Xavi Artigas is Sportbike World Champion: from Moto2 flop to Kawasaki title

Xavi Artigas is the first-ever Sportbike World Champion. The MTM Kawasaki rider from Catalonia needed only an eighth-place finish in Race 2 at Jerez to settle the score with David Salvador, who finished fourth and was forced to concede after spending almost the entire season at the top of the standings.

A title that means more than the standings suggest: for the 23-year-old Spaniard, it marks a comeback after leaving the Grand Prix paddock, as well as revenge in a rivalry that has been going on for years.

After Most, Salvador had a 37-point lead over his compatriot. From Magny-Cours onward, the gap narrowed until the two arrived at Jerez separated by just 12 points. Saturday turned everything on its head: Artigas won Race 1, his fourth victory of the season, while Salvador crashed after contact with Carter Thompson’s Yamaha, as we reported in Sportbike Jerez: Thompson takes out Salvador as Artigas turns the championship on its head.

On Sunday, Artigas started with a 13-point lead from seventh on the grid, with his rival alongside him in eighth. The 11 laps unfolded like a game of chess: the two Spaniards emerged from the first lap at the front, then kept tabs on each other and got in one another’s way. Thompson capitalized, pulling away to claim his second win of the season ahead of Antonio Torres and Pepe Osuna. Salvador finished fourth and Artigas eighth—enough to secure the crown.

"I’m so happy! The title was our goal for the season, and we’ve really done it," Artigas cheered. It was no walk in the park: "It was a very tough race. We made contact on the sighting lap and again on the second lap. I have to thank my team, who have done a fantastic job all season. I’m world champion now, and I’m very happy."

Artigas and Salvador know each other well. They first went head-to-head in the European Talent Cup in 2018: Artigas won, while Salvador finished third. The Catalan then spent several years in Moto3, establishing himself as a consistent points scorer, before a disastrous Moto2 season in 2024 brought his Grand Prix career to an end.

Artigas took a different path: as CIV Supersport runner-up with Kawasaki, he caught the eye of Ludo van der Leken, boss of the MTM team. The Sportbike title is the high point of his career—at least for now.

The new category, which took over from Supersport 300 at the start of the year, has wrapped up a convincing first season. Five of the seven manufacturers won at least one race (Aprilia, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Triumph and Yamaha), although Kawasaki dominated the riders’ standings. Artigas’s challenge now will be to prove he can do it again.

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