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2023 in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship was incredible and 2024 is set to take that up another level as the excitement continues to build for a new era. Massive line-up switches and big new rule amendments mean everything has changed as riders try to beat Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) after he claimed last year’s title. Here, we’ve collated the big stories heading into the Grand Ridge Brewery Australian Round to ensure you’re on top of everything before the season starts.

A NEW ERA BEGINS: a massive grid shake-up and high-profile rookies…

The biggest stories coming into 2024 are some of the rider moves that occurred throughout last season. All triggered by Toprak Razgatlioglu’s move to the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team, it was closely followed by Jonathan Rea opting to leave Kawasaki for the Pata Prometeon Yamaha squad. With that transfer, a vacancy opened up at the Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK with Axel Bassani drafted in to fulfil his dream of becoming a factory rider.

Five rookies are set to take WorldSBK by storm, with MotoGP™ race winner Andrea Iannone already rapid throughout his test days so far this season. What will he be able to achieve in his debut season? Elsewhere, Sam Lowes and ELF Marc VDS Racing Team have continued their relationship from Moto2™ but with a new challenge as the Brit returns to the WorldSBK paddock. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) won the WorldSSP title in style last season and is rewarded with a move straight into the factory Ducati team, while the PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda outfit will run Tarran Mackenzie and Adam Norrodin. Read more about all five rookies here.

BIG RULE CHANGES: weight additions, superconcession changes and more

Announced towards the end of 2023 to come into effect for 2024, there have been some changes to the WorldSBK technical rules. A new weight limit – where riders have to add half the difference if they are under a reference weight – is one of the biggest changes. Concession and superconcession rules have had some revisions too, with the concession checkpoint now every two rounds rather than three and manufacturers earning concession points in the Tissot Superpole Race (previously, it was just Race 1 and Race 2). There’s also a reduction in fuel tank capacity to 21 litres. Check out full details of the new rules HERE, plus read WorldSBK Executive Director Gregorio Lavilla explaining the changes when they were announced last year.

2024 SEASON PREVIEW: your FREE guide to the unmissable season

With everything that has changed this year, it's imperative to watch the season preview show before racing gets underway. Interviews with key figures, including all the riders, make it a must-see while the five factory team managers also give their thoughts on the upcoming campaign. The riders also do their best to name just one rival for 2024, although some end up saying multiple names, plus you can hear from Lavilla about the new season.

TO KNOW FOR THE TEST: essential links and details

Before racing starts next week, the Official Test takes place on Monday (for WorldSSP) and Tuesday (for WorldSBK) – check out the full schedule here. The Official Programme for Australia is available here detailing entry lists, schedules and some exciting articles about figures past and present from within WorldSBK. If you want to relive the 2023 season just before 2024 starts, watch last season’s review show for FREE on YouTube, while there are also some amazing documentaries to watch. ‘Unrepeatable’ – detailing Jonathan Rea’s incredible nine seasons with KRT – is on YouTube, while ‘ONE’ follows Alvaro Bautista’s 2023 campaign as he became a back-to-back Champion.

A NEW ERA BEGINS: don’t miss a single moment from 2024 using the WorldSBK VideoPass!