Albert Arenas, farewell to Moto2 and a future in Supersport: new challenge with AS Racing and Yamaha

The Superbike World Championship is on, but it’s in Supersport. Albert Arenas will be one of the riders for AS Racing, Andrea Quadranti’s team (parting ways with MV Agusta), taking on the challenge aboard a blisteringly fast Yamaha R9, fresh off both the manufacturers’ title and the riders’ title with Stefano Manzi. After this week’s confirmation of his departure from Moto2 and the Grand Prix paddock in general, the 2020 Moto3 World Champion is ready to embark on a new challenge. The latest rumor we reported concerned possible interest from Motocorsa, which would have meant Superbike; instead, as with several predecessors—Manzi and Locatelli included—Supersport will be the new destination for the Spanish rider.

Alongside him will be Aldi Satya Mahendra, the 2024 Supersport 300 World Champion: his rookie season in Supersport with Evan Bros was marred by injury; in 2026 he’ll restart with a different structure but still on an R9. As mentioned, AS Racing thus concludes its collaboration with MV Agusta after a full 10 years between Superbike and Supersport, embracing an intriguing new challenge for the organization as well. The Yamaha armada in WorldSSP grows, together with the Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing team of Can Öncü and Yuki Okamoto and GMT94 Yamaha, which will field Roberto Garcia and Lucas Mahias. The stated goal is the triple crown—or rather, a repeat after achieving it this year on debut with the new bike.

"A new challenge and a new championship for me," said the Spanish rider. "A great opportunity to build my racing career and get back to winning. I arrive highly motivated and with the mindset of continuing to grow as a rider. My goal is clear: to be as competitive as possible and ride to the best of my abilities. Being part of a factory-supported structure with backing from Yamaha is something that motivates me, and I have great confidence in the project’s potential. I want to thank Yamaha and the team for the trust and confidence placed in me. It will be an exciting new journey, and I’m very excited."