ROAD NEWS

Phillip Island track being resurfaced last year , organisers have declared the Australian Round of the SBK championship a Flag-to-Flag race . This decision comes in response to concerns regarding the unpredictable weather and wide range of track temperatures expected at Phillip Island from February 21-23 . Combined with the circuit ’ s unique layout and challenging surface , these factors have necessitated this precautionary measure to ensure the safety and competitiveness of the event . A similar approach was implemented successfully during the 2024 season following the circuit ’ s resurfacing . Following extensive analysis of the circuit ’ s characteristics , the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme ( FIM ) and Dorna WSBK Organisation ( DWO ) determined that rear tyres must not exceed 11 laps for the WorldSBK class and 10 laps for the WorldSSP class . As a result , the race distances for WorldSBK Race 1 and Race 2 will be set at 20 laps , with riders allocated two additional sets of tyres for the weekend . Gregorio Lavilla , WorldSBK Executive director , stated , “ Phillip Island is renowned for its thrilling , high-speed layout , but it also presents unique challenges due to its surface and rapidly changing weather . Despite improvements to the track conditions over time , it remains extremely demanding , especially if you bear in mind it will be the first round of the season where teams are still fine-tuning their basic set-up . Based on our experience at Phillip Island , we concluded that enforcing a mandatory pit stop is the best approach to uphold the quality of the racing . By adopting this format , we ’ re ensuring that all participants can compete under fair and secure conditions at what promises to be an exciting start to the season .”

KIWI RIDER 21