Here is the thing about championship fights on the edge: they rarely go quietly. Aymon Bocanegra just delivered a stunning ride in the first race of the weekend, crossing the line a mere five-tenths of a second ahead of fellow countryman Mario Salles to secure a vital 25 points. That masterclass keeps the Brazilian rider's title dreams entirely a possibility as the season hits its absolute boiling point, leaving him trailing Japan's Riichi Takahira by 23 points heading into the final race of the year.
Now, Takahira had to work for every single inch of asphalt. Starting from eighth on the grid, the championship leader fought tooth and nail within the top 6 for the majority of the ten-lap race. He ultimately brought his machine home in fourth place, a gritty performance that actually extended his lead over rival Xarly Mendez to four points.
I’m super happy right now because I’m fighting to win the World Cup and now I’ve won this race, so tomorrow we see if we can win the championship,
Mendez started from pole position and looked every bit the master early on, leading five of the ten laps before a brutal last-lap shuffle dropped him down to sixth place. Meanwhile, Italy’s Emanuele Pastore drove brilliantly to add another trophy to his 2026 podium tally with a hard-fought third-place finish, while Angelo Mottola neatly rounded out the top five in this penultimate showdown.
“I’m super happy right now because I’m fighting to win the World Cup and now I’ve won this race, so tomorrow we see if we can win the championship,” Aymon Bocanegra said on his win.
It is all to play for tomorrow. With the top three riders in the category separated by just 23 points, the stage is set for a wild, high-stakes battle for the very last race of the 2026 FIM Yamaha R3 BLU CRU World Cup. Lights out for the final race of the year go at 13:00 local time (UTC +1), with live coverage streaming on the Yamaha Racing YouTube channel.
