AUSTRALIAN 2021 WSBK ROUND POSTPONED

Australian 2021 WSBK Round Postponed – Photo: LAT

The Australian round of the 2021 FIM World Superbike Championship has been postponed due to the ongoing complexities of the COVID-19 pandemic.

By DAN McCARTHY

The Aussie round at Phillip Island was once again set to take its traditional sport as the WSBK season opener in late February.

But due to the rising COVID-19 cases in Europe, coupled with the strict international quarantine laws when entering Australia, the event will not go ahead as originally scheduled.

FIM organises have confirmed that all being well the event will still go ahead in 2021, albeit later in the season.

General Manager of the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, David Bennett announced the postponement, but is in conversations with the DORNA WSBK organisation (DWO) and the Victorian Government to find an alternate date later in the year.

“We have been closely monitoring the situation in Australia and globally,” Bennett said.

“Working with our stakeholders, we’ve delayed our decision as late as possible, but unfortunately with the uncertainty that exists in the world today, we are going to have to postpone our world superbike round.”

It is understood that the postponement is more to do with massive spike in cases within Europe rather than the state of Victoria which is now out of lockdown.

“The world superbike show will be back,” Bennett vowed.

“I know this means a longer wait for fans, but the world’s leading production riders and their bikes will return to the island for more spectacular racing and the wait, as always, will be worth it.”

Last week WSBK executive director Gregorio Lavilla did not sound quite so optimistic when speaking about the calendar.

He suggested that the calendar will consist of 11 to 13 rounds with a large majority to be held within Europe with a possibility of circuits outside the Euro-zone to be included.

As the season-opening event in 2020, Australia was lucky enough to host the only WSBK round unaffected COVID-19.

After Australia, a further seven rounds were held within Europe across Spain, Portugal and France. In the end Kawasaki’s Jonathan Rea won his sixth consecutive championship.

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