The beginning of the World Superbike season in Phillip Island will have an exceptional novelty: in the main races, riders are required to make a pit stop for tire change, following the flag-to-flag rules regardless of weather conditions. The distance of the races has also been reduced in the Superbike World Championship.
The decision was announced on Thursday, based on the information gathered during the WSBK and Supersport World Championship tests that took place at the same circuit this week. The goal is to ensure the safety of all riders, concluding that the rear tires should not be used for more than 11 laps (WSBK) and ten laps (WSSP). There are also two extra sets of tires available to each rider in both classes. As for the WSBK specifically, the two long races were shortened to 20 laps.
In a statement, the executive director of WorldSBK, Gregorio Lavilla, explained: ‘The circuit has performed admirably with the new asphalt. Although the rubber is gradually deposited, the track conditions evolve, which presents some challenges. Since the tires were sent at the end of November to arrive at the opening round, there was not enough time to develop specific tires tailored to the current asphalt conditions. We carefully evaluated the situation, considering the previous track activity after the asphalt was applied and the two days of testing we conducted earlier this week. Although the conditions have certainly improved, they may not have improved enough, especially considering the challenging, high-speed nature of this track. In such circumstances, we, in collaboration with the race direction, the FIM, and the Phillip Island GP Circuit, have to choose the safest option, which is of essential importance‘.
