2024 WSBK calendar includes just one round outside Europe

Australia will be the only overseas destination on the 2024 schedule, with Phillip Island staging the opening round on 23-25 February following a pre-season test the week before.

The Mandalika Circuit in Indonesia has been dropped after just three seasons, likely due to the track’s financial problems, while Circuito San Juan Villicum will also not return in 2024 after this year’s Argentina round was cancelled due to political reasons.

WSBK has filled this shortfall of flyaway rounds by adding two new venues in Europe, namely Balaton Park and Cremona Circuit, while renewing deals with existing events in the same continent.

The new Balaton Park circuit, which was inaugurated in May earlier this year, will host the eighth round of the season on 23-25 August. It will mark Hungary’s return to WSBK after over three decades, the series having last visited the country in 1990 when it raced at the Hungaroring.

The addition of Cremona, meanwhile, will mean Italy will feature twice on the 2024 calendar, with the popular Misano circuit retaining its usual June slot. The 3.4km track will hold its maiden WSBK event on 20-22 September, just under a month after the inaugural Balaton Park event.

Cremona effectively takes the place vacated by Imola, which is the only European venue that has been dropped off the 2024 calendar.

All other races have been retained, although the order in which they take place has been shuffled.

Barcelona and Assen have swapped places, with the Spanish track now hosting the second round of the season on 22-24 March in order to fill the gap left by Mandalika’s absence.

Donington Park and Most rounds are now scheduled as back-to-back rounds, while Algarve has been moved forward to 9-11 August as the eighth round of the season.

Magny-Cours splits the two new races in Hungary and Italy, while the championship will conclude with two trips to Spain, as Aragon and Jerez bring the curtain down to the 2024 season.

The title-deciding races at Jerez will take place on 11-13 October, marking a relatively early end to the season.

2024 WSBK calendar:

23rd – 25th February: Phillip Island, Australia

22nd – 24th March: Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Spain

19th – 21st April: TT Circuit Assen, the Netherlands

14th – 16th June: Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli”, Italy

12th – 14th July: Donington Park, United Kingdom

19th – 21st July: Autodrom Most, Czech Republic

9th – 11st August: Autodromo Internacional do Algarve, Portugal

23rd – 25th August: Balaton Park Circuit, Hungary*

6th – 8th September: Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, France

20th – 22nd September: Cremona Circuit, Italy*

27th – 29th September: MotorLand Aragon, Spain

11th – 13th October: Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto

*subject to homologation