BMW announced their partnership with NORDOEL back in March 2023 for the development of this new fuel and the aim is to reduce the carbon footprint for and, in turn, overall environmental impact of racing. BMW and NORDOEL have developed the fuel using advanced technology and sustainable production processes that results in a regenerative share of a minimum of 40 per cent, which means it reduces CO2 emissions during the production process as well. The first time this CO2-reduced RacE-Fuel WSBK R40-A was used was during the WSBK Season Opener in Australia this year.
BMW and NORDOEL spent a lot of hours at the engine labs in Munich before conducting field tests in January at Jerez, Spain and Portimao, Portugal. During the tests in the racetracks of Spain and Portugal, the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team, Bonovo action BMW Racing Team and BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Test Team optimised the efficiency and performance of RacE-Fuel WSBK R40-A. It has a minimum of 40 per cent “non-fossil” content as mandated by the FIM 2024 regulations, and the RacE-Fuel WSBK R40-A is, therefore, the first regenerative fuel based on MtG (Methanol-to-Gasoline).
Christian Gonschor, Technical Director BMW Motorrad Motorsport, said, “Due to the regulations in FIM WorldSBK, the use of fuels with a non-fossil content of at least 40 per cent will be mandatory starting this season. We are very pleased to have found a partner with tremendous expertise in NORDOEL. We have worked closely with NORDOEL in the development of such a fuel already last year, and this winter, during the season preparation, we were able to use it successfully without any technical issues. All our bikes were on the track with this new fuel during the tests in Spain and Portugal, and we are convinced of this collaboration.”
Dirk Wullenweber, Director Commercial Fuel & Marketing of NORDOEL, said, “We are very excited about the collaboration with BMW Motorrad Motorsport to develop this innovative fuel RacE-Fuel WSBK R40-A. Our goal is to create sustainable solutions for the motorsport industry, and this CO2-reduced fuel is a significant step in that direction. The aim of our collaboration is to develop a 102 octane fuel with 99 per cent CO2 savings, similar to eFuel 95 Octane (99 per cent renewable).”
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