Shaun Muir Racing and BMW Motorrad announced today the signing of Michael van der Mark for the 2021 World Superbike season. Van der Mark announced on 30 June he would be leaving the Pata Yamaha team at the end of the 2020 season.

This move throws into contention which of BMW's current racers - Tom Sykes or Eugene Laverty - will take the remaining spot on the Shaun Muir/BMW WSBK team, and which rider will be the senior. Sykes, with six WSBK championship podiums to his name, is more likely to remain on the team over Laverty and to remain the senior rider as well.

Van der Mark raced for Honda for two years, switching to Yamaha in 2017 and now moves on to BMW for the 2021 season. The Dutch rider is 27 years old; in 2014, he won the Supersport World Championship aboard a Honda. The highest he has finished in World Superbike is third place overall, in 2018. Van der Mark has also been part of the winning team in the Suzuka 8 Hours four times, in 2013-14 and 2017-18.

Tom Sykes, 34 years old and from West Yorkshire, England, won a World Superbike Championship in 2013 aboard a Kawasaki, and finished second in 2012, 2014 and 2016 as well as third in 2015 and 2017. He finished eighth aboard a BMW S 1000 RR in the 2019 season.

Also 34 years old but from Northern Ireland, Eugene Laverty has never won a world championship. Laverty finished second in the Supersport World Championship in 2009-10 (Honda) and second in the Superbike World Championship in 2013 aboard an Aprilia.

Photo of Van der Mark courtesy of motorsport.com.