The 2021 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is taking shape with a provisional calendar in place ahead of the new season. Spanning four continents, WorldSBK’s calendar has a refreshed look to it for the year ahead and the title fight promises to take place right until the very end of the season. 13 rounds are currently on the provisional calendar with one event to be announced (TBA) and Round 12 in Australia currently without dates; Indonesia is planned for a return for the first time since 1997 whilst Estoril will equally see a return to the calendar after a successful return to close out the 2020 season on a high. All races are subject to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent restrictions that derive from that.
The first nine rounds of the Championship will take place across Europe; the iconic TT Circuit Assen will start the season at the end of April, followed by Estoril (subject to contract), the first of five rounds in the Iberian Peninsula. MotorLand Aragon, Misano and Donington Park – the latter of which is only for the WorldSBK class – follow and bring racing up until July 4th.
The French Round has a slightly altered slot at the start of September as the sixth round, followed two weeks later by the Catalunya WorldSBK Round, before the Spanish Round a week after that and then another week later, the Portuguese Round at Portimao at the start of October. This will be the first triple-header in WorldSBK for over 20 years.
The final three rounds of the Championship will take place outside of Europe with Argentina being the first and the Circuito San Juan Villicum, before Indonesia returns and the Mandalika International Street Circuit debuts in WorldSBK (subject to homologation). The Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit is on the provisional calendar (subject to contract) but yet to be assigned dates towards the end of the year, before a 13th round is to be announced, with dates and venue to be announced. The non-European races will take place with only WorldSBK and WorldSSP classes.