Consistency takes rookie to the title
Albert Arenas wrapped up the 2026 FIM Supersport World Championship, clinching the crown with a fourth-place finish in Race 1 at Estoril. The AS BLU CRU Racing rider won the title in his debut WorldSSP season, moving over from Moto2, where he finished eighth in the 2025 standings.
Consistency rather than outright pace carried the title for Arenas, who scored just three victories, taking his maiden win in only his second outing back at Phillip Island before adding further victories at Balaton Park and Misano. Arenas landed on the podium 16 times across 21 races, including 11 runner-up finishes. He retired from three races, and in the races he finished, his lowest result was a single fifth-place result in Race 1 at Algarve. In a season that produced a record nine different race winners, that was enough to bulldoze a field that included quicker outright rivals like Valentin Debise, who sits second on the Zxmoto 820RR-RS.
"Starting from the very first race, where we fought for the lead and then won in the second race, we have been able to be so consistent throughout the season, fighting for wins when we could or the podium or best result possible when not," said Arenas. "I am so happy with this achievement."
Arenas joins Dominique Aegerter, Andrea Locatelli, Sandro Cortese, and Cal Crutchlow as riders who have won the Supersport title in their first full season. He did it despite limited winter testing and being new to the Yamaha R9.
The title is the second straight Riders' Championship for the R9, following Stefano Manzi's 2025 campaign, in only the machine's second season of WorldSSP competition. Yamaha also secured the 2026 Manufacturers' crown in Portugal, a record-extending 12th in the class, aided by wins from Can Öncü and Roberto Garcia aboard the R9. AS BLU CRU Racing rounded out the sweep with the Teams' Championship.
"What impressed me most was that even on the weekends where he wasn't able to fight for the win, he was always there, scoring points and never giving up," said Yamaha Motor Europe's Niccolò Canepa. "That consistency is what wins championships, and Albert has done that brilliantly this year."
Become a Motorcycle.com insider. Get the latest motorcycle news first by subscribing to our newsletter.