The FIM Supersport World Championship season prepares for its grand finale at the Circuito de Jerez - Angel Nieto, Andalucia, with the final accolades up for grabs at the Pirelli Spanish Round. All three titles were wrapped up at Estoril, but razor-thin margins separate riders in the top ten positions, including the coveted third-place spot.
TOP 2 POSITIONS SIGNED AND SEALED
Albert Arenas (AS BLU CRU Racing Team) locked down the 2026 Riders’ Championship in Race 1 at Estoril last round as well as closing out the Teams’ and Manufacturers’ titles for a Yamaha clean sweep. He finished ahead of Valentin Debise (EASTROC ZXMOTO Factory Evan Bros Racing), who clinched second place in the Riders’ title in his Chinese manufacturer’s first season in the class.
THREE-WAY DOGFIGHT FOR THIRD PLACE
Several accolades still remain up for grabs, however, including the Riders’ Championship bronze medal, which is shaping up to go down to the wire in Spain. Can Oncu (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) currently holds third place, five points ahead of Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) and Jeremy Alcoba (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team). The Turkish rider had a chaotic weekend in Portugal, crashing out of the lead in Race 1 and finishing P21; then, in Race 2, the #61 rode like a man possessed to salvage a strong result in P4 . Rain or shine, he attacked into Turn 1 and managed a fourth place to snatch P3 in the standings. third-place position. He took third, then fourth here last season, so anticipate another hard-charging podium fight from the #61. The two Spaniards sit tied in fourth with 229 points. Alcoba arrives in better form than the other home rider, following his first career double at Cremona with a Race 1 P3 and a Race 2 win at Estoril, and he took second place in Jerez’s Race 1 last season. Masia will hope to put his recent form behind him as he hasn’t been on the podium in the last three round, and will anxiously hope he is ruled fit, as he was diagnosed with a partially fractured second metatarsal in his left foot. Working in the Valencian’s favour, he won the opening race here in 2025, creating a three-way battle for third that’s too close to call.
BOOTH-AMOS SHOOTING FOR THE PIRELLI BEST LAP AWARD BEST LAPS
Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) won the first race last round at Estoril before crashing out of Race 2 before the red-flag restart. While he is within 17 points of P3, making a bronze medal finish possible, the Pirelli Best Lap award is tied between the Brit and French rider Debise, with two races remaining, and will go down to the final race.
GARCIA VS OETTL FOR P7
43 points behind the Brit in P7, Roberto Garcia (GMT94 Yamaha) will await the all-clear from the medical centre after Oncu hit his right leg in the run into Turn 1 at Estoril’s Race 2, where he was diagnosed with a sprain and a contusion. German Rider Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team) has seen his results trend to the latter half of the top ten as the 2026 season has continued, but he’s been consistent as ever, rarely missing the top 10, and a P6 finish at Estoril might pique his appetite at Jerez – where he has earned two podiums back in 2020 and 2021, both on Kawasaki machinery – as he sits just five points behind Garcia.
FERRARI LEADS A MAD DASH AT THE BACK OF THE TOP TEN
In P9, Matteo Ferrari (WRP Racing) enjoyed podium finishes at Jerez in MotoE back in 2022 and 2020; he leads Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha), who occupies the final position in the top ten. Mahias found another gear at Estoril, starting from P2 in Race 1, and took back-to-back fifth-place finishes despite leading stretches of both races. Mahias is just one point ahead of Ferrari’s countryman Alessandro Zaccone (Ecosantagata Althea Racing Team), who celebrated a MotoE podium of his own here back in 2021. Zaccone sits 3 ahead of WorldSSP sophomore Aldi Mahendra (AS BLU CRU Racing Team), who fought for the podium at Estoril before he crashed from P2 two laps prior to the chequered flag missed last season's round at Jerez with injury. Further down the order, French rider Corentin Perolari (Honda Racing World Supersport) looks to lock up the WorldSSP Challenge award, and he will do so if he can outscore Raffaele de Rosa (QJMOTOR Factory Racing) by a single point and lose at most four points to any other challenge rider. If De Rosa starts both races, he will become the first rider to ever ride in 200 WorldSSP races.
NAVARRO RETURNS REPLACING BAYLISS
After making his debut at Magny-Cours this season, Spanish rider Jorge Navarro (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) will ride again in WorldSSP at home as he replaces Oli Bayliss. He took P7 in his maiden race, so look for him to fight for a top-ten finish again. Despite crashing out of both races, Eric Fernandez (Cerba Yamaha Racing Team) impressed with his speed in his WorldSSP debut at Estoril. The Spanish rider led Race 1 before crashing and will look to raise eyebrows again at home as he returns for his second round. Fellow Spanish rider Hector Garzo was ruled unfit at Estoril from a functional impairment he suffered with his left wrist contusion; he’ll look to get back to competing at home in Estoril if he is ruled fit.
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