Australian WorldSBK round to include mandatory pit stops

After last year’s Australian round of the Motul FIM Superbike World Championship at Phillip Island mandated flag-to-flag races to counteract premature tyre wear on the freshly resurfaced circuit, it’s been revealed the 2025 Australian round will run under the same rules.

According to a WorldSBK statement, the decision to retain flag-to-flag rules for this year’s Australian round on 21-23 February comes in response to concerns regarding the “unpredictable weather and wide range of track temperatures expected at Phillip Island”. The same statement also cited the circuit’s unique layout and challenging surface as necessitating the precautionary measure to ensure the safety and competitiveness of the event.

Following extensive analysis of the circuit’s characteristics, the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) and Dorna WSBK Organization (DWO) determined that rear tyres must not exceed 11 laps for the WorldSBK class and 10 laps for the WorldSSP class. As such, race distance for WorldSBK Races 1 and 2 will be reduced to 20 laps to allow a mid-race pit stop, with riders allocated two additional sets of tyres for the weekend. WorldSSP Races 1 and 2 will be 18 laps. The 10-lap Superpole Race for WorldSBK will be unaffected.

“Phillip Island is renowned for its thrilling, high-speed layout, but it also presents unique challenges due to its surface and rapidly changing weather,” said Gregorio Lavilla, WorldSBK Executive Director. “Despite improvements to the track conditions over time, it remains extremely demanding, especially if you bear in mind it will be the first round of the season where teams are still fine-tuning their basic set-up.

“Based on our experience at Phillip Island, we concluded that enforcing a mandatory pit stop is the best approach to uphold the quality of the racing. By adopting this format, we’re ensuring that all participants can compete under fair and secure conditions at what promises to be an exciting start to the season.” 

For more details on the opening round of the 2025 Motul FIM Superbike World Championship at Phillip Island on 21-23 February, go to: worldsbk.com.au