“We put it all together”: Zaccone, what a celebration—the story of the Supersport triumph
Road RacingThursday, 04 June 2026 at 09:50
Alessandro Zaccone tells us how this first World Supersport victory came about: our interview.
The first win upon returning to World Supersport after the MotoE world title. Alessandro Zaccone struck at Aragon at the end of a heated battle with Albert Arenas, a duel between rookies and former Grand Prix riders that rewarded the Italian. It’s a pity there was a technical issue in Race 2, but there remains the satisfaction of the first major result in this “new” challenge (he had only raced in SSP in 2016-2017). A new starting point, aware of the work to be done yet confident we can increasingly be key players in the category.
First World Supersport victory—tell us about it.
We knew we could do well there; I’ve always liked Aragon and it’s a track that’s a bit more Ducati-friendly, so we started very motivated and we were super fast all weekend. We maybe didn’t expect the win, but we did expect to fight for the podium. It went better than expected!
What was “different” about this race?
We worked well all weekend, then on Saturday morning we found something with the engine braking that I liked and I went very, very fast. It helped. But in the end it was about starting well right away, putting all the pieces together, and the race went just as I imagined: I knew it would come down to the final corner. I only have a bit of regret about Race 2; a technical problem slowed us a lot. A shame, because even in warm-up we were strong: on used tires I was 3rd, but close to first.
A first victory that’s worth a lot, right?
Yes, definitely! We’d gone really well at Assen too, then with the red flag we couldn’t make the podium and that was left hanging a bit. Then we had two tracks not favorable to Ducati and we struggled. At Aragon we put everything back together and got the best result.
You’ve had very positive results at Aragon before.
I won twice in the CEV, and in Moto2 I also had one of my best races. Let’s say it’s a track I really like and we were fast, but now we have to confirm ourselves at the others too.
How is this return to Supersport going so far?
It’s nice to be back doing long races! [laughs] I struggled a bit with the management; I’d gotten used to MotoE where you push hard right away, whereas here I had to readjust. But we always arrive just a tad late: there’s little track time, in qualifying I started from the back many times, yet we always have the pace to run up front with the leaders. We’re sorting ourselves to be as fast as possible from the start.
How different is this Supersport from the one you raced before?
Now it’s much closer to the Grand Prix style; it used to be much more staggered, with a big gap between factory bikes and satellite teams. It’s changed a lot, for the better, and the level is high: fighting it out to the end with Arenas is an extra plus.
How do you explain these former Moto2 riders, like yourself, being immediately very fast in Supersport?
Prototype bikes are harder; production-derived bikes are more forgiving. Riders who have the Grand Prix method are more meticulous in their work, and they also tend to have a stronger résumé, so we try to put ourselves in better conditions.
What’s it like moving from an electric bike to a “normal” bike?
The difference isn’t that big; it was still a bike. The riding style changes a bit, but the tires are the big difference. I spent three years with that bike and with Michelins; now everything’s different, but in the end it’s just a matter of laps.
How much does it help to tackle this “new” challenge as a championship winner?
It’s nice; everyone looks at you differently, you’re more significant. You have a title so, even if in another category, you’re fast. It gave me awareness; I achieved something, and it makes me calmer. Leaving a category where you’re fast is never nice, but I can say I closed it in the best way. For me, in a way, it was almost a stroke of luck; I wouldn’t be where I am now, and looking ahead it offers more opportunities.
Where are you in the adaptation process to this bike?
In my opinion, over the last 2-3 races we’ve made big strides with the front end, electronics management, engine braking… Quite a big leap. I’d say at the moment we’re at about 70-75%.
You mentioned confirmation. The next round is a great opportunity for an Italian, right?
Doing well at home would be great. It’s not one of my favorite tracks, but I do well there. We’ll have to see how Ducati behaves; on tracks with a lot of acceleration we suffer a bit, but we did a test at Misano and went quite well. We’ll certainly aim to do something good.
Do you see yourself fighting for the top 5 or top 3 in the championship, or not yet?
Top 5 would be nice; top 3 looks tough because the gap is already significant. Right now it matters relatively; I prefer to have good races, be fast, and show that we’re in the mix.
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