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The grid for the 2021 FIM Supersport World Championship is in place and features 22 riders competing in the full season and a further seven going for glory in the WorldSSP Challenge. The 29 riders taking part in the 2021 season come from 17 countries spanning three continents looking to become the World Champion for 2021.

Italy is the most represented nation in WorldSSP in 2021 with eight riders all duelling it out for title glory in 2021. Federico Caricasulo (GMT94 Yamaha) returns to WorldSSP following his year in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship and will be hoping to go one better than he did in 2019, when he finished second. Caricasulo is the only Italian rider with wins to their name in WorldSSP, with six, and he will be looking to add to this as 2021 progresses. Michel Fabrizio (G.A.P MOTOZOO Racing by Puccetti) makes his return to the paddock as well having last competed in WorldSSP 16 years ago and will be hoping to put some strong performances in throughout 2021. Fabrizio is joined at G.A.P MOTOZOO Racing by Puccetti by rookie Shogo Kawasaki, with the Japanese rider competing in the WorldSSP Challenge this season.

Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) switches teams for 2021 as he searches for his first WorldSSP win, while former teammate Federico Fuligni lines up at VFT Racing alongside fellow Italian Davide Pizzoli. The remaining three Italian riders on the grid, Leonardo Taccini (Orelac Racing VerdNatura), Luigi Montella (Chiodo Moto Racing) and Kevin Manfredi (Altogo Racing Team) are all competing in the WorldSSP Challenge.

Two countries are represented by three riders each with Spain and Switzerland the next most represented countries in 2021. Randy Krummenacher (EAB Racing Team), who edged out Caricasulo to win the 2019 title, returns the new season, alongside Stephane Frossard (Moto Team Jura Vitesse) in the WorldSSP Challenge. Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) moves into WorldSSP after many years competing in Moto2™ and has looked quick in testing so far; with Aegerter hoping to mount a rookie title challenge. Aegerter is joined at Ten Kate Racing by Indonesian rider Galang Hendra Pratama as he hopes to build on his 2020 rookie campaign.

From Spain, one of 2020’s most consistent riders returns as Manuel Gonzalez (Yamaha ParkinGo Team) albeit on a different bike to his 2020 campaign, with Gonzalez hoping to build on his ultra-consistent season when he finished in the top ten in every single race last year. He is joined by Marc Alcoba (Yamaha MS Racing) also returns for a full-season campaign while Maria Herrera (Biblion Iberica Yamaha Motoxracing) will compete in the WorldSSP Challenge in 2021.

Finland is the final country in 2021 to be represented by more than one rider as Niki Tuuli (MV Agusta Corse Clienti) returns to WorldSSP, hoping to build on his one win in the Championship to date. Vertti Takala (Kallio Racing) will make his debut in the class in 2021. Finland currently has one win in WorldSSP, courtesy of Tuuli in 2017 and both will be looking to add to this in 2021.

The remaining 13 nations being represented in 2021 have one rider each. Luca Bernardi (CM Racing) will be the second Sammarinese rider to compete in WorldSSP and the first since William De Angelis in 2008. France will continue to be represented by Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha), who will be hoping to add to his 20 wins as he mounts a title challenge. Steven Odendaal (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team) heads into the season as the sole rider from South Africa, and as one of the title favourites following his move to the defending Champions.

Kawasaki Puccetti Racing’s line-up comes from two different countries with Can Öncü and Philipp Oettl flying the flag for Turkey and Germany respectively, while Great Britain will be represented by Danny Webb (WRP Wepol Racing) after he made his return to the Championship in 2020. Austrian Thomas Gradinger (DK Motorsport) is another making a return to WorldSSP in 2021 alongside Pawel Szkopek (Yamaha MS Racing); the Polish rider returning to WorldSSP at the age of 45.

After making history as the first rider from Estonia to stand on the WorldSSP podium in 2020, Hannes Soomer (Kallio Racing) continues with the same team this year and hoping to build on that while Hungary and Sweden are both represented with Peter Sebestyen (Racing Team Hungary) and Christoffer Bergman (Wojick Racing Team) respectively.

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