With the midway point of the FIM Supersport World Championship fast approaching, the Riders’ Championship sits wide open for the taking. After a dramatic Race 2 crash ended the weekend early for the top two title contenders, the rest of the field took full advantage to cut down the lead pair’s margin. Arriving at MotorLand Aragon, four riders sit within 38 points of P1, and current Championship leader Albert Arenas (AS BLU CRU Racing Team) will have his hands full trying to keep the lead trio behind him
ARENAS AT THE HEAD OF THE PACK
Albert Arenas (AS BLU CRU Racing Team) continues to ride with authority in his rookie season in the WorldSBK paddock. The 2020 Moto3 Champion was on a six-race podium finish streak before Race 2 of the last round saw his streak sent into the gravel after a collision with Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) generated no shortage of friction between the two. Arenas placed on the podium here back in 2015 in Moto3, and he will look to get back on the rostrum to protect his 19-point Championship lead. Valentin Debise (EASTROC ZXMOTO Factory Evan Bros Racing) arrives at Aragon as the clear hot hand after the Frenchman’s double at Most. His efforts sent him up to P2, just 19 points behind Arenas. He and his Chinese manufacturer continue to impress in 2026 as he holds five wins compared to the second most with two, and he’s hit his stride at the right time, as Aragon last year saw the Frenchman’s first win and his first podium double. In P3, Jaume Masia’s Race 2 at Most ended only laps after the #75’s did, seeing him unable to capitalise on the situation, and even lose his P2 title position as his margin remained as 36 points back from P1 and 17 back from Debise. It will be important for the #5 to take at least one podium to stabilise his title hopes.
ONCU AND OETTL ON THE BUBBLE
Can Oncu (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) has begun to ride with the speed many expected him to start the season with across the last two rounds, climbing from a Championship eighth place to start Assen’s Round 3, to now sitting in P4 and riding a five-podium streak. While he sits 38 points out from P1, his recent track record here of P1 and P2 in his last WorldSSP round here is a strong omen for the Turk as he hopes to keep his comeback rolling. Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team) took a pair of top tens last round, an improvement from a P6 and Race 2 crash out at Balaton, but a far cry from his debut race win if he wants to take advantage of the chaos at the top to make up time on the foursome ahead of him. Replicating his pair of fourth places or scoring a podium this round would be just what the doctor ordered to invigorate his charge up the order.
THREE-WAY TIE FOR SIXTH PLACE
Matteo Ferrari (WRP Racing) tied his second-best WorldSSP result at Most, doing just enough to lock him into a three-way tie for sixth place alongside Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) and Jeremy Alcoba (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team). The Frenchman’s late crash out of Race 2 from P4 was a tough pill to swallow, but Aragon will be a fresh pair of races to set his season straight. P13 and P8 last round from Jeremy Alcoba (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team) was a bit off the mark from his top six results as of late, but the sophomore rider will have to lay it on the line this weekend to break the P6 deadlock.
ZACCONE LOOKS FOR PODIUM GLORY
Alessandro Zaccone (Ecosantagata Althea Racing Team) enjoyed his best round since Assen last time out as he continued his hunt for his maiden podium in the class from eight points behind Alcoba. Roberto Garcia (GMT94 Yamaha) has been on a rotten stretch of luck across the last three rounds as the Spaniard has been showing more and more promising pace, yet crashes out from the group at the front have largely prevented his results from reflecting that. Aragon offers the opportunity to turn the page and build on the pace shown at Balaton Park, where the #37 landed his first podium. Tied with the Spanish rider is Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing), who has had an up-and-down season so far, showing strong pace to fight at the front, but only one podium and three top-five finishes so far from 2026, he will look to work together with teammate Oli Bayliss (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) who has shown encouraging signs of improvement so far this season, now just 11 points behind the Brit back in twelfth place.
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