Freight issues force Pirelli to air freight tyres in for WorldSBK Test at P.I.

3 months ago 61

ARTICLE AD BOX

WorldSBK 2026

Dorna WSBK Organisation (DWO) has confirmed a delay to a tyre shipment bound for the opening round of the 2026 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit.

The issue relates to an unforeseen complication within third-party sea freight logistics contracted for the event. DWO clarified that the delay occurred outside the operational scope of Pirelli.

Air freight activated for official test

Upon notification, DWO immediately informed Pirelli, triggering an internal contingency protocol. An additional supply of tyres has been released and will be transported by air freight to Melbourne to support the official pre-event test scheduled for Monday, 16 and Tuesday, 17 February.

While not all of the originally planned test allocation may be available, DWO and Pirelli have stated that teams and riders will retain access to a representative and competitive tyre range for their testing programmes.

DWO acknowledged Pirelli’s cooperation in addressing the situation and reiterated its commitment to maintaining operational standards across all official sessions.

Race schedule hopefully unaffected

Importantly for teams and fans, race tyre allocation for the Australian Round remains unchanged. The delayed sea freight shipment is expected to arrive in sufficient time to prepare for the event, which commences on Friday, 20 February. At this stage, the contingency measures appear sufficient to ensure minimal disruption to testing and no impact on race weekend operations.