The FIM Supersport World Championship returns to Italy for a critical weekend at the Cremona Circuit, at which each of the category’s three titles could be won. Albert Arenas (AS BLU CRU Racing Team) currently leads in the Riders’ Championship by a tall 70-point margin, and with 100 points remaining after the round, Arenas could clinch the title if he can outscore rivals Valentin Debise (EASTROC ZXMOTO Factory Evan Bros Racing) by 31 points, Can Oncu (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) by six, and making sure not to lose points to Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura).
TWO MORE TITLES UP IN THE AIR
Manufacturers’ and Teams’ titles are also up for grabs at Cremona, the former the more plausible of the two, as Yamaha’s 72-point lead means the Japanese manufacturer will win in Race 2 if they can outscore Ducati by 29 points over the course of the round. As for the Teams’ title, it’s a more complicated affair. The AS BLU CRU Racing Team will win the title in Race 2 if they can outscore EASTROC ZXMOTO Factory Evan Bros Racing by 31 points, GMT94 Yamaha by 15/16 depending on results; while also losing 10 or fewer points to Orelac Racing VerdNatura, 11 or fewer to PTR Triumph Factory Racing, and 34 points to Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing.
ARENAS CLOSES IN ON RIDERS’ TITLE
Taking another step forward with his Race 2 podium in France, Arenas’s title lead has been painstakingly carved out through podium consistency and unshakeable composure to overcome several costly DNFs. 14 podiums over 18 races speaks for itself, and the benefit of such a campaign is that he doesn’t need to find another gear to clinch the title. If he can keep his podium pace, he can win the title; perhaps not at Cremona, but the #75 smells blood in the water. Currently riding runner-up, Debise has become one of the category’s breakout stars in the last season, leading in wins with six P1 finishes so far, the Frenchman will hope to carry the form he found in France of a podium double after what has been an up and down season wrought with inconsistency. Considering this late juncture in the campaign, and the #75’s penchant for podium finishes, his best shot at pulling off a title comeback will be to win both races here outright. Doing so would move him up to seventh all-time for wins in a single season, tying Kenan Sofuoglu. Speaking of Turkish riders, one of Sofuoglu’s students, Oncu credited his improved performance at Magny-Cours to hard work spurred on by his mentor over the summer break; his P1 and P4 over the weekend’s two races bumped him up into P3 in the title race. Look for his penchant for pole position to send him up to the fight at the front early on.
MASIA ON THE BACK FOOT IN P3 CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT
Masia and Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) arrive to Cremona on the back of a tough outing in France, with the Spaniard losing his third-place Championship position to the #61, now six points behind the Turk. Fortunately for the rider from Valencia, he was impressive at Cremona last year, taking P4 and a P3 podium in Race 2. Masia now has his 2027 future secured in the form of a seat with the Kawasaki WorldSSP Team alongside David Salvador (Team ProDina Kawasaki XCI) who will arrive in 2027 from WorldSPB where he currently leads the title. Booth-Amos was just two rounds ago on top of the world, having done the double at home, yet Magny-Cours was uphill all weekend, failing to score points after P25 in Race 1 due to a penalised action by Mattia Casadei (D34G WorldSSP Racing Team) sending the Brit off-track at Turn 5, and a DNF to close the weekend. He will hope for a return to pace in Italy to stabilise his P5 position, as P6 rides close behind. Roberto Garcia (GMT94 Yamaha) had been a frequent face in the podium fight all season and finally hit his mark atop the rostrum at Magny-Cours. Garcia has found himself shuffled off the podium late in races; a notion he’s looking to rewrite over the final three rounds of 2026. Getting the monkey off his back and landing his first win last round, Garcia is looking to take fifth off of Booth-Amos, just a point behind the Brit.
OETTL HOPES TO RIGHT THE SHIP AS ALCOBA LOOMS BEHIND
25 points behind the #37, Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team) had a tough outing at Magny-Cours, crashing in the Tissot Superpole session and looking uncomfortable all weekend. He failed to score points, however he will need to return to his habitual pace to fend off Spanish rider Jeremy Alcoba (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team). The Kawasaki rider made a return to the podium at Donington Park, and while he struggled in Race 1 at Magny-Cours, finishing P15; he returned to his strong recent form in Race 2, finishing P5. These results have him now breathing down the #65’s neck, a single point behind the German in P7. Well within a single round’s striking distance, Indonesian rider Aldi Mahendra (AS BLU CRU Racing Team) and Alessandro Zaccone (Ecosantagata Althea Racing Team) ride in P9 and P10, 12 points behind Alcoba, and Zaccone a further 4 points behind Mahendra.
SOFUOGLU TO JOIN QJMOTOR
Big rider market news for the WorldSSP class; WorldSBK’s Bahattin Sofuoflu has put pen to paper with Chinese manufacturer QJMOTOR Factory Racing. The Turk will compete atop the SRK 800 RS for the rest of the season. After suffering a crash over the summer in British Superbike, Oli Bayliss (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) is hoping to return at Cremona pending a medical check on Thursday. The Aussie looks to be on the mend however as he competed in BSB at Assen recently, winning both races. Riccardo Rossi (Renzi Corse) is also hoping to make his return to the grid at home but will await the verdict from the medical centre. As the round’s only wildcard rider, Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Promodriver) will ride at home on a Yamaha R9.
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