The championship didn’t specify how much extra track time will be offered or which manufacturers are eligible for concessions, only that it will be determined based on a system of concession points.
Honda and BMW are the most likely to benefit from the new rule, having struggled to match the pace of Ducati, Kawasaki and Yamaha since they returned to the championship towards the end of last decade.
Honda finished dead last in the manufacturers standings in 2021 with a pair of podium finishes scored by Alvaro Bautista, while BMW ended up one position ahead in the table after Michael van der Mark scored the marque’s first comeback win in Portugal - albeit in the short-distance Superpole race.
Honda had been lobbying for a MotoGP-style concession system in its bid to move up the pecking order in WSBK, with team boss and former rider Leon Camier admitting that “it’s very hard to make good progress in this championship with very constricted rules” at the launch of its 2022-spec CBR1000-RR last month.
Under current rules, all manufacturers in WSBK are allowed a maximum of 10 days of private testing across the year in addition to Dorna’s official test before the start of the season.
WSBK has operated a system of concessions since 2018, but these relate only to engine development and adjustable rev limits rather than testing rules.
WSBK’s new concession system brings it in line with that run by MotoGP, which is believed to have played a major role in helping KTM become a winning force just a few years after its first grand prix season in 2017.
Currently, Aprilia is the only manufacturer that can take advantage of MotoGP concessions and is allowed unlimited testing with its race riders during the season.
Half-day tests reduced
Separately, WSBK said that at the request of manufacturers it has decided to limit half-day tests to four per season. It had already been agreed to restrict them to two from the 2023 campaign.
