PREVIEW: WorldSSP titles on the line at Estoril as Arenas hopes to hold off his rivals and seal 2026 on top
Source & Photo: WORLDSBK
Knives are out in Portugal as the WorldSSP Riders’ title, Teams’ title and Manufacturers’ title can each be won as early as Race 1
The FIM Supersport World Championship unpacks their bags in Portugal ahead of what will be a decisive penultimate Tissot Estoril Round. All three of the class’s titles are up for grabs at the Circuito Estoril, but it will take an upset to prevent Albert Arenas (AS BLU CRU Racing Team) from bagging the Riders’ Championship, while the Teams’ and Manufacturers’ Championship can also be decided.
ARENAS LOOKING TO SEAL THE DEAL
It’s been a rock-solid debut season for the 2020 Spanish Moto3 World Champion: 16 podiums from 20 races so far, plus just two non-DNF results off the podium, have put Arenas in a prime position to close out this 2026 season as the new WorldSSP Champion. He’s currently on a three-race streak of second-place finishes, and if he can keep that podium pace in Race 1, he’ll seal the title. A podium finish secures the title regardless of Valentin Debise’s results, while Arenas can afford to lose up to 10 points in Race 1 to be crowned Champion. Hoping to prevent that, Valentin Debise (EASTROC ZXMOTO Factory Evan Bros Racing) has his work cut out for him and will need some help from other riders to finish ahead of the #75 as well. Arenas currently holds an 86-point lead in the Riders’ title, and 75 points will remain after Race 1, meaning that if the Frenchman doesn’t outscore Arenas by at least 11 points in the opening race, the Spaniard will be crowned. Fortunately for him, Estoril is a circuit at which the #53 has enjoyed good results in the past, including a Race 1 win here last season on a Ducati V2 with Renzi Corse and a Race 2 podium back in 2024 on a Yamaha R6 during his first stint with the Evan Bros team.
As for the Teams’ title, it’s similarly promising for Arenas’s AS BLU CRU Racing Team; if he and Aldi Mahendra can lose fewer than 29 points to the ZXMOTO riders in Race 1, the title is theirs. Lastly, in the Manufacturers’ Championship, Yamaha holds a 92-point lead with 100 points remaining, meaning Yamaha can win the title in Race 1 if they lose no more than 16 points to Ducati.
A BATTLE FOR THIRD IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP
After a strong round at Magny-Cours, Can Oncu (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) faltered early at Cremona. A Lap 5 crash from P4 spoiled his podium bid in Race 1, and a P11 in Race 2 sent him back to P4 in the title standings, eight points behind Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura). The gap is marginal with two rounds still remaining and he took his first podium at Estoril last season with a Race 1 P3, but Oncu will need to improve his consistency if he wants to prevent future headaches. As for Masia, the Spanish rider enjoyed a consistent round at Cremona, finishing both races inside the top eight for the first time since Aragon. He hopes to keep his forward momentum and return to the podium at Estoril. 29 points behind Oncu, Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) looks to be making a play to rejoin the fight for third in the Championship. The Brit bounced back from an unfortunate round at Magny-Cours with a return to the podium for the first time since his domination at Donington Park.
ALCOBA MAKING A LATE CHARGE UP THE ORDER
Jeremy Alcoba (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team) moved up to sixth in the standings after an incredible showing at Cremona: his first pole, and not just a maiden win, but a maiden double that earned him 50 out of 50 available points. He now sits just four points behind the #69, and after earning his maiden WorldSSP podium last season at Estoril, the #52 will hope to close out this season even stronger than he did in 2025, when he took podiums in the final two rounds. A Race 1 crash with Simon Jespersen (EAB Racing Team) shook up Roberto Garcia’s (GMT94 Yamaha) weekend at Cremona, and while he was able to salvage a point from Race 1 despite a back of the grid start for leaving pit lane late as his team scrambled to finish their repairs, Garcia retired from Race 2 to end the round with a single point. The rider from Seville took P4 here last season, and he could prove a dark horse to snag a podium in Portugal. Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team) returned to the top ten with a P7 in Race 2 in Italy after an unlucky round at Magny-Cours. Keep an eye on the German this weekend, as the #65 has missed the podium only twice in six races here, including a second place last season on the same Ducati V2 machinery.
FERRARI AND MAHENDRA SPAR IN THE FINAL TOP TEN SPOTS
Matteo Ferrari (WRP Racing) overtook Aldi Mahendra (AS BLU CRU Racing Team) for P9 in the standings at Cremona thanks to P6 and P9 in the weekend’s races. Expect both riders to give nothing away as they fight for P9. Ferrari rode here in 2025 unlike Mahendra, who will be competing in his first WorldSSP round here; however, the Italian’s off-pace results that weekend make it tough to pick a favourite between the pair. Behind them, Alessandro Zaccone (Ecosantagata Althea Racing Team) will hope to break into the top ten from P11, just ten points behind the Indonesian; Italian rider Filippo Farioli (VFT Racing) will look to string together more positive results after his breakout maiden podium in the class last round and has been fighting at the front with the lead Yamaha riders over the last two rounds.
ROSSI AWAITS VERDICT FROM THE MEDICAL CENTRE
After retiring from Race 2 early at Cremona, Riccardo Rossi (Cerba Yamaha Racing Team) will await the all-clear from the medical centre before he can compete at Estoril. If he’s ruled fit, he will join this weekend’s home hero wildcard rider Goncalo Capote, who will make his debut in the paddock from his full-time ride this season in the FIM Stock European Championship.