WorldSSP Estoril: A shame for Filippo Farioli, Race 2 goes to Spain

Filippo Farioli returns to the World Supersport podium after his first-ever podium at Cremona, moving up one step. Victory will have to wait, because amid a whirlwind of crashes, red flags and restarts, the familiar silhouette of the green Kawasaki 632 ridden by Jeremy Alcoba and run by the Puccetti team emerged once again. Three wins for the mini Ninja in four races—what a finale to the season!

The 2005-born rider from Bergamo is following a trajectory in the junior series similar to Alberto Surra’s in Superbike. These are riders arriving from the GP categories and rapidly climbing the ladder in production-based racing. After struggling in Moto3, Farioli found a home with Yamaha VFT, the Menghi family’s outfit, which is enjoying some wonderful results with the Yamaha R9 and this emerging talent.

The final race of the Portuguese round got underway with newly crowned World Champion Albert Arenas relegated to thirteenth position: it is worth remembering that the Race 2 grid is formed based on the fastest laps from the previous race. His comeback ended after just two laps due to a technical problem—fortunately, the hard part is already done. The pack, thrown into disarray by Can Oncu’s senseless braking into Turn 1, saw Filippo Farioli take the lead. At halfway distance, however, Bahattin Sofuoglu crashed, covering the track in oil and bringing out the red flag. A new start followed, over the shortened six-lap distance.

After the hectic opening laps, Farioli regained control, but in the closing stages the fierce Jeremy Alcoba emerged, a specialist in strong finishes and particularly motivated: he still does not have a bike for 2027, as his Kawasaki Puccetti will go to former world champion Jaume Masia, who crashed on this occasion. For Filippo, all things considered, this is still a positive result: there is one final round at Jerez, where he can raise his level and aim for the ultimate prize. Valentin Debise completed the podium with the ZXMoto, which mathematically secured second place in the Constructors’ Championship. All this came on its World Championship debut, with a motorcycle that has not yet reached the market.

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