2023 MotoGP™ finale: Francesco Bagnaia wins the BMW M Award again – Presentation of the new BMW XM Label Red Safety Car.

At the finale of the 2023 MotoGP™ season in the Spanish city of Valencia, the focus was on the BMW XM Label Red (combined fuel consumption: 2.0 – 1.6 l/ 100 km; combined electricity consumption: 33.5 – 32.5 kWh/100 km; combined CO₂ emissions: 45 – 35 g/km in the WLTP cycle; figures for the NEDC cycle: – ) twice on Saturday. First, the top-of-the-range variant of the first BMW M high-performance car with an electric drive system was presented to the winner of the 2023 BMW M Award, Francesco Bagnaia. BMW M GmbH then unveiled the new BMW XM Label Red Safety Car for the 2024 MotoGP™ season.

BMW M Award: The most powerful BMW M car for the fastest qualifier.

In its 25th year as “Official Car of MotoGP™”, BMW M GmbH once again provided an extraordinary highlight as the prize car for the BMW M Award, the BMW XM Label Red. It is the embodiment of extrovert lifestyle and a passion for absolute top performance. The BMW XM Label Red combines a performance-enhanced M HYBRID system, making it the most powerful BMW M automobile ever produced, with individual design accents. In keeping with tradition, the prize car was presented after the final qualifying of the season by Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of MotoGP™ rights holder Dorna Sports, and Franciscus van Meel, CEO of BMW M GmbH. This year, the BMW M Award was presented to the fastest qualifier in MotoGP™ for the 21st time, and the name of this season’s recipient went down in the exclusive winners list for the second time in a row.

Like last year, the winner of the 2023 BMW M Award is Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia. The Ducati rider has been particularly impressive in qualifying this season. Bagnaia consistently claimed top results in qualifying and had already wrapped up his second victory in the BMW M Award by the Thailand Grand Prix, with three events remaining. Over the course of the season, Bagnaia secured seven pole positions and started from the front row of the grid a further eight times. In total, he amassed 369 points in the BMW M Award, 93 more than his closest rival Jorge Martín.

“Congratulations to Pecco Bagnaia! His speed in qualifying was particularly impressive this season,” said van Meel, CEO of BMW M, at the presentation. “The fact that he had won the BMW M Award before  the end of the season this year speaks for itself. Respect! We are delighted to be able to honour this top rider with our top model, and are sure he is going to have a lot of fun with the BMW XM Label Red. His second win in a row means Pecco now joins a list of big names who have also won the BMW M Award on multiple occasions. This includes MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi who was awarded a BMW M winner’s car on three occasions and is very successful today on four wheels, as BMW M works driver in BMW M GT3 race cars.”

“Welcome back to the BMW M Award presentation ceremony, and congratulations on your second win in a row, Pecco Bagnaia,” said Dorna Sports CEO Ezpeleta. “Pecco was regularly to be found at the top of the timings in qualifying this season and has thus more than earned this award. We would like to thank our close partner BMW M. With this coveted award, they have recognised the performances of our riders in qualifying for the 21st time. The BMW XM Red Label seamlessly continues the sequence of captivating prize cars, and I hope Pecco really enjoys his new high-performance car.”

“Winning the BMW M Award for the first time last year was fantastic. Back then, I immediately set myself the goal of repeating the feat this season,” said Bagnaia. “As such, I am thrilled to have actually done it. Although it may look as though it was a stroll in the park this year, it was not. Every qualifying was extremely hard-fought. For this reason, I am proud to have come out on top again. I would like to say a big thank you to BMW M for this fantastic award. I promise I will do my best to win the BMW M Award again next year!”

High-performance for the racetrack: the BMW XM Label Red Safety Car.

Next season, the BMW XM Label Red will play a major role on the track: as the new MotoGP™ Safety Car. This will be the first time that a high-performance car with an electric drive system will lead the field in the pinnacle of motorcycle racing. Dorna CEO Ezpeleta and CEO of BMW M van Meel officially unveiled the BMW XM Label Red Safety Car on Saturday at the Valencia season finale. The new safety car will see action for the first time at the opening round of the 2024 season, which takes place in Qatar in March.

“BMW M GmbH enters its 26th season as ‘Official Car of MotoGP’ in 2024. The company has always tasked itself with employing its technical innovations to help ensure safety at the racetrack,” said Ezpeleta. “The BMW XM Label Red Safety Car is another genuine highlight in the fleet of high-performance automobiles in use in MotoGP. We are already looking forward to seeing it on the track in Qatar.”

“It is a logical step for the most powerful BMW M automobile we have ever rolled out to be the new figurehead of our safety car fleet in MotoGP,” said van Meel. “The first MotoGP Safety Car with an electric drive system is clear evidence of our striving for new, future-oriented technologies. In the BMW XM Label Red, a V8 engine and an e-motor integrated in the 8-speed M Steptronic gearbox generate a total output of 550 kW or 748 hp. This hugely powerful drive system, and outstanding driving dynamics in all situations, make the BMW XM Label Red the perfect basis for a MotoGP Safety Car.”

The BMW XM Label Red has been equipped with various safety car elements for its outings at the racetrack with MotoGP™. They include additional flashing front lights, the safety car roof bar, a front splitter, Recaro seats, six-point racing harness, and a fire extinguisher. When the new BMW XM Label Red MotoGP™ Safety Car makes its first appearance in March 2024, it will sport the typical BMW M livery.

For more information about BMW M GmbH and the involvement as the ‘Official Car of MotoGP™’, see: www.bmw-m.com