World Superbike organisers have confirmed a major overhaul of the race weekend format that will come into effect from the 2026 season, following a similar move previously introduced by sister championship MotoGP, also run by Dorna.
The new structure places greater emphasis on Saturday and Sunday, with World Superbike races positioned as the headline, closing events of both days. The change reinforces the sporting hierarchy of the championship and ensures the premier class delivers the climactic moments of each race day.
Until now, World Superbike races were often followed by contests from support categories. From 2026, however, the WorldSBK race will bring each day’s on-track action to a close, ensuring maximum focus on the championship’s top class.
Saturday’s schedule will begin at midday with the first WorldWCR race of the weekend. The newly introduced World Sportsbike class will follow at 1:00pm, ahead of the World Supersport race at 2:00pm. The opening World Superbike feature race will then conclude the day at 3:30pm.
Sunday’s programme kicks off with the World Superbike Superpole Race at 11:10 am, followed by the same running order as Saturday, and concludes once again with the main WorldSBK race.
The championship stated that it developed the updated schedule with key stakeholders to create a more intuitive and engaging flow for the race weekend. By ending both days with the WorldSBK race and its podium celebrations at the Paddock Show, fans will be able to experience the sporting climax of the day at the heart of the paddock.
“This structure underlines the sporting hierarchy of the championship while delivering a high-intensity, high-reward show across the full programme,” the statement added.
The 2026 World Superbike season will begin on 20–22 February at Phillip Island in Australia, marking the start of a new era for the production-based championship.