It is a BMW prize that is sought after among MotoGP riders and we understand it because it is of great value. It's different every year, so if you're good at winning the trophy, you can eventually retrain as a car salesman. But not just any cars. BMW is pulling out all the stops to bring the flagships of its M range into play. Prestigious models that can also bring the whole family. It would therefore be the moment or never for Aleix Espargaró to win this competition which will reward the one who showed himself the fastest of the season during qualifying. But the Aprilia official will have a lot to do against a duo who is also playing the championship with him: Fabio Quartararo and Pecco Bagnaia…
Since 2003, BMW M has rewarded the best pole sitter MotoGP at the end of each season. During Grand Prix weekends, the drivers of the premier category add points according to the result obtained during the qualifying session on Saturday, and at the end of the last meeting in Valencia, the German manufacturer delivers a vehicle of its M range to the driver of a vehicle which has accumulated the most points in this classification called the BMW M Awards.
So far, the driver with the most BMWs in his garage is Marc Marquez, winner of this trophy Sept times in a row between 2013 and 2019: it started with an M6 Coupe, then added an M4, an M6 Cabrio, an M2, an M4 CS, an M3 CS and its last X 4M of the year 2019.
Valentino Rossi et Casey Stoner have each won three times. Fabio Quartararo won the BMW M Award twice, in 2020 and 2021. Jorge Lorenzo also recorded two victories during his career, and Sete Gibernau as Nicky Hayden were the highest ranked once each.
For this year 2022, which coincides with the 50th anniversary of the sports division BMW, the Munich manufacturer chose the BMW M3 Competition Touring as the prize for the best pole sitter of the season, a vehicle whose market price amounts to 122 150 euros. It offers very supercar-like performance with the added space offered by its family configuration. The six-cylinder engine nestled there develops 510 hp of power thanks to M TwinPower Turbo technology, a cavalry which is distributed to all four wheels via an eight-speed M Steptronic transmission with Drivelogic and M xDrive all-wheel drive system.
Pecco Bagnaia, Fabio Quartararo and Aleix Espargaró are also neck and neck for this BMW
The M3 Touring that the best MotoGP pole-sitter will receive will sport Frozen Black paint, in harmony with Merino/Black leather upholstery. The double-joint front axle and the five-link rear axle have an M-specific configuration and combine a lightweight design with particularly high rigidity. Adaptive M suspension with electronically controlled dampers and M Servotronic steering with variable assistance are standard on the BMW M3 Touring. The integrated brake system offers two settings for pedal feel. As an alternative to the standard M Compound brake system, the optional M carbon-ceramic brakes can be ordered.
Currently, counting points BMW M Award recorded during the first 12 races of the year, Pecco Bagnaia leads the fight for the BMW M3 Touring. The pilot Ducati, author of four pole positions this year, has only four more than Fabio Quartararo who, despite only one pole since Qatar, was more consistent than Pecco.
Francis van Meel, CEO of BMW M GmbH, evaluates the decision to offer an M3 Touring this year with these words: “ 2022 is a very special year for us at BMW M, with a host of world-class events around our 50th anniversary. One of them is the first BMW M3 as a Touring model, which caused a sensation when it made its world premiere in the Festival of Speed at Goodwood at the end of June. It is therefore only fitting to offer the BMW M3 Competition Touring as a prize to the winner of the 20th BMW M Award. We are delighted to be able to celebrate such a special anniversary as this year with our award for the fastest MotoGP rider in qualifying this season, which shows the high esteem that this competition has within the paddock. We wish the drivers all the best and are excited to see who emerges victorious from this exciting competition to take home this BMW M3 Competition Touring at the end of the season ».
