New WorldSBK Class to Capitalise on “Growing Market Segment”

WorldSBK will introduce a new support class in 2026, as World Supersport 300 will be replaced by something actually quite familiar.

The 2026 arrival date for the new class means there will be one more season for the 300 class after this year, in which it is currently being led by Inigo Iglesias.

WorldSBK says WorldSSP300 “has fulfilled its mission of providing a sustainable and affordable platform for emerging talents to enter the World Championship.”

Of the new class, it says that the goal is to smooth the progression through the WorldSBK ladder, particularly the step between the entry-level class and the intermediate class, World Supersport.

“One of the key objectives of this new initiative,” WorldSBK says, “is to smoothen the progression path for riders moving up to the larger classes, particularly to the FIM Supersport World Championship. 

“By closing the performance gap between the entry and intermediate classes, the aim is to create a more seamless transition for riders, fostering their development and preparing them for the competitive demands of higher categories.”

Aprilia RS 660.

Additionally, WorldSBK says that the new class will “showcase machinery that reflects a growing market segment,” and that it will “feature nimble bikes with more powerful mid-tier capacity engines”. 

Details of those engines are yet to be finalised, but it’s expected that the class will reflect a class like the MotoAmerica Twins Cup or the National Sportbike Championship that debuted in BSB this year. Expect bikes like the Kawasaki Ninja 650, Aprilia RS 660, Triumph Daytona 660, and Yamaha R7 (which is currently the bike used in the one-make WorldWCR women’s championship) all balanced in a similar way to that seen in the Supersport ‘Next Generation’ rules.

World Supersport 300 has been WorldSBK’s entry class since 2017, and has produced two top riders: Adrian Huertas is currently leading the World Supersport Championship for the factory Aruba.it Racing Ducati team by 11 points, and Manuel Gonzalez is a four-time podium finisher in the Moto2 World Championship.

However, it is also a class that has been criticised for its racing product. Heavy, underpowered motorcycles mean that pack racing is the standard for the class, with talented riders unable to separate themselves such is the impact of the slipstream. Furthermore, it’s an especially dangerous style of racing, and the WorldSSP300 class has seen two deaths in its seven-and-a-bit seasons to date.