2021 WorldSBK Entry lists
11 nationalities from three continents will do battle in the premier class of motorcycle production-derived racing in 2021, but again there is no Australian on the World Superbike or World Supersport grid.
Australian riders were a major presence from the start of the Superbike World Championship, with Mick Doohan the first Australian to take a WorldSBK race victory when the then 23-year-old won at Sugo.
UK riders have won the most WorldSBK races, and Jonathan Rea is expected to push his tally of personal victories into triple digits this season.
UK riders have won 14 championships, American riders have won nine while Australia has five, three for Troy Bayliss (2001-2006-2008) and two for Troy Corser (1996-2005).
With the current and recent lack of participation of Australian riders at the upper echelon of WorldSBK, that tally doesn’t look like increasing any time soon.
This will the fourth World Superbike season in a row where no Australian will feature on the permanent entry list in the premier category. Only one Australian is mentioned across the 95 riders that make up the WorldSBK, WorldSSP and WorldSSP300 entry lists with Harry Khouri our sole entrant in the 300 Supersport World Championship with Fusport RT Motorsports by SKM Kawasaki.
No Australian rider has won a World Superbike race since 2008, when Troy Bayliss won the Superbike World Championship after taking 11 wins that season. Troy Corser was second in the championship that year despite not winning a race.
Troy Corser’s last World Superbike victory came in 2006, when countryman Andrew Pitt also scored his single World Superbike race win and made it three Australians in the top five rankings of the 2006 World Superbike Championship.
Troy Bayliss remains the third most successful rider in World Superbike history with 52 wins under his belt while Troy Corser ranks fifth with 33 wins, one less than Tom Sykes but two more than Colin Edwards. The Texan remains the most successful American in World Superbike by race wins but both Doug Polen and Fred Merkel also won two World Championships, while #1 plates for Scott Russell, John Kocinski and Ben Spies put America well ahead of Australia, with nine World Championships to our five.
The line-up of World Superbike protagonists for season 2021 has been unveiled with two seats still up for grabs. The UK has seven riders in the line-up, if we include Eugene Laverty under that banner, four from Italy and three from Spain.
Remaining the same for a second season is the Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK, although featuring the new ZX-10RR. The defending Champions keep Jonathan Rea, who is aiming for a seventh WorldSBK title, alongside Alex Lowes. Kawasaki’s presence in the Championship has also expanded, with TPR Team Pedercini Racing fielding two brand-new ZX-10RRs with Loris Cresson and Samuele Cavalieri. The Kawasaki Puccetti Racing team promote Lucas Mahias to the class from WorldSSP, whilst the sixth and final ZX-10RR belongs to Isaac Viñales at the Orelac Racing VerdNatura team.
Moving on to the Ducati onslaught for 2021 and the Aruba.It Racing – Ducati team continue with Scott Redding for another season, whilst Italian star Michael Ruben Rinaldi gets his dream opportunity in the factory team. Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven) replaces the Italian as they switch seats, whilst Tito Rabat (Barni Racing Team) joins the WorldSBK paddock for 2021. Axel Bassani is the youngest rider on the grid for Motocorsa Racing, aged just 21.
The youngest factory team in the WorldSBK class is fielded by Yamaha. Toprak Razgatlioglu (PATA Yamaha WorldSBK Team) leads the team with reigning WorldSSP Champion Andrea Locatelli joining him – the exact same age as they share the same birthday (24). The GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team retain Garrett Gerloff in the quest for more podiums whilst Japanese champion Kohta Nozane is alongside the American. Yamaha’s final team is the Gil Motor Sport – Yamaha squad, fielding Christophe Ponsson.
Honda’s factory line-up remains unchanged for 2021; Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) heads into his third World Superbike campaign and is joined once again by Leon Haslam. In contrast to Yamaha, this is the oldest WorldSBK team by age of the riders. The manufacturer’s Independent team will be the MIE Racing Honda Team with two bikes, both of which are yet to be announced.
The BMW effort also expands in 2021. The BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team keep Tom Sykes for a third season, but for a third season, he has a new teammate again in the shape of Michael van der Mark – one of the earliest confirmations on the 2021 grid. The German manufacturer will also enjoy two satellite teams for the year ahead with Eugene Laverty (RC Squadra Corse) and Jonas Folger (Bonovo MGM Racing) at the helm.
With 22 riders already confirmed and two more to go, a 24-rider field will take to the track at the TT Circuit Assen from the 23rd – 25th April as WorldSBK 2021 gets underway.
2021 WorldSBK Entry List
Rider | Nat. | Motorcycle | Team |
Michael R Rinaldi | ITA | Ducati | Aruba.It Racing |
Scott Redding | GBR | Ducati | Aruba.It Racing |
Jonathan Rea | GBR | Kawasaki | Kawasaki Racing |
Alex Lowes | GBR | Kawasaki | Kawasaki Racing |
Toprak Razgatlioglu | TUR | Yamaha | PATA |
Andrea Locatelli | ITA | Yamaha | PATA |
Alvaro Bautista | ESP | Honda | Team HRC |
Leon Haslam | GBR | Honda | Team HRC |
Chaz Davies | GBR | Ducati | Team GoEleven |
Garrett Gerloff | USA | Yamaha | GRT Yamaha |
Kohta Nozane | JPN | Yamaha | GRT Yamaha |
Tom Sykes | GBR | BMW | BMW Motorrad |
Michael V Mark | NED | BMW | BMW Motorrad |
Lucas Mahias | FRA | Kawasaki | Kawasaki Puccetti |
Axel Bassani | ITA | Ducati | Motocorsa Racing |
Tito Rabat | ESP | Ducati | Barni Racing Team |
Samuele Cavalieri | ITA | Kawasaki | TPR Team Pedercini |
Loris Cresson | BEL | Kawasaki | TPR Team Pedercini |
Isaac Vinales | ESP | Kawasaki | Orelac Verdnatura |
TBA | TBA | Honda | MIE Racing |
TBA | TBA | Honda | MIE Racing |
Jonas Folger | GER | BMW | Bonovo MGM |
Christophe Ponsson | FRA | Yamaha | Gil Motor Sport |
Eugene Laverty | IRL | BMW | RC Squadra Corse |
2021 WorldSSP Entry List
Rider | Nat | Motorcycle | Team |
Philipp Oettl | GER | Kawasaki | Kawasaki Puccetti |
Can Oncu | TUR | Kawasaki | Kawasaki Puccetti |
Steven Odendaal | RSA | Yamaha | Evan Bros. |
Jules Cluzel | FRA | Yamaha | GMT94 Yamaha |
Federico Caricasulo | ITA | Yamaha | GMT94 Yamaha |
Hannes Soomer | EST | Yamaha | Kallio Racing |
Vertti Takala | FIN | Yamaha | Kallio Racing |
TBA | TBA | MV Agusta | MV Agusta Corse |
Niki Tuuli | FIN | MV Agusta | MV Agusta Corse |
Dominique Aegerter | SUI | Yamaha | Ten Kate Racing |
Galang H Pratama | INA | Yamaha | Ten Kate Racing |
Manuel Gonzalez | ESP | Yamaha | Yamaha ParkinGo |
Daniel Webb | GBR | Yamaha | WRP Wepol Racing |
Raffaele D Rosa | ITA | Kawasaki | Orelac R Verdnatura |
Leonardo Taccini | ITA | Kawasaki | Orelac R Verdnatura |
Peter Sebestyen | HUN | Yamaha | Racing Team Hungary |
Pawel Szkopek | POL | Yamaha | Yamaha MS Racing |
Marc Alcoba | ESP | Yamaha | Yamaha MS Racing |
Kevin Manfredi | ITA | Yamaha | Altogo Racing Team |
Thomas Gradinger | AUT | Yamaha | DK Motorsport |
Luigi Montella | ITA | Yamaha | Chiodo Moto |
Luca Bernardi | RSM | Yamaha | CM Racing |
Randy K | SUI | Yamaha | EAB Racing Team |
Stephane Frossard | SUI | Yamaha | Moto Jura Vitesse |
Shogo Kawasaki | JPN | Kawasaki | Motozoo Puccetti |
Michel Fabrizio | ITA | Kawasaki | Motozoo Puccetti |
Federico Fuligni | ITA | Yamaha | VFT Racing |
Davide Pizzoli | ITA | Yamaha | VFT Racing |
Christoffer Bergman | SWE | Yamaha | Wójcik Racing Team |
2021 WorldSSP300 Entry List
Rider | Nat | Motorcycle | Team |
Jeffrey Buis | NED | Kawasaki | MTM Kawasaki |
Koen Meuffels | NED | Kawasaki | MTM Kawasaki |
Yuta Okaya | JPN | Kawasaki | MTM Kawasaki |
Adrian Huertas | ESP | Kawasaki | MTM Kawasaki |
Unai Orradre | ESP | Yamaha | Yamaha MS Racing |
Miguel S Duarte | POR | Yamaha | Yamaha MS Racing |
Bahattin Sofuoglu | TUR | Yamaha | Biblion Motoxracing |
Marco Gaggi | ITA | Yamaha | Biblion Motoxracing |
Alejandro Carrion | ESP | Kawasaki | Kawasaki GP Project |
Alessandro Zanca | ITA | Kawasaki | Kawasaki GP Project |
Alejandro D Rodriguez | ESP | Kawasaki | Kawasaki GP Project |
Thomas Brianti | ITA | Kawasaki | Prodina Team |
Hugo De Cancellis | FRA | Kawasaki | Prodina Team |
Dorren Loureiro | RSA | Kawasaki | Fusport – RT M by SKM |
Harry Khouri | AUS | Kawasaki | Fusport – RT by SKM |
Tom Booth-Amos | GBR | Kawasaki | Fusport – RT by SKM |
Ana Carrasco | ESP | Kawasaki | Kawasaki Provec |
Samuel Di Sora | FRA | Kawasaki | Leader Flembbo |
Sylvain Markarian | FRA | Kawasaki | Leader Flembbo |
Meikon Kawakami | BRA | Yamaha | AD78Â Brasil by MS |
Ton Kawakami | BRA | Yamaha | AD78 Brasil by MS |
Alfonso Coppola | ITA | Yamaha | Team Trasimeno |
Marc Garcia | ESP | Kawasaki | 2R Racing |
Joel Romero | ARG | Kawasaki | SMW Racing |
Indy Offer | GBR | Kawasaki | SMW Racing |
Inigo Iglesias | ESP | Kawasaki | SMW Racing |
Vicente Perez Selfa | ESP | Yamaha | Machado Came SBK |
Carlos Torres | MEX | Yamaha | Machado Came SBK |
Ruben Bijman | NED | Yamaha | Machado Came SBK |
Mirko Gennai | ITA | Yamaha | Team BRcorse |
Jose L P Gonzalez | ESP | Kawasaki | Accolade Smrz |
Victor R Nunez | ESP | Kawasaki | Accolade Smrz |
Antonio Frappola | ITA | Kawasaki | Chiodo Moto |
Victor Steeman | NED | KTM | Freudenberg |
Oliver Konig | CZE | Kawasaki | Movisio by MIE |
Devis Bergamini | ITA | Kawasaki | ProGP Racing |
Gabriele Mastroluca | ITA | Kawasaki | ProGP Racing |
James McManus | IRL | Kawasaki | Team#109 |
Johan Gimbert | FRA | Kawasaki | TPR Team Pedercini |
Dean Berta Vinales | ESP | Yamaha | Vinales Racing Team |
Kevin Sabatucci | ITA | Yamaha | Vinales Racing Team |
Petr Svoboda | CZE | Yamaha | WRP Wepol Racing |
2021 WorldSBK Calendar
Round | Location | Date |
R1 | Assen | 23-25 April |
R2 | Estoril | 7-9 May (STC) |
R3 | Aragon | 21-23 May |
R4 | Misano | 11-13 June |
R5 | Donington | 2-4 July |
R6 | Magny-Cours | 3-5 September |
R7 | Catalunya | 17-19 September |
R8 | Jerez | 24-26 September |
R9 | Portimao | 1-3 October |
R10 | San Juan | 15-17 October |
R11 | Mandalika | 12-14 November |
R12 | Phillip Island | STC |
R13 | TBC | TBA |