Artigas Takes Inaugural World Sportbike Crown

Kawasaki riders duel it out in a dramatic season finale

Xavi Artigas rode a calculated eighth-place finish in a chaotic Race 2 at Jerez to be crowned the first-ever FIM Sportbike World Champion, closing out the 2026 season eight points clear of David Salvador. The two Spaniards - both riding the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R - were the only riders with a mathematical chance of the championship heading into the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto, setting up a dramatic season finale.

Salvador carried a 12-point lead into the weekend, but a Race 1 collision with Carter Thompson at the final hairpin sent him down. Thompson was assessed a long-lap penalty, but the damage had been done. Salvador salvaged a non-scoring 22nd-place finish in Race 1, while Artigas maintained a strong pace to score the win. The Race 1 result flipped the standings, handing Artigas a 13-point cushion going into Sunday. That margin meant the #34 MTM Kawasaki only needed to keep Salvador within reach in Race 2 to secure the title.

Race 2 was anything but tidy for the title rivals. Starting seventh and eighth, both charged early, with Artigas and Salvador trading places and nearly coming to blows at Lap 4. Thompson was again the wildcard, breaking away from the field, leaving Artigas and Salvador to continue dueling. The two ran wide together at Turn 13 of Lap 8, while Artigas attempted a move at Lorenzo Corner, dropping the duo to P8 and P9. From there Salvador fought back to fourth while Artigas held firm in eighth, enough to seal it.

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Thompson won by 4.565 seconds over Antonio Torres, his second victory of the year, both coming in the final two rounds. Thompson's result also secured third in the standings over Torres, with Pepe Osuna taking his first WorldSPB podium in third.

Artigas' finale capped a furious comeback that saw him winning three of the final six races, with a second place finish at Cremona thrown in. That turned a 35-point deficit into a 245 to 237 advantage to win the inaugural Sportbike World Championship.

"When you are competitive and you start on the grid knowing you can win races and get podiums; you start to think more that you can do it," said Artigas.

Kawasaki dominated the 2027 Superbike season, winning the manufacturers' title, with three Ninja riders finishing in the top four. Thompson finished third overall on the Yamaha R7, but it was Triumph that finished second in the manufacturers title chase, thanks in large part to a run of eight consecutive podiums by Daytona 660 riders between rounds three and seven.