2020 WorldSBK calendar adds Circuit de Barcelona Catalunya

The 2020 WorldSBK Championship will visit the Circuit de Barcelona Catalunya in Spain, it has been confirmed.

A ubiquitous venue on the motorsport scene since its inauguration in 1991, the circuit based near Barcelona has been present on the MotoGP World Championship calendar since 1992, a year after it began hosting the F1 Spanish Grand Prix. 

Indeed, it has hosted a round during each season of MotoGP since 1992 but has never featured once on the WorldSBK calendar. This will change next year with an event taking place on 18-20 September 2020.

It could potentially become the third Spanish event on the schedule after Motorland Aragon and Jerez, a move that makes the most of Alvaro Bautista’s popularity and the arrival of the Spanish-based HRC Honda team. 

Question marks over the 2020 WorldSBK calendar

It’s not clear if the Circuit de Barcelona Catalunya is a like-for-like September replacement or part of a calendar rearrangement.

Unusually, the 2020 WorldSBK calendar hasn’t been revealed even provisionally as yet, suggesting it could be in line for a shake-up – especially after the furore that occurred in Argentina when riders accused the FIM of knowingly homologated a circuit that wasn’t up to standard.

One event that we know won’t be taking place as it was this year is Thailand, which has seen its March slot assumed by MotoGP. It’s unclear if it’s been moved or scrapped altogether, though the latter would be surprising give it is the highest-attended event on average.

If the Barcelona round is a like-for-like replacement, that would be for Portimao whch currently holds the post-summer break spot. However, the Portuguese race has skipped around in terms of dates before so it’s no indicator it has been dropped completely.

Laguna Seca was also said to be under threat but the signing of Garrett Gerloff could be set to save the event.