While the off-season might be popular among riders and teams members who spend much of the year tackling the global slog that is international motorcycle racing, but for us impatient fans, we mostly spend it counting down the days to the start of another new season...

Thank goodness for the WorldSBK Championship then, which has over the past decade-plus traditionally been the series to chime in the new racing season just two months on from opening those Christmas presents.

This year will be no exception with Phillip Island now back in its traditional slot right at the top of the season. And because European winters mean Aussie summers, WorldSBK has set a tantalisingly close 23-25 February date for the start of the year.

The riders and teams won't have much time to prepare for the season ahead, however, with five of eight open-invite tests having already taken place in the weeks after the 2023 WorldSBK season.

It means there will be just two European opportunities - at Jerez and Portimao - towards the end of January, before the official pre-season test takes place at Phillip Island on the eve of the new season.

On the downside for 2024, however, is WorldSBK is spreading out its early rounds, so much so that only four events will have taken place by the time we get deep into July. By contrast, MotoGP will have just started its summer break at the Round 11 mark by then.

As such, Round 2 takes place a month after Round 1 and in a change to proceedings, that event will be held at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, which has been shifted up from a September date to a 22-24 March.

Round 3 at Assen is then on 19-21 April before we have another two months to kill before Round 4 at Misano on 14-16 June.

From Round 5 at Donington Park on 12-14 July though, things kick up a notch with Round 6 at Most a week later, while WorldSBK will forego its traditional August summer break in favour of visits to Portugal's Portimao and the new Balaton Park Circuit in Hungary representing Round 7 and Round 8.

Magny-Cours, the debuting Cremona Circuit in Italy and Aragon will keep fans busy in September and take us up to the season finale, Round 12 in Jerez on 11-13 October.

2024 WorldSBK Pre-Season Testing Schedule

2024 WorldSBK World Championship Calendar