2021 WorldSBK calendar reveals 13 events, Indonesia return, Assen April kick-off

The calendar for the 2021 WorldSBK Championship has been revealed with a return to full strength 13-round schedule, including a return to Indonesia and a much later than usual start in April.

With the traditional season opener at Phillip Island in Australia postponed due to the ongoing effects of the coronavirus, the 2021 WorldSBK season won’t get underway until April 23-25 - almost two months later than usual.

That event will be held at Assen in the Netherlands, which is one of several rounds returning to the schedule in 2021 after they were cancelled in 2020. For now Phillip Island is listed as the provisional 12th round but isn’t dated as yet.

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The late kick-off reflects the continued uncertainty around the coronavirus, which forced a major overhaul of the 2020 schedule. Having managed to complete round one in Australia before the global pandemic took hold, it wasn’t until August that the season restarted with seven more events taking place before Jonathan Rea was crowned champion for a sixth time.

It also means the calendar will be strictly European-based between rounds one and nine, with Estoril - a late addition to the revised 2020 schedule - earning a stay of execution for 2021 as round two before the series moves onto Aragon and Misano.

The British round at Donington Park has been reinstated for July 2-3, followed by Magny-Cours, Catalunya, Jerez and Portimao.

From there the series heads back to Argentina at the San Juan Villicum circuit on October 15-17 before it heads back to Asia and Indonesia for a round held at the all-new Mandalika Circuit. Also aiming for a MotoGP round in 2022, WorldSBK will be used as the test event on 2-4 November subject to the venue passing homologation. 

If it goes ahead, it will be the first round of WorldSBK to take place in Indonesia - one of the world’s biggest markets for motorcycles and motorsport support - since 1997 at Sentul 

A 13th event remains TBA and could be one three events that were supposed to take place in 2020 before being cancelled; Qatar, Imola and the Oschersleben, which has been left off for 2021 despite intended to herald WorldSBK’s return to Germany. Any potential event is likely to be used to fill some of the two month gap between rounds five and six.

2021 WorldSBK Calendar