With only one more round left in the 2023 WorldSBK, it’s already pretty clear who will be coming out on top. Sitting in first place so far is Alvaro Bautista for Ducati with a total of 628 points. In second place is Toprak Razgatlioglu, who has currently amassed a total of 552 points. Meanwhile, in third place, we have Jonathan Rea for Kawasaki, with 370 points.
While these standings could still change in the final round, chances are we’ll be seeing these three gentlemen in the podium of the 2023 season. Interestingly, moving into the 2024 season, there are some pretty big changes that will affect these three riders. We previously talked about a new minimum combined weight that will be implemented starting next season. Said regulation was employed partly due to the deemed advantage smaller riders like Alvaro Bautista possessed. Meanwhile, we’ll be seeing Toprak switch to BMW, and Jonathan Rea move over to Yamaha.
It goes without saying that the 2024 season will be an adrenaline-pumping barrage of racing, and the FIM WorldSBK has gone right ahead and released the provisional calendar for the upcoming season. Like the 2023 season, 2024 is set to have 12 rounds spread across a selection of the world’s favorite circuits. There are two new circuits joining the WSBK fray for the first time, too, with Balaton Park Circuit in Hungary and Cremona Circuit in Northern Italy set to welcome racers, teams, and fans alike.
The season will start in the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit in the Land Down Under scheduled for February 23 to 25, with the official test scheduled from February 19 to 20. Up next, almost a month later, the action will fly to Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya from March 22 to 24, with testing conducted a week earlier from March 14 to 15. From April 19 to 21, the WorldSBK will make its way back to the historic TT Circuit Assen, followed by a vacation month in May.
After some much-needed R&R, the racing resumes on June 14 to 16 at the Misano World Circuit in Italy, yet another mainstay in the WSBK calendar over the years. July will be a busy month for the racing series, as July 12 to 14 will see the action head over to the UK at Donnington Park, then it’s over to Autodrom Most in the Czech Republic on July 19 to 21.
In August, the WSBK heads over to Autodromo Internacional do Algarve from the 9th to the 11th, after which it will welcome fans for the very first time in the Balaton Park Circuit in Hungary from August 23 to 25. Moving on, Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours will be hosting the racing series from September 6 to 8, while the new Cremona Circuit in Italy will see action from September 20 to 22. The last two rounds are scheduled for September 27 to 29, and October 11 to 13, in the MotorLand Aragon and Circuit de Jerez, respectively.
