Eugene Laverty will ride alongside Tom Sykes for the BMW Motorrad World Superbike team in 2020, as he replaces German Markus Reiterberger.
The 33 year-old will complete the final four rounds of the 2019 season with his Go Eleven Ducati team, before linking up with Shaun Muir Racing once again.
Team principal Muir spoke about the move and said: “First of all, we have got to thank Markus Reiterberger for his commitment and efforts.”
“Equally, I’m delighted to welcome Eugene Laverty into the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team for 2020, and also to welcome him back to the SMR team.”
Laverty has a wealth of experience in World Superbike since his debut in 2011 with Yamaha, which is something that was of high priority to the team.
“Eugene joins the team and brings with him a wealth of experience. We strongly believe that he can be a strong challenger for the podium.”
“We are hopeful that as soon as he hits the track at pre-season testing in November, the bike will be on another level and I think that the combination of his experience and his speed will be a welcome addition to the WorldSBK project.”
Its been a tough year for the Nothern Irishman, who has suffered various injuries including two broken wrists at Imola, but returned to action last time out in Amercia with three points scoring finishes.
Given BMW’s astonishing rise this year, which has been demonstrated on several occasions by 2013 series champion Sykes, it’s fair to say 2020 could be a big year for both the team and riders.