WorldSBK sets 2021 calendar, weekend schedule & releases entry lists

The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship (WSBK) unveiled its 2021 schedule and announced it will add the all-new Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Cup at selected rounds to give fans four categories of racing to enjoy. They further announced WorldSSP300 will no longer have riders split into two groups. For more information and any schedule, team or date changes, refer to worldsbk.com.

• Yamaha R3 bLU cRU will run its races at 11.45 and 16.15 (CET) on Saturday.
• WorldSSP300 Race 1 will be at 12.45 on Saturday. Race 2 will be at 12.30 on Sunday.
• WorldSBK Race 1 will be at 14.00 on Saturday. SuperPole will be at 11.00 on Sunday, followed by Race 2 at 14.00.
• WorldSSP Race 1 will be at 15.15 on Saturday. Race 2 will be at 15.15 on Sunday.

The 2021 season, pending adjustments for the ongoing global pandemic, will progress as follows:

• Round 1 – Netherlands, 23-25 April
• Round 2 – Estoril, 7-9 May
• Round 3 – Aragon, 21-23 May
• Round 4 – Emilia Romagna & Riviera di Rimini, 11-13 June
• Round 5 – UK, 2-4 July
• Round 6 – France, 3-5 September
• Round 7 – Catalunya, 17-19 September
• Round 8 – Spain, 24-26 September
• Round 9 – Portugal, 1-3 October
• Round 10 – Argentina, 15-17 October
• Round 11 – Indonesia, 12-14 November
• Round 12 – Australia, TBD
• Round 13 – TBD

The racing teams for the season are set and include 24 riders from 11 countries and five manufacturers.

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  BMW S 1000 RR

  • BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team – Tom Sykes & Michael van der Mark
  • Bonovo MGM Racing – Jonas Folger
  • RC Squadra Corse – Eugene Laverty
• Ducati Panigale V4 R
  • Aruba.It Racing – Scott Redding & Michael Ruben Rinaldi
  • Barni Racing Team – Tito Rabat
  • GoEleven – Chaz Davies
  • Motocorsa Racing – Axel Bassani
• Honda CBR1000RR-R
  • MIE Racing Honda Team – TBA
  • Team HRC – Alvaro Bautista & Leon Haslam
• Kawasaki ZX-10RR
  • Kawasaki Puccetti Racing – Lucas Mahias (up from WorldSSP) & Isaac Viñales
  • Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK – Jonathan Rea (6x champ) & Alex Lowes
  • TPR Team Pedercini Racing – Loris Cresson & Samuele Cavalieri
• Yamaha YZF-R1
  • Gil Motor Sport Yamaha – Christophe Ponsson
  • GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team – Garrett Gerloff & Kohta Nozane
  • PATA Yamaha WorldSBK Team – Toprak Razgatlioglu & Andrea Locatelli (WorldSSP champ 2020)

Garrett Gerloff, born in 1995, is the only rider from the USA competing in WSBK in 2021. He previously raced well in the WERA National series and the Daytona Superbike Championship before moving on to MotoAmerica SuperSport (600cc), where he placed third in his first season (2015) and first in 2016-17. After moving up to MotoAmerica Superbike, he placed fifth in 2018 and third in 2019. This year will be his second in WSBK; in 2020 he achieved three podium finishes, in Spain and Portugal, and finished in 11th place for the season for Yamaha.