Albert Arenas (AS BLU CRU Racing Team) is the FIM Supersport World Champion in his rookie campaign. The #75 secured the title in Race 1 at the Circuito Estoril with a rare finish off the podium, coming home in fourth place after a fierce fight at the front of the field. With title rival Valentin Debise (EASTROC ZXMOTO Evan Bros Factory) finishing sixth from 17th on the grid, it was enough to wrap up the Championship with a round to spare.
THE JOURNEY TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP
Arenas moved into the WorldSSP paddock this season with the AS BLU CRU Racing Team, with Andrea Quadranti’s team switching from MV Agusta machinery to Yamaha with Arenas and Aldi Mahendra. It was a switch that immediately paid off, with Arenas winning in Race 2 at Phillip Island in his debut weekend. From there, he claimed victories in Race 2 at Balaton Park and Race 2 at Misano, but it was his podium consistency that helped him to the title: 16 podiums from 21 races meant he held a significant advantage over Debise, despite the Frenchman winning twice as many races.
WRAPPING IT UP
Arenas knew a podium finish would give him the title in Race 1 at Estoril regardless of Debise’s results and, despite starting from the third row, was immediately in podium contention – and fighting for victory too. On the last lap, he was getting involved in the fight for P1 with Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) and his teammate, Oli Bayliss, perhaps taking more risks than needed. Eventually, he lost out to Jeremy Alcoba (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team), finishing fourth, but securing the title despite Debise’s comeback.
“THE FIRST TITLE WAS A CHILDHOOD DREAM CAME TRUE. THIS TITLE IS SUPER SPECIAL BECAUSE I’M NOW MORE CONSCIOUS ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS”
Discussing his title win, which is his second World Championship after Moto3 in 2020, Arenas said: “It feels so, so good, so special to give this title to my team, especially after they did such an incredible job all season. It’s amazing how much hard work they and Yamaha put in. It’s been super special to start from Race 1, getting the win then being able to be so consistent; I’m super, super happy about the achievement. It was a nice, nice Championship. I wanted to win this race, but there were two Triumph rocket ships. I gave it my 100% and it was a nice fight with contact. It was a bit of a hectic race, but happy to finish it and claim the title. The first title was incredible, and a childhood dream came true. This title was super special because I’m now much more conscious about what it means. It’s been building over the last year, working for it, and slowly starting to believe in it. It tastes really well. I want to enjoy this moment, but of course, I want to repeat it.”
YAMAHA’S TRIPLE CROWN
It was a day of celebrations for Yamaha. Arenas’ result secured the Riders’ Championship for the second season in a row, while the Japanese brand also secured the Manufacturers’ Championship for the 12th time. And, to cap off a memorable day, the AS BLU CRU Racing Team secured the Teams’ Championship after a long journey for Quadranti and his squad.
“EVERYTHING WAS LAST MINUTE, BUT I’M TRULY AMAZED BY THE JOB THEY DID DURING THE WHOLE SEASON”
Reflecting on Yamaha’s 2026 success, Nicolo Canepa, Road Racing Sporting Manager at Yamaha Motor Europe, said: “We’re super happy, I want to congratulate the team because they did a really fantastic job. They are new to Yamaha, so we started together at the beginning of the season and it wasn’t easy. Everything was last minute, but I’m truly amazed by the job they did during the whole season. We knew that Albert was our main rider to fight for the title and he really met that expectation.
“I CHOSE ALBERT BECAUSE I WAS CONVINCED THAT HE COULD DO WELL, EVEN THOUGH THERE WERE MANY TRACKS HE DIDN’T KNOW”
An emotional Quadranti, Team Manager at AS BLU CRU Racing Team, added: “I have to say it’s kind of a strange feeling. When you win a race, the feeling is different. It’s like an explosion of adrenaline and satisfaction. In this case, maybe because we didn’t end up on the podium, I have this mixed feeling. It’s something that should make you happy because it’s much bigger than one win, which is something that happened somewhere else. It’s my first time as a World Champion. Maybe tomorrow, I’ll realise and appreciate it more. I chose Albert because I was convinced that he could do well, even though there were many tracks he didn’t know. This season was great. His way to stay focused on races throughout the Championship, without making mistakes, so we knew it could be an amazing season. The biggest part is Albert keeping cool when riding. If he sees he can’t win, he takes what he can out of it. Being consistent in this Championship is very important. I’m happy about the Teams’ Championship as well. It praises the hard work my team has done for many years.”
Tune in for the final WorldSSP race at Estoril this season with Race 2 kicking off on Sunday at 14:00 (Local Time UTC +1)! Watch Live and OnDemand with the WorldSBK VideoPass! Now just €9.99!