The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship returns from its summer break with the Championship’s future clearer than it has been for years. New regulations have provided long-term stability while MotoGP stars could join the grid next year. WorldSBK commentator Steve English looks ahead of this weekend’s return to action.
THE RACE FOR THE FUTURE
The summer break is over but rust never sleeps in WorldSBK. While the paddock's riders took time to rest and recharge, the teams were already looking ahead. The trucks are rolling into Magny-Cours this week for racing to resume but the race for the future has already been gathering pace. WorldSBK now has something it has lacked in recent years. After uncertainty for the future there is now a clear roadmap for the next five years. Regulations are settled, a tyre change is on the way, manufacturers have a defined technical direction, and the rider market is taking shape. By the time the paddock reaches Phillip Island next year the grid could look very different to the one that will line-up this weekend for the French Round.
DETAILS ABOUT 2027 AND BEYOND
Five weeks before the French Round the future of WorldSBK was confirmed. With MotoGP changing their technical regulations there was lots of talk that Superbikes would be affected by the changes. The future of 1000cc machinery was debated by many but ultimately the Superbike Commission confirmed that a Superbike will remain what we have grown to be known as; a 1000cc four-cylinder machine. There will be some subtle changes for next year: control tyres will switch to Michelin, Brembo will become the control brake supplier, and, for the first time, a single fuel supplier will be used in the WorldSBK class. It is in 2030, however, that the biggest changes will occur.
EVEN FURTHER AHEAD…
Capacity will be increased to allow machinery up to 1200cc. The change is driven in part by European emissions regulations, which are making it increasingly difficult and expensive for manufacturers to develop high-performance 1000cc engines for the road. This should mean an increase in interest from new manufacturers. It’s an exciting prospect and comes at a time when already more brands are trying to get involved in the championship. In recent years we have seen QJ Motor, Kove and ZXMoto join the fray alongside the traditional players.
THE RIDER MARKET ADDS EXTRA SPICE
The regulations will provide WorldSBK's long-term stability, but it is the rider market that could provide the immediate excitement. MotoGP exiles have always played a role in WorldSBK. For 2027 it looks as though Brad Binder, Franco Morbidelli and Jack Miller could all line-up at Phillip Island next year as factory riders.
BINDER REUNITED WITH OLIVEIRA?
Adding three MotoGP race winners is always exciting for WorldSBK racing. Binder, the 2016 Moto3 World Champion, is a talented and hard-working rider who would give BMW a superb line-up alongside Miguel Oliveira. South Africa has never had a Superbike race winner, and Binder would be heavily favoured to put that right quickly in 2027. The change of tyre supplier means this is the perfect time for switching paddocks and BMW would leave no stone unturned for Binder who would guarantee them another top-tier talent.
THE MOST COVETED SEAT…
Morbidelli looks set to be the man that inherits the World. The Italian, who has only two podiums in the last five years in the premier class, has been inconsistent in MotoGP but is a former Moto2 World Champion and finished runner-up to Joan Mir in 2020. Morbidelli is a boom or bust hire for Ducati, but he gives the Bologna bikes an Italian rider alongside Iker Lecuona.
INTRIGUE AROUND MILLER
Miller is the most intriguing rider on the list. The Australian is incredibly talented, but when his MotoGP career eventually comes to a close, there may be a sense that his considerable potential was never fully realised. Having skipped Moto2 and been promoted straight to the premier class in 2015 his speed was always clear to see but the 31-year-old has bounced around teams in recent years. With over 250 Grand Prix starts Miller’s career actually stretches back to the two-stroke days of 125GP. He would be a fantastic addition to the World Superbike grid and one that would certainly make the Australian Round one to remember.
THE KNOCK-ON EFFECTS
The arrival of MotoGP names would inevitably create winners and losers elsewhere on the grid and where that leaves other riders remains to be seen. Established WorldSBK riders Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team), Danilo Petrucci (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha) would be the riders looking for seats. They could all be fighting it out for the Barni Ducati seat that Bautista currently holds. The fight for that saddle will come down to many factors but this year it’s only Vierge that has added to his stock value by being more competitive than expected aboard the Yamaha. Vierge had to wait until the final round of 2025 to be confirmed as a Yamaha rider for this year. He came close to an Independent Ducati seat last year but might well have his future secured in the coming weeks.
LOOKING AHEAD…
The summer break is over, but WorldSBK is already looking towards 2027. The regulations have provided stability; there will be immediate technical challenges and a handful of MotoGP names could bring fresh excitement to the grid. Magny-Cours marks the return of racing. Behind it, however, the biggest race of all may already be underway: the race to build the future of WorldSBK.
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