With superbike fans still recovering from the epic 2015 Superbike World Championship, many are already looking ahead to the 2016 championships to see if it can repeat the excitement of last year.

And with less than two months until the first race takes place, commentators, fans and bookmakers from all over the world are speculating on who can win this increasingly prestigious competition.

2015 recap

For the Northern Irish racer Jonathan Rea, the 2015 championships were a truly vintage year with a string of spectacular performances that saw him taking his Kawasaki bike to the top of the manufacturer leaderboard along with his team-mate Tom Sykes.

Rea’s title-clinching performance in Jerez and his exceptional display of superbike skill at Magny-Cours in France in October should mean that he will be the racer to beat in 2016. But the Ducati team will be keen to add to their fifteen manufacturer championships, whilst the Italian Aprilia team will also be desperate to improve upon the form displayed in 2015.

Rea’s return

For the 2016 season, there have already been encouraging signs for yet another successful year for Jonathan Rea. His official website has revealed several successful test sessions on his new Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R, and although he will still have a long way to go to replicate the success of superbike legend Carl Fogarty, the esteem with which Rea has been held by racing fans means that he could go the distance.

Many fans were outraged that Rea was overlooked for the Sports Personality of the Year Award, but with the competition gaining a great deal more exposure through mainstream television channels and even sports betting sites such as Bookmakers that feature all of the latest superbike news and odds, it’s expected that this could be the biggest year yet for the sport.

2016 expectations

The 2016 championship kicks off at the Australian Philip Island circuit on 26 February. Last year Rea started the competition in fine form with an excellent superpole position at the circuit, but he will be particularly keen to avenge his defeat by Tom Sykes at Donington Park when the UK instalment of the competition takes place on 27 May.

However, there will be new competition for Rea with the news that Australia’s Josh Hook will be joining the Grillini racing team and will be keen to show that despite being an outsider, he could still upset the bookmakers in what will prove to be yet another thrilling Superbike World Championship.




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