It could be done, and I took the risk": Albert Arenas, sensational Supersport debut

Road Racing
Sunday, 22 February 2026 at 14:00
Arenas_Supersport_Phillip_Island
The winning gamble: Albert Arenas stars at Phillip Island, first Supersport triumph for the Moto2 rookie alum.
The conditions were unusual, certainly. That doesn’t mean we should take any credit away from Albert Arenas, a former Moto2 World Championship rider who has just arrived in Supersport and immediately clinched his first major result. It’s no coincidence: already in Race 1 (in dry conditions) the AS BLU CRU Racing Spaniard missed the podium by just under half a second; today the #75 Yamaha R9 climbed to the top step and also took the provisional world championship lead. In fact, it was double celebration for the team with Aldi Mahendra on the podium too, author of a stunning charge from 28th to 2nd! Rain hit Phillip Island today, but it stopped shortly before the start and didn’t return: the slick gamble on the “damp-dry” surface proved to be the winning choice (race report here), and Arenas is smiling again after some tough years in Moto2.

Supersport relaunch

The 2020 Moto3 World Champion then struggled with the step to the intermediate class: on record two podiums, Catalunya 2023 and Mugello 2025; last season was his best in Moto2 with 8th in the standings. The rider market, however, was buzzing not only in MotoGP but also in the junior classes, and Arenas began to look elsewhere: in early November came his farewell message to the Grand Prix paddock, and within days came the announcement of a new challenge in the production-derived World Championship, the Supersport category, which really appeals to former Moto2 riders. Just think of champions like Locatelli, Bulega, Manzi or Aegerter, to name a few. Even Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing/Ducati Panigale V2), who blew away the competition yesterday, is a Moto3 world champion and former Moto2 rider, though in his second year in WorldSSP.

The first roar

“It’s wonderful to win again.” Albert Arenas is ecstatic, starting his World Supersport adventure in style. The risk paid off. “In the warm-up we tested several tyres, I put on slicks in the rain and felt it could work,” he told worldsbk.com. “I decided to take the gamble and it was a really good race. I’m happy for my teammate too; he made the same decision and joined me on the podium.” As mentioned, with his Race 2 triumph Arenas also leads the championship: it means little after just one round, but it’s still a small morale-boosting satisfaction. “I just focused on understanding the bike and the new format. I have to say I feel great with the team. It was a special weekend,” he emphasized. The next stop is Portimao in over a month. “A more ‘normal’ layout; we’ll see what our level is in Europe,” he concluded.

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