THE World Superbike championship has revealed a new three-race format for 2019 which will be launched in the Australian round at Phillip Island in February.

The “triple-treat” weekend was announced on Friday morning (EDT) rights holders DORNA.

An extra sprint race will be run on the Sunday morning, adding to the current Saturday and Sunday afternoon race.

Phillip Island circuit managing director Fergus Cameron welcomed the move.

“World Superbikes is always about action, lots and lots of back-to-back racing,’’ he said.

“A third race will escalate the intensity of competition to a level unheard of before.”

The Australian round, the first of the 2019 season, will be held on February 22-24.

The Argentinian round of the WSBK series will be held this weekend, with champion Jonathan Rea hoping to extend his run of eight straight victories.

Northern Irishman Rea has already secured the 2018 crown, his fourth consecutive world title.

Italian Marco Melandri won both races at Phillip Island this year, breaking Rea’s three-year stranglehold on the Australian round.