Pirelli has been confirmed as the sole tyre supplier for the WorldSBK championship until at least 2026 thanks to a new three-year extension of the deal which was scheduled to expire at the end of 2023.
The extension of Pirelli’s contract with WorldSBK confirms the continuation of a relationship that stretches back to 2004, when Pirelli first became WorldSBK’s sole tyre supplier.
By now, Pirelli and Superbikes are synonymous with each other, not only in the World Championship but also in national series such as BSB, where Pirelli has also proved successful.
Gregorio Lavilla, WorldSBK Executive Director for DWO, said: "Pirelli has proved time and again to be a perfect match for WorldSBK as our sole Official Tyre Supplier. Not only does our partnership ensure a great level of quality and performance to our teams and riders throughout the season on a wide variety of venues, but they also completely embraced the values and philosophy of the Championship by bringing to the race track the products they offer to motorcyclists.
"WorldSBK has evolved through numerous eras and phases since we started to work with Pirelli and the fact that we've been building on this mutually beneficial collaboration over the past 20 years is unprecedented. So, it's with great enthusiasm, that we're looking towards the future of WorldSBK and Pirelli together as the Championship evolves and new challenges arise."
Aldo Nicotera, Senior Vice-President and Head of Moto and Cycling Pirelli, said: “This year we are celebrating an important milestone: in fact, it has been 20 years that we have been alongside the FIM Superbike World Championship as Sole Supplier for all classes. A road, begun in 2004, which represented the first example of a single-tyre formula in the history of top motorsport competitions and which, years later, has proven to be a winning choice, later followed by other championships.
"Motorsport has historically been an integral part of Pirelli's DNA and this renewal is in line with our corporate strategy which sees World Superbike as a key platform for the development of our motorcycle tyres, starting with racing and super sports tyres. We are happy to continue this adventure alongside Dorna, the teams and riders until 2026 whilst continuing to offer motorcyclists from all over the world tyres that contain the best of Superbike-derived technology."
The news was announced on the weekend of the fourth round of the 2023 WorldSBK championship in Barcelona. There, Pirelli has introduced a new front tyre for the first time, as the SC0 compound makes its debut at the front. For now, it is a development option, but the plan is for it to become a standard tyre by 2024.
