What a stunning debut campaign. Albert Arenas (AS BLU CRU Racing Team) has gone and done it, sealing the FIM Supersport World Champion crown in his very first season in the category. The #75 machine didn't even need a podium to do it, taking a hard-fought fourth place in Race 1 at the Circuito Estoril. With title rival Valentin Debise (EASTROC ZXMOTO Evan Bros Factory) charging up from 17th on the grid to finish sixth, the job was done with a round to spare.
It is an insane turnaround for the AS BLU CRU Racing Team. Andrea Quadranti's squad shifted from MV Agusta machinery over to Yamaha for this season with Arenas and Aldi Mahendra, and the gamble clicked immediately. Arenas took a win right out of the gate in Race 2 at Phillip Island. Additional victories followed in Race 2 at Balaton Park and Race 2 at Misano, but the real secret weapon was relentless podium consistency: 16 podiums from 21 races kept him well clear of Debise, even though the Frenchman managed to win twice as many races.
I chose Albert because I was convinced that he could do well, even though there were many tracks he didn’t know.
That consistency was on full display at Estoril. Needing just a podium finish regardless of what Debise did behind him, Arenas launched from the third row and immediately shoved his way into the thick of the battle at the front. On the final lap, he was trading blows for P1 with Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) and his teammate, Oli Bayliss, perhaps taking more risks than needed. Ultimately, he lost out to Jeremy Alcoba (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team) to cross the line fourth, but the title was safely in the bag.
Reflecting on his second World Championship following his Moto3 success in 2020, Arenas put it best: “The first title was a childhood dream came true. This title is super special because I’m now more conscious about what it means.” He added, “It’s been building over the last year, working for it, and slowly starting to believe in it. It tastes really well. I want to enjoy this moment, but of course, I want to repeat it.”
It turned out to be a massive triple crown celebration for Yamaha. Alongside Arenas securing the Riders’ Championship for the second consecutive season, the Japanese manufacturer grabbed the Manufacturers’ Championship for the 12th time, while Quadranti's squad rounded out a historic day by taking the Teams’ Championship.
Nicolo Canepa, Road Racing Sporting Manager at Yamaha Motor Europe, praised the incredible turnaround: “Everything was last minute, but I’m truly amazed by the job they did during the whole season.” Meanwhile, an emotional Quadranti admitted to some mixed feelings about sealing the deal off the podium, noting, “I chose Albert because I was convinced that he could do well, even though there were many tracks he didn’t know.” Now, attention turns to Race 2 at Estoril on Sunday at 14:00 local time (UTC +1).
