The FIM Supersport World Championship unpacks their bags in Portugal ahead of a decisive penultimate Tissot Estoril Round. All three of the class's world titles are up for grabs at the Circuito Estoril, but it will take an upset to prevent Albert Arenas from the AS BLU CRU Racing Team from bagging the Riders' Championship, while the Teams' and Manufacturers' Championship can also be decided.
It has been a rock-solid debut season for the 2020 Spanish Moto3 World Champion. Arenas boasts 16 podiums from 20 races so far, plus just two non-DNF results off the podium, putting him in a prime position to close out this 2026 season as the new WorldSSP Champion. He is currently on a three-race streak of second-place finishes, and if he can keep that podium pace in Race 1, he will seal the title. A podium finish secures the championship regardless of Valentin Debise's results, while Arenas can afford to lose up to 10 points in Race 1 to be crowned Champion. Hoping to prevent that, Valentin Debise from the EASTROC ZXMOTO Factory Evan Bros Racing team has his work cut out for him and will need some help from other riders to finish ahead of the #75 as well. Arenas currently holds an 86-point lead in the Riders' title, and 75 points will remain after Race 1, meaning that if the Frenchman doesn't outscore Arenas by at least 11 points in the opening race, the Spaniard will be crowned. Fortunately for him, Estoril is a circuit at which the #53 has enjoyed good results in the past, including a Race 1 win here last season on a Ducati V2 with Renzi Corse and a Race 2 podium back in 2024 on a Yamaha R6 during his first stint with the Evan Bros team.
As for the Teams' title, it is similarly promising for Arenas's AS BLU CRU Racing Team. If he and Aldi Mahendra can lose fewer than 29 points to the ZXMOTO riders in Race 1, the title is theirs. Lastly, in the Manufacturers' Championship, Yamaha holds a 92-point lead with 100 points remaining, meaning Yamaha can win the title in Race 1 if they lose no more than 16 points to Ducati.
Further down the order, a fierce battle for third in the championship is heating up. After a strong round at Magny-Cours, Can Oncu of the Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing squad faltered early at Cremona. A Lap 5 crash from P4 spoiled his podium bid in Race 1, and a P11 in Race 2 sent him back to P4 in the title standings, eight points behind Jaume Masia with Orelac Racing VerdNatura. The gap is marginal with two rounds still remaining and he took his first podium at Estoril last season with a Race 1 P3, but Oncu will need to improve his consistency if he wants to prevent future headaches. As for Masia, the Spanish rider enjoyed a consistent round at Cremona, finishing both races inside the top eight for the first time since Aragon. He hopes to keep his forward momentum and return to the podium at Estoril. 29 points behind Oncu, Tom Booth-Amos with PTR Triumph Factory Racing looks to be making a play to rejoin the fight for third in the championship, bouncing back from an unfortunate round at Magny-Cours with a return to the podium for the first time since his domination at Donington Park.
Meanwhile, Jeremy Alcoba of the Kawasaki WorldSSP Team moved up to sixth in the standings after an incredible showing at Cremona, taking his first pole and not just a maiden win, but a maiden double that earned him 50 out of 50 available points. He now sits just four points behind the #69, and after earning his maiden WorldSSP podium last season at Estoril, the #52 will hope to close out this season even stronger than he did in 2025, when he took podiums in the final rounds. A Race 1 crash with Simon Jespersen from the EAB Racing Team shook up Roberto Garcia's weekend with GMT94 Yamaha at Cremona. While Garcia was able to salvage a point from Race 1 despite a back of the grid start for leaving pit lane late as his team scrambled to finish repairs, he retired from Race 2 to end the round with a single point. The rider from Seville took P4 here last season, and he could prove a dark horse to snag a podium in Portugal. Philipp Oettl of the Feel Racing WorldSSP Team returned to the top ten with a P7 in Race 2 in Italy after an unlucky round at Magny-Cours, and the #65 has missed the podium only twice in six races here, including a second place last season on the same Ducati V2 machinery.
Matteo Ferrari with WRP Racing overtook Aldi Mahendra of the AS BLU CRU Racing Team for P9 in the standings at Cremona thanks to P6 and P9 finishes in the weekend's races. Behind them, Alessandro Zaccone of the Ecosantagata Althea Racing Team will hope to break into the top ten from P11, just ten points behind the Indonesian. Filippo Farioli with VFT Racing will also look to string together more positive results after his breakout maiden podium in the class last round. Rounding out the paddock news, Riccardo Rossi of the Cerba Yamaha Racing Team awaits the all-clear from the medical centre after retiring early from Race 2 at Cremona, and if ruled fit, he will join home hero wildcard rider Goncalo Capote on the grid.
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