BMW)
DNF Ouri Bikkems (B/BMW)
DNF Julius Ilmberger (D/BMW)
Final standings Pro Superstock 1000 2026
1. 205 Points Paul Fröde (D/Honda)
2. 184 Points Sheridan Morais (POR/Ducati)
3. 168 Points Max Zachmann (D/BMW)
4. 102 Points Ouri Bikkems (B/BMW)
5. 100 Points Manuel Schoewer (D/BMW)
9. 63 Points Julius Ilmberger (D/BMW)
Gallery
Check out all of the race photos on the photos page
