Saturday, April 19, 2025
HomeAutomobileBikesPhillip Island WorldSBK round again to have mandatory pit stops due to...

Phillip Island WorldSBK round again to have mandatory pit stops due to tyre wear TechTricks365


WorldSBK 2025

Round One – Phillip Island

Ahead of the 2025 WorldSBK season opener at Phillip Island, organisers have confirmed that the WorldSBK and WorldSSP races will again follow a flag-to-flag format, requiring all riders to make a mandatory pit stop for tyre changes.

This decision comes in response to concerns regarding the unpredictable weather and wide range of track temperatures expected at Phillip Island from February 21st to 23rd. Combined with the circuit’s unique layout and challenging surface, these factors have necessitated this precautionary measure to ensure the safety and competitiveness of the event. A similar approach was implemented successfully during the 2024 season following the circuit’s resurfacing.

WorldSBK at Phillip Island – Image RbMotoLens

Following extensive analysis of the circuit’s characteristics, the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) and Dorna WSBK Organization (DWO) determined that rear tyres must not exceed 11 laps for the WorldSBK class and 10 laps for the WorldSSP class. As a result, the race distances for WorldSBK Race 1 and Race 2 will be set at 20 laps, with riders allocated two additional sets of tyres for the weekend.

WorldSSP tyres also suffer badly from degradation at Phillip Island, as illustrated here during testing last year.
Gregorio Lavilla – WorldSBK Executive director

Phillip Island is renowned for its thrilling, high-speed layout, but it also presents unique challenges due to its surface and rapidly changing weather. Despite improvements to the track conditions over time, it remains extremely demanding, especially if you bear in mind it will be the first round of the season where teams are still fine-tuning their basic set-up. Based on our experience at Phillip Island, we concluded that enforcing a mandatory pit stop is the best approach to uphold the quality of the racing. By adopting this format, we’re ensuring that all participants can compete under fair and secure conditions at what promises to be an exciting start to the season.”

Bautista’s rear tyre after race two at Phillip Island last year even with the limited laps on the tyre after the mandatory pit stop. Image RbMotoLens

WorldSBK round one gets underway at Phillip Island on February 21. The first official WorldSBK test of the season kicked off yesterday at Jerez.

2025 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship Calendar

Date Circuit WorldSBK WorldSSP SSP300 WCR
21-23 Feb Phillip Island X X
28-30 Mar Portimao X X X
11-12 Apr Assen X X X X
2-4 May Cremona X X X
16-18 May Most X X X
13-15 Jun Misano X X X
11-13 Jul Donington X X X
25-27 Jul Balaton Park X X X
5-7 Sep Magny-Cours X X X X
26-28 Sep Aragon X X X
10-12 Oct Estoril X X X
17-19 Oct Jerez X X X X

 


RELATED ARTICLES

Most Popular

Recent Comments