Bulega hits 50, Herrera crowned as Jerez turns WorldSPB title fight upside down

WorldSBK 2026

Round 12 – Jerez – Saturday

Bulega takes 50th victory after record-equalling Superpole

Nicolò Bulega’s extraordinary 2026 World Superbike campaign continued at Jerez on Saturday, with the Aruba.it Racing Ducati rider securing a record-equalling pole position before controlling the opening race from start to finish.

The Italian claimed his 50th WorldSBK victory from just 106 starts, reaching that milestone faster than any other rider in championship history. It was also his 30th victory of a season in which he has comprehensively dominated the opposition.

Bulega had earlier secured his eleventh Superpole of 2026 with a 1’36.643, matching Ben Spies’ record for the most pole positions in a single WorldSBK season.

That lap was just fourteen-thousandths shy of the outright Jerez benchmark Bulega established last year, and gave him a 0.317-second advantage over Sam Lowes on the Marc VDS Ducati. Bulega’s factory team-mate Iker Lecuona completed the front row, another 0.138 seconds behind.

Yari Montella headed the second row in fourth for Barni Spark Racing, ahead of Alex Lowes on the bimota KB998 Rimini and Lorenzo Baldassarri aboard the Team GoEleven Ducati.

Tommy Bridewell impressed with seventh for the Australian-owned Superbike Advocates operation, ahead of Alberto Surra and Álvaro Bautista, while Axel Bassani completed the top ten on the second bimota.

Bulega resists early pressure before taking control

Sam Lowes made an excellent launch when the lights went out for the 20-lap race, immediately challenging Bulega for the lead into the opening corner.

The Italian held his ground, however, and although Lowes remained close through the opening lap, Bulega gradually established a margin that allowed him to control the race without coming under serious further threat.

Bulega set the fastest lap of the race on his second lap, recording a 1’38.195, and steadily built an advantage of more than a second and a half.

Lowes was equally comfortable in second during the early stages, with the Marc VDS rider opting for a softer front tyre than his principal rivals. That decision initially appeared to pay dividends as he opened a gap over Lecuona, although front-end grip became increasingly problematic as the race progressed.

Lecuona was under pressure from Montella in the early laps, with the Barni rider attempting to capitalise on the Spaniard’s difficulty in finding a rhythm.

Montella briefly got ahead after Lecuona ran wide at Turn Twelve on the seventh lap, but the factory Ducati rider responded at the following corner and subsequently began to establish a more consistent pace.

As the race entered its closing stages, Lecuona started taking time out of Lowes. The British rider was struggling increasingly with the front tyre, but had enough in reserve to maintain second place.

Bulega crossed the line 1.657 seconds clear of Lowes, with Lecuona a further 1.196 seconds back in third.

It was Bulega’s 50th WorldSBK victory from just 106 starts, eclipsing the previous benchmark set by Troy Bayliss, who required 150 races to reach the same milestone.

Lowes was delighted to return to the podium after a difficult Estoril weekend, acknowledging that his front tyre had made the closing stages particularly demanding.

Sam Lowes

“I had Iker closing towards the end and I was really struggling with the front tyre.”

Bulega and Ducati rewrite the record books

Bulega’s 50th WorldSBK victory came in just his 106th race, making him the fastest rider in championship history to reach the milestone. Troy Bayliss previously held that distinction, having required 150 races to record 50 wins.

It was also Bulega’s thirtieth victory of the 2026 season, further extending the single-season record he had already taken from Álvaro Bautista, who won 27 races in 2023.

The Jerez success was Bulega’s sixth victory at the Spanish circuit, another WorldSBK record, and brought his career podium tally to 90. Remarkably, he has now finished on the podium in 47 consecutive races, extending his all-time record.

Bulega’s 34 podium finishes this season also equal the single-season record established by Jonathan Rea in 2019.

Ducati’s domination has been equally extraordinary. Saturday’s victory extended the manufacturer’s record winning streak to 38 consecutive WorldSBK races, while Bulega’s Superpole success completed a clean sweep of every pole position during the 2026 season.

It is only the second time in WorldSBK history that a single manufacturer has secured every pole position across an entire campaign. Ducati also achieved the feat in 1992.

Saturday’s race also marked just the third occasion in championship history that Ducatis have filled the first seven positions. The previous two instances came during the pair of WorldSBK races at Oschersleben in 2003.

Bautista charges through as Montella secures championship bronze

Behind the leading trio, Álvaro Bautista provided much of the entertainment with a determined charge from ninth on the grid to fourth at the chequered flag.

The Spaniard initially had to work his way through a tightly packed group that included Lorenzo Baldassarri, Alberto Surra and Alex Lowes.

Bautista passed Baldassarri at Turn Nine early in the race before making further progress through the field, eventually closing on Barni Spark Racing team-mate Yari Montella, who had initially looked capable of challenging Lecuona for a podium position.

Montella’s pace had deteriorated as the race progressed, with the Italian reporting that the laps spent following Lecuona contributed to excessive front tyre temperatures and a subsequent loss of performance.

Bautista capitalised in the closing stages, passing his team-mate at Turn Five with just a few laps remaining to secure fourth place, 5.328 seconds behind Bulega.

Despite losing that position, fifth place was enough for Montella to mathematically secure third in the 2026 WorldSBK Riders’ Championship.

It is a historic achievement for Barni Spark Racing, marking the first time the independent Ducati operation has placed a rider inside the top three of the overall championship standings.

Yari Montella

“I think the laps spent behind Iker caused the front tyre temperature to rise, in particular.”

For Bautista, the result carried an additional personal significance, coming on the twentieth anniversary of his 2006 125cc Grand Prix World Championship success.

Ducati dominates as bimota struggles with grip

Alberto Surra continued his remarkable late-season form by taking sixth for Motocorsa Racing, holding off Lorenzo Baldassarri in a close battle over the final laps.

The pair were separated by just 0.118 seconds at the finish, with Baldassarri having worked his way past Alex Lowes at Turn Six before catching Surra.

That left Ducati occupying the first seven finishing positions, underlining the Italian manufacturer’s considerable advantage at Jerez.

Alex Lowes eventually finished eighth on the leading bimota, a disappointing result after qualifying fifth and briefly running fourth during the opening stages.

The British rider was particularly frustrated by the lack of grip from both ends of his KB998 Rimini, explaining that he felt close to the limit throughout the race without being able to match the pace of the Ducatis.

Alex Lowes

“It’s like we are in a different race.”

The result also cost Alex Lowes fourth place in the championship standings. Brother Sam’s runner-up finish moved him ahead on countback, with the two now tied on 245 points heading into Sunday’s final two races.

Tommy Bridewell delivered an excellent ninth place for the Australian-owned Superbike Advocates Ducati team, finishing ahead of Axel Bassani on the second bimota.

Bassani reported considerable understeer and front-end traction problems throughout the race but managed to maintain tenth place from start to finish.

Gardner salvages final point as Yamaha and BMW struggle

Australia’s Remy Gardner endured another difficult outing aboard the GYTR GRT Yamaha R1, qualifying seventeenth before recovering to fifteenth in Race One.

Gardner spent much of the race battling among the midfield runners and eventually secured the final championship point with an overtaking move on the last lap.

The Australian finished 30.432 seconds behind Bulega, 1.297 seconds behind Garrett Gerloff in fourteenth and just 0.488 seconds ahead of Honda’s Somkiat Chantra.

While collecting another point was a small consolation, Gardner acknowledged that the team remained some distance from the performance level it expected.

Remy Gardner

“We managed to score a point with a strong push towards the end of the race, but of course, this isn’t where we want to be.”

Gardner’s team-mate Stefano Manzi finished eighteenth after qualifying nineteenth, while Andrea Locatelli recovered from twentieth on the grid to thirteenth for Pata Maxus Yamaha.

Locatelli’s team-mate Xavi Vierge had been fighting for a top-ten finish before a technical problem forced him to retire after seven laps.

It was also a particularly disappointing race for BMW. Miguel Oliveira retired after eight laps, while Danilo Petrucci could manage only seventeenth, having started fifteenth.

Honda HRC’s Jake Dixon finished eleventh after resisting late pressure from Loris Baz, the pair separated by just 0.150 seconds at the flag. Chantra finished sixteenth after another difficult race aboard the Fireblade SP.

Gerloff finished fourteenth on the Kawasaki ZX-10RR, just nine-thousandths behind Locatelli and narrowly ahead of Gardner.

With the Riders’ Championship already secured by Bulega and third place now settled in Montella’s favour, attention turns to Sunday’s final Superpole Race and Race Two.

Rain remains a possibility for the final day, and a significant change in conditions could provide an opportunity for those manufacturers and riders unable to match Ducati’s dry-weather pace.

WorldSBK Race One Results

WorldSBK Superpole Times

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WorldSSP Race One

Arenas wins at home as Alcoba mounts late challenge

Newly crowned World Supersport Champion Albert Arenas celebrated his championship success with victory on home soil at Jerez on Saturday, but the Spaniard was made to work considerably harder than he might have anticipated.

The AS BLU CRU Racing Yamaha rider converted his record-breaking pole position into a fourth victory of his rookie WorldSSP campaign, holding off a remarkable late charge from Jeremy Alcoba on the Kawasaki ZX-6R 636.

Arenas had established himself as the benchmark throughout Friday’s running, lowering the outright Jerez lap record to 1’41.084 in Superpole, and he continued that form when the lights went out for Saturday’s 17-lap race.

The Spaniard secured the holeshot into Turn One, but Can Öncü immediately settled into second place on the Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing R9 and began applying pressure to the champion.

Öncü was determined not to let Arenas escape and took the lead at Turn Six on the third lap, demonstrating the pace that has made him a regular podium contender throughout the season.

Arenas responded at Turn One on the following lap and immediately began attempting to establish a gap. The pair were soon running around two seconds clear of the chasing group, leaving the remainder of the field to fight over the final podium position.

The champion gradually stretched his advantage as the race progressed, appearing to have the situation under control with six laps remaining.

That was before Alcoba began mounting a serious challenge.

Alcoba storms from fifth to second

Having started fifth, Alcoba initially found himself battling among the Triumph riders, with Jorge Navarro and Tom Booth-Amos both demonstrating considerable pace on the PTR Street Triple 765 RS machines.

Alcoba gradually worked his way through the group, moving ahead of Booth-Amos for third with six laps remaining.

At that stage the Kawasaki rider was more than three seconds behind Arenas, but the situation changed dramatically as Öncü began to struggle with tyre performance.

Alcoba closed rapidly on the Turkish rider before making his move at Turn Thirteen with three laps remaining, moving into second place and immediately turning his attention towards the race leader.

His pace in the closing stages was exceptional, taking substantial chunks out of Arenas’ advantage, but the champion responded well enough to maintain control.

Arenas eventually crossed the line just 0.533 seconds ahead of Alcoba, having led all but one lap of the race.

It was Alcoba’s fifth consecutive podium finish, continuing a run of form that has transformed his championship position during the closing rounds of the season.

For Arenas, it was a particularly satisfying result after the technical problems that prevented him from reaching the podium at Estoril, where he had nevertheless secured the championship.

Albert Arenas

“I was trying my best to keep my focus and to manage the rear tyre.”

Arenas acknowledged that he had concentrated on looking after the rear tyre throughout the race, rather than pushing unnecessarily hard while he had a comfortable advantage.

That approach almost allowed Alcoba to bring the Kawasaki into contention on the final lap, although the Yamaha rider had enough in reserve to secure the victory.

Battle for third in championship goes down to final race

Öncü eventually finished third, 2.261 seconds behind Arenas, but had to defend his position right to the chequered flag.

Booth-Amos made a determined late effort to take the final podium place, finishing just 0.034 seconds behind the Turkish rider.

The result leaves the battle for third in the championship extraordinarily close heading into Sunday’s final race.

Öncü holds a one-point advantage over Alcoba, with Booth-Amos another 19 points behind and still mathematically in contention.

While Arenas has already secured the title, the fight for championship bronze remains open between Yamaha, Kawasaki and Triumph representatives.

Dominique Aegerter continued his strong finish to the season with fifth on the second Kawasaki, securing his best race result of 2026.

With Alcoba second and Aegerter fifth, it was Kawasaki’s strongest combined World Supersport race performance of the season.

Matteo Ferrari finished sixth aboard the WRP Racing Ducati Panigale V2, just 0.263 seconds behind Aegerter, while Navarro eventually had to settle for seventh.

Navarro fastest on track but only seventh at the flag

Standing in for Australian Oli Bayliss, who is competing in the British Superbike paddock this weekend, Navarro had qualified an impressive second and initially looked capable of fighting for the podium.

The Spaniard gradually lost ground in the early laps, however, running wide at Turn Six while battling with the leading group.

Despite finishing seventh, Navarro produced the fastest lap of the race, a 1’42.053, which will put him on pole position for Sunday’s final WorldSSP contest.

Meanwhile, Bayliss was enjoying considerably greater success at Brands Hatch in the British Supersport Championship.

Racing for Macadam Triumph Factory Racing, Bayliss claimed his eleventh British Supersport victory of the season in Saturday’s 12-lap Sprint Race, passing Jack Kennedy on lap nine before holding off the Honda rider by just 0.046 seconds.

It has been a remarkable British campaign for Bayliss, who only joined the series in June as a substitute for the injured Bradley Perie. Despite missing the opening two rounds, the Australian has now recorded more victories than any other rider in the championship.

Luke Stapleford secured the 2026 British Supersport title by finishing third, leaving Bayliss to chase another victory in Sunday’s final race.

Back at Jerez, Filippo Farioli continued his recent improvement to finish eighth for VFT Racing Yamaha, ahead of Alessandro Zaccone on the Ecosantagata Althea Ducati.

Valentin Debise completed the top ten aboard the ZXMOTO 820RR, giving the Chinese manufacturer another points finish in what has been an encouraging debut WorldSSP campaign.

Mattia Casadei finished eleventh, followed by Lucas Mahias, Borja Jimenez and Federico Caricasulo, while Jake Whatley completed the points-paying positions in fifteenth for Orelac Racing Verdnatura.

Jespersen and Okamoto ruled out with injuries

Two riders were ruled unfit following crashes during the opening stages of Saturday’s World Supersport race.

Simon Jespersen crashed at Turn Thirteen on the opening lap, in an incident that also involved Eric Fernandez. Jespersen was taken to the medical centre, where he was diagnosed with a dislocated right shoulder and declared unfit for further participation.

Fernandez was able to rejoin the race, eventually finishing 28th, one lap behind the winner.

Yuki Okamoto also crashed during the opening lap, falling at Turn Twelve while riding the Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing YZF-R9.

The Japanese rider was taken to the medical centre and subsequently declared unfit after suffering chest and abdominal contusions.

Both Jespersen and Okamoto will therefore miss Sunday’s final WorldSSP race of the 2026 season.

With the championship title already decided, the final WorldSSP race of 2026 will be particularly significant for the battle over third in the standings.

Alcoba’s late-race pace on Saturday suggests Kawasaki could be especially competitive, but Öncü retains the narrowest of championship advantages, while Booth-Amos and the Triumph squad remain capable of influencing the outcome.

WorldSSP Race One Results

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WorldSPB Race One

Artigas takes championship lead after Thompson-Salvador collision

The inaugural World Sportbike Championship will go down to the final race of the season after a dramatic Saturday contest at Jerez in which Xavi Artigas took victory and overturned David Salvador’s championship advantage.

The race was transformed by contact between Australian Carter Thompson and Salvador at Turn Thirteen on the ninth lap, sending the championship leader into the gravel and triggering a penalty for Thompson.

Salvador had arrived at Jerez holding a 12-point championship advantage and appeared particularly well placed after dominating Friday’s Superpole session.

However, the combination of his crash and Artigas’ fourth race victory of the season produced a 25-point swing in the standings, putting Artigas 13 points ahead with just one race remaining.

Thompson recovered to finish sixth after serving a long-lap penalty, while fellow Australian Taiyo Aksu enjoyed a much more encouraging afternoon, recording his best result of the season with ninth place aboard the PATA AG Motorsport Italia Honda CBR600RR.

Dramatic opening before race even begins

The 11-lap race was preceded by extraordinary scenes on the warm-up lap when Jeffrey Buis, Julian Correa and Fenton Seabright were involved in a crash at Turn One.

All three were unable to take the start, while Buis and Seabright were subsequently assessed at the circuit medical centre.

Buis was declared unfit after suffering a dislocation of his right shoulder, ruling him out of further participation in the season finale.

Seabright was cleared fit despite sustaining multiple contusions, although his Saturday race was already over before it had begun.

Jurrien van Crugten, who had suffered deep abrasions to the fourth and fifth fingers of his left hand during Friday’s Superpole session, was also cleared to compete. The Dutch rider subsequently finished thirteenth in Saturday’s race, having started from 31st on the grid.

Once racing began, a seven-rider group quickly formed at the front, with Salvador, Artigas, Thompson, Álvaro Fuertes, Ferre Fleerackers and Antonio Torres all involved in a closely contested battle.

Fuertes led the opening lap before Salvador moved to the front, leading laps two through five. Artigas subsequently took over on lap six and remained at the head of the classification through the finish, although the racing remained closely contested.

The closely matched field made it difficult for any rider to escape. Positions changed repeatedly as riders attacked under brakes and attempted to obtain a stronger drive out of the slower corners.

With the leading group still closely packed approaching the final stages, the championship battle was about to take a dramatic turn.

Contact at Turn Thirteen changes the championship

The decisive moment came on lap nine.

Thompson attempted to make a move on the inside of Salvador at Turn Thirteen, with the pair making contact and Salvador falling into the gravel trap.

The Spaniard was able to rejoin the race, but the incident dropped him out of contention and he eventually finished 22nd, outside the points.

Race Direction investigated the contact and handed Thompson a long-lap penalty for irresponsible riding causing a crash.

The Australian served the penalty on the final lap, losing several positions but remaining sufficiently close to the leading group to secure sixth place at the chequered flag.

Thompson finished 3.773 seconds behind Artigas, with the additional distance imposed by the penalty proving costly in what had otherwise been another strong performance.

The incident had enormous championship implications. Salvador’s failure to score, combined with victory for Artigas, transformed a 12-point lead for Salvador into a 13-point advantage for Artigas.

With 25 points remaining available on Sunday, Salvador must now turn the tables on his rival in the final race if he is to become the inaugural World Sportbike Champion.

Artigas wins three-way dash to the line

With Salvador out of the leading battle, Artigas was able to concentrate on defending his position from Fleerackers and Fuertes.

The trio fought all the way to the chequered flag, with Artigas taking victory by just 0.096 seconds from Fleerackers on the Track & Trades Wixx Racing Suzuki GSX-8R.

Fuertes completed the podium a further 0.032 seconds behind, securing his first WorldSPB rostrum finish on the Deza-Box 77 Racing Kawasaki.

Pepe Osuna finished fourth on the second Deza-Box Kawasaki, just 0.222 seconds behind the winner, giving the Spanish team an excellent result on home soil.

Torres completed the top five on the ProDina Kawasaki, 0.585 seconds behind Artigas, with Thompson sixth.

Artigas was delighted with the victory, but acknowledged that the unpredictable nature of World Sportbike racing makes preparing a fixed strategy particularly difficult.

Xavi Artigas

“In this category it’s difficult to make a plan because you have to improvise a lot and try many things.”

Fuertes also recorded the fastest lap of the race with a 1’46.973, securing pole position for Sunday’s final contest.

Artigas and Salvador will start seventh and eighth respectively on the Race Two grid, adding another potentially decisive element to their championship fight.

Aksu records season-best ninth as third-place battle tightens

For Australia’s Taiyo Aksu, Saturday represented his strongest World Sportbike race performance of the season.

Starting thirteenth, the Honda rider worked his way through the field to finish ninth, 5.919 seconds behind the winner.

The result was Aksu’s second points-scoring finish of the year and his best result in the inaugural championship, providing an encouraging conclusion to a season of considerable learning and development.

Thompson’s sixth place, meanwhile, leaves him tied on points with Antonio Torres in the battle for third in the championship.

Torres currently holds the advantage on countback, setting up a particularly important final race for the Australian, who had arrived at Jerez with a one-point advantage.

Harrison Dessoy finished seventh for PHR Performance Triumph, making significant progress from 22nd on the grid, while Gonzalo Sanchez was eighth and Elia Bartolini completed the top ten.

Several prominent riders failed to finish, including Matteo Vannucci, Marco Gaggi, Hugo de Cancellis and Gabin Cazard, contributing to a high attrition rate in the opening race.

There were further medical assessments following incidents during the race. Alessandro Di Persio was cleared fit despite abrasions and contusions involving his right elbow and left hand, while Mattia Martella was declared fit after suffering right hip and ankle contusions.

Despite Salvador’s misfortune, Team ProDina Kawasaki XCI secured the inaugural World Sportbike Teams’ Championship with one race remaining.

Sunday’s finale now presents two separate championship battles with direct Australian involvement. Artigas must defend his 13-point advantage over Salvador for the title, while Thompson and Torres will fight to settle third in the final standings.

After the drama of Saturday, and with the possibility of changing weather conditions, neither contest is likely to be straightforward.

WorldSPB Race One Results

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WorldWCR Race One

WorldWCR – Herrera secures second title as Ramos produces remarkable victory

Maria Herrera became the first rider to win back-to-back Women’s Circuit Racing World Championships at Jerez on Saturday, securing the 2026 title with a measured fifth-place finish in the penultimate race of the season.

However, the race itself belonged to Paola Ramos, who recovered from a double long-lap penalty for a jump start to claim an extraordinary victory over Beatriz Neila.

Ramos, who had dominated Friday’s qualifying with a new outright lap record, appeared determined to establish an early advantage when the lights went out for the 11-lap contest.

The Klint Racing rider immediately took control at the front, with Neila the only competitor able to maintain contact with the early leader.

However, Ramos’ strong start was subsequently deemed to have been illegal, and the Spaniard was handed a double long-lap penalty.

The punishment appeared likely to remove her from victory contention, particularly given the pace Neila was demonstrating at the front.

Ramos nevertheless remained remarkably composed, completing both penalty loops before setting about reducing the deficit to her rival.

Neila inherited the lead on lap six and held the advantage through lap ten, but Ramos gradually closed the gap, demonstrating the same exceptional pace that had carried her to pole position.

On the final lap, Ramos completed her comeback by overtaking Neila to reclaim the lead and secure her third victory of the season.

She crossed the line just 0.167 seconds ahead of Neila, having overcome two penalty loops and established a new race lap record of 1’50.998 during the ninth lap.

Paola Ramos

“When I saw the double long lap, I knew it would be difficult to make up the time but, once I completed that and saw the gap to Beatriz, I knew I needed to try; I didn’t have anything to lose!”

It was a remarkable demonstration of both outright speed and composure under pressure, with Ramos effectively having to win the race twice after surrendering her early advantage.

Neila was understandably disappointed to miss out on victory so close to the finish, but second place nevertheless marked her tenth podium from eleven races this season.

Herrera makes WorldWCR history

While Ramos and Neila were engaged in their battle for victory, Maria Herrera was taking a considerably more measured approach to the race.

The defending champion entered Saturday holding a 44-point advantage over Neila, meaning that a relatively modest points haul would be sufficient to secure a second consecutive World Championship.

Herrera initially ran inside the leading group but gradually settled into a more conservative rhythm as the race developed, recognising that the championship was considerably more important than an individual race result.

She eventually finished fifth, 9.097 seconds behind Ramos, securing enough points to put the championship beyond Neila’s reach with one race remaining.

The result gives Herrera 237 championship points, 35 clear of Neila on 202, with only 25 points still available in Sunday’s final race.

Herrera becomes the first rider to successfully defend the WorldWCR crown, having also won the championship in 2025, following Ana Carrasco’s inaugural title in 2024.

It was a fitting conclusion to a season in which the Spaniard has combined six race victories with remarkable consistency, leading the championship after every round. Her only period sharing the championship lead came after the opening event, when she was level on points with Ramos.

Ironically, Saturday was the first race of the 2026 season in which Herrera failed to finish on the podium.

The 29-year-old now has 18 WorldWCR race victories, 29 podium finishes and ten pole positions to her credit, further establishing herself as the most successful rider in the championship’s short history.

Maria Herrera

“This title means a lot because it’s more difficult to win a second championship. You have to handle the pressure and be faster in every race.”

Herrera paid tribute to the work undertaken by her team throughout the season, particularly after a difficult winter during which she had to recover from injury while preparing for her title defence.

She also acknowledged that learning when to settle for a lesser result had been an important part of her success in 2026, with Saturday’s fifth place providing a particularly clear demonstration of that approach.

Ponziani wins five-rider fight for final podium place

Behind Ramos and Neila, the battle for the final podium position was considerably more closely contested than the overall gaps to the leaders suggested.

Roberta Ponziani eventually claimed third place for Klint Racing after a hard-fought contest with Natalia Rivera, Herrera, Yvonne Cerpa and Chloe Jones.

Ponziani crossed the line 8.646 seconds behind the winner, with Rivera another 0.261 seconds back in fourth.

Herrera followed 0.190 seconds behind Rivera, while Cerpa was just one-hundredth behind Herrera in sixth after a track-limits penalty cost the Spaniard a position.

Britain’s Chloe Jones completed the tightly packed group in seventh, only 0.611 seconds behind Ponziani.

The result was Ponziani’s third podium of the season and kept her in contention for third in the championship standings.

Ramos now holds that position with 142 points, eight clear of Ponziani on 134, leaving the two Klint Racing team-mates to settle their final championship order on Sunday.

Relph eleventh as Avalon Lewis makes progress

Australian Tayla Relph was unable to capitalise fully on her promising sixth-place qualifying performance, eventually finishing eleventh aboard the Full Throttle Racing Yamaha YZF-R7.

Relph completed the race 12.767 seconds behind Ramos, just 0.139 seconds behind tenth-placed Emily Bondi.

The Australian was involved in the competitive midfield group but ultimately lost ground from her second-row starting position, missing out on a top-ten finish in the opening race.

Sara Sánchez finished eighth for Hadden Racing, with Thai rookie Muklada Sarapuech ninth and Bondi rounding out the top ten.

New Zealand’s Avalon Lewis, competing as a one-event entrant for Carl Cox Motorsport, made progress from twentieth on the grid to finish sixteenth.

Lewis crossed the line 24.120 seconds behind the winner, narrowly behind Lucy Michel and just ahead of Claire Mulot.

Colombian wildcard Sara Varón also enjoyed a successful race, climbing from 22nd on the grid to finish fourteenth and secure championship points.

With the Riders’ Championship now decided, Sunday’s final race will see Herrera looking to end her title-winning campaign on a high, while Ramos and Ponziani battle for third in the standings.

Ramos will start from pole position again after setting the fastest lap on Saturday, with Neila alongside her and Cerpa completing the front row.

For Relph, the final race of 2026 provides another opportunity to turn the speed demonstrated in qualifying into a stronger result, particularly if the forecast change in weather conditions creates a different set of challenges.

WorldWCR Race One Results

 

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2026 Motul FIM Superbike World Championship calendar

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2026 World Superbike Championship Entry List