Image: Russell Colvin.

The iconic Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit will commence the 2026 Motul Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) season from February 20–22 next year.

Renowned for its rich motorsport history, the 4.445km seaside circuit has hosted more WorldSBK season openers than any other venue at 18 times in total.

It has also staged the most WorldSBK races of any track with 73 races to date, edging out TT Circuit Assen (71 races).

The 2026 event will mark the 35th time WorldSBK has raced at Phillip Island and the 37th time the championship has visited Australia. The first two Australian rounds were held at Sydney’s Oran Park in 1988 and 1989, before moving permanently to Phillip Island in 1990.

As tradition dictates, the final official pre-season test will take place on the Monday and Tuesday prior to the round, scheduled for February 16–17.

Phillip Island has long been a stronghold for Australian riders in WorldSBK, with five riders standing atop the podium over the years. Troy Corser leads the charge with an impressive seven wins, followed by Troy Bayliss with six, while Anthony Gobert claimed five victories, Kevin Magee took two, and Gary McCoy has one.

Australian success extends to the World Supersport Championship, in which Andrew Pitt secured two victories at the Island (2002 and 2008), joined by Kevin Curtain, Chris Vermeulen and Josh Brookes, who each claimed a single win each during their WorldSSP careers.