Supersport Estoril: Arenas Takes It Easy, ZXMoto Loses Ground, and Pole Goes to Turkey

Can Oncu will start from pole position in Race 1 of the World Supersport Championship at Estoril. The penultimate round of the season is also Albert Arenas’ second championship match point, with the Spaniard ending Friday in ninth place. That may seem modest by his standards, but it is more than enough because his challenger, Valentin Debise, finished qualifying way back in seventeenth.

This is the Turkish rider’s ninth career pole, and his fifth this year. Oncu was extremely quick in qualifying aboard the Ten Kate Yamaha, although it is a shame that he often lacks the same consistency and speed in the races. “I’m coming off a very negative weekend at Cremona, so we really needed a day like this,” admitted Kenan Sofuoglu’s protégé. Sofuoglu won five Supersport World Championships before entering politics and becoming the mentor of all his successors, including Toprak Razgatlioglu.

The front row will be completed by Lucas Mahias, underlining the potential of the Yamaha R9, and Triumph rider Tom Booth-Amos, who was closely followed by teammate Oliver Bayliss. The son of a racing legend is approaching the end of his World Championship adventure, as next year he will compete in the British Superbike support series. For now, this round looks like a private battle between Yamaha and Triumph, with the German manufacturer particularly comfortable, as confirmed by Ondrej Vostatek’s fifth-fastest time.

Farioli secured a place on the second row (sixth-fastest), following up on the excellent impression he made at Cremona, where he consistently ran among the frontrunners. The Kawasaki 636 that dominated the Lombardy round remains in the top ten, with the new development being Dominique Aegerter outpacing Jeremy Alcoba, who is coming off a double victory.

Albert Arenas leads the World Championship by 86 points over Valentin Debise, with 100 still available. To be crowned World Champion, the Spaniard must not lose more than eleven points to his rival in Race 1. Therefore, if Debise wins, a third-place finish will be enough for Arenas to settle the title race. It is worth remembering that Arenas has already won the Moto3 World Championship, riding for Aspar’s KTM team in 2020.

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