Jaume Masia won FIM Supersport World Championship Race One Saturday at TT Circuit Assen, in The Netherlands. Riding his Orelac Racing Verdnatura Ducati Panigale V2, the Spaniard won the 18-lap race by just 0.080 second.

Albert Arenas was the runner-up on his AS BLU CRU Racing YZF- R9, just 0.435 second ahead of third-place finisher Tom Booth Amos, who rode his PTR Triumph Street Triple 765 RS.

Former MotoAmerica Supersport regular Valentin Debise crossed the finish line fourth on his Eastroc Evan Bros ZXMOTO 820RR.

Jaume Masia leads the championship with 96 points, 11 ahead of Albert Arenas who has 85 points. Valentin Debise is third with 63 points.

More from a press release issued by WSBK:

Chaotic last lap: Masia beats Arenas by 0.080s, Booth-Amos overcomes penalty to take Assen podium. There were five manufacturers in the top six in one of the craziest races of the WorldSSP season so far.

The FIM Supersport World Championship launched the third weekend of their 2026 season at the TT Assen Circuit’s Pirelli Dutch Round. It was Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura)  who took home the lion’s share of the Race 1 points, pulling off a stunning late comeback for the race win finishing ahead of Albert Arenas (AS BLU CRU Racing Team) who took his third podium, one step above Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) who emerges from an up-and-down Race 1 in P3 on the podium.

MASIA’S METEORIC RISE: The Spanish sophomore had a surgical final few laps as he took the win for himself

Masia again came up big at the final moments, as he started back in P9 but pulled off a stunning late charge through the grid to move from P4 on the last lap to P1 as they crossed the line. It comes as his second win of the season, and his fourth in WorldSSP. Albert Arenas (AS BLU CRU Racing Team) similarly spent much of the early running outside the podium places, but after other riders’ pace declined or otherwise fell out of the fight at the front, Arenas took his opportunity and landed his third podium as he sits second in the World Championship behind the #5. Tom Booth-Amos flew into the Turn 16 braking zone, passing Oncu for P3, but the pair made contact, sending both bikes wide through the gravel. While Booth-Amos controlled the damage to P5 before an Irresponsible Riding penalty sent him down one position to P6, he managed to thread the needle and got himself back into the fight at the front to finish P3. Clad in a yellow and blue special livery, Can Oncu (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) and Debise battled for P1 earlier in the race; but after the incident with The Englishman, the #61 wasn’t quite as fortunate as the Triumph rider, as his race was competitively ended, finishing back in P10.

ODD-MAN OUT: DEBISE PENALIZED TO P4

Valentin Debise (EASTROC ZXMOTO Factory Evan Bros Racing) fought a one-on-one duel with Oncu early, until a host of other riders caught up to the pair. After Oncu’s contact with the #69, Debise maintained his position in the podium places, but in the final run to the line, he ran wide and was penalised back to P4. Mahias started from P1 and took the holeshot at lights out; however, frequent battles with Arenas cost them both time, culminating in the #94 placing P5, two hundredths slower than his French rival.  Dominique Aegerter (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team) kept up his improved form he first displayed on Friday, and was the beneficiary of a penalty to Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team), which sent the German to P7, and the two-time WorldSSP Champion up to P6.

 ZACCONE P8: Another solid result from the 2025 MotoE Champion

Alessandro Zaccone (Ecosantagata Althea Racing Team) took his third P8 of the season, with metronomic consistency, as his worst result so far has been P10. Jeremy Alcoba (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team) wasn’t far behind his much-improved Swiss teammate in P9, as both of the grid’s Kawasaki bikes finished top ten for the first time in a WorldSSP race since Can Oncu and Adrian Huertas back in 2023 at Jerez. Farther back, Matteo Ferrari (WRP Racing) was set to start in P12, but he had a Tyre Pressure Infringement, which resulted in a Back of Grid start penalty applied by FIM WorldSBK Stewards.

The top six from the WorldSSP Race 1: Full results here!

1. Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura)

2. Albert Arenas (AS BLU CRU Racing Team) +0.080s

3. Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) +0.435s

4. Valentin Debise (EASTROC ZXMOTO Evan Bros Factory) +0.550s

5. Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) +0.578s

6. Dominique Aegerter (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team) +0.932s

Fastest lap: Albert Arenas (Yamaha) – 1’37.085s

Tune in tomorrow as the final races of the weekend are set to be ridden! WorldSBK VideoPass!

Maria Herrera won FIM World Women’s Circuit Racing Race 1 Saturday morning at TT Circuit Assen, in The Netherlands. Riding her Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha YZF-R7 on Pirelli control tires, Herrera won the 8-lap race by just 0.083 second.

Beatriz Neila was the runner-up on her Ampito Crescent Yamaha YZF-R7, and Roberta Ponziani got third on her Klint Racing Yamaha YZF-R7. 

American Mallory Dobbs crashed her YVS Sabadell Diva Racing Yamaha YZF-R7 in turn 5.

More from a press release issued by WSBK:

Fight to the line: Herrera beats Neila in Assen showdown in red-flagged WorldWCR Race 1. A dramatic Race 1 at Assen saw a new face on the 2026 podium.

The FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship filed onto the tarmac at the ‘Cathedral of Speed’ as they disputed the first race of their Pirelli Dutch Round weekend at the TT Assen Circuit. Maria Herrera (Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR) got her nose in front in the Championship picture as she took her second win of the season, ahead of Beatriz Neila (Ampito Crescent Yamaha) in P2 and Roberta Ponziani (Klint Racing Team) in P3.

LAP 1 SPILLS: Relph taken to the medical centre

Rain had begun to fall on track by lights out, and when the race got rolling, Herrera jumped out ahead from Pole just before a group of riders came together and took a tumble at Turn 1, including Emily Bondi (FT Racing Academy), Pakita Ruiz (PR46+1 Racing Team), Line Vieillard (FT Racing Academy), and Tayla Relph (Full Throttle Racing). Unfortunately for the Australian, she was taken to the medical centre and did not participate in the full-distance restart after debris was cleared from the track. She was diagnosed with contusions on her left ankle and foot, and will be reviewed before Sunday morning’s Warm Up.

HERRERA HOLDS ON: the #6 struck back in the final moments to take her second win of 2026

Herrera again took the holeshot, already carving out a quarter-second lead for herself by the end of the first lap’s first sector. By the end of the first lap, it was 2025 season debut déjà vu as Herrera and Neila fought for P1 more than a second ahead of the rest. With five laps to go, they had put more than four seconds between the rest of the pack and them, while just a tenth separated the 2025 Champion and runner-up. Neila bided her time until the final sector of the final lap, when she momentarily took P1, before Herrera made a block pass ahead of the final chicane to land her 14^th WorldWCR win while Neila’s podium streak extended to 17 in a row.

RAMOS FALLS LATE: The rookie star tumbles on Turn 17

On Lap 2, Paola Ramos (Klint Racing Team) ran wide into Turn 1 of Lap 2, losing a pair of positions to Turn 5. From there, the fight for the final podium position was a crazy, six-rider melee in the early laps involving her teammate Roberta Ponziani (Klint Racing Team), Sara Sanchez (Hadden Racing Team), Muklada Sarapuech (EEST NJT Racing Team) and Yvonne Cerpa (MotosCerpa-Gradara Corse). With three laps to go, Ramos reclaimed P3 before the group chasing her went four-wide, and Thai rider Sarapuech moved ahead and looked to land her first podium. Ramos was determined to find her way past, and while she did, to briefly take P3, she fell on the final chicane, and Sara Sanchez (Hadden Racing Team) crashed as well, as she avoided the young Spaniard. It was Italian Roberta Ponziani (Klint Racing Team) who took the rostrum honours. Sanchez and Ramos both went to the medical centre following the race where the #64 was ruled fit, and the #58 will be reviewe Sunday morning before the Warm Up session on Sunday morning as she was diagnosed with a hand contusion.

SARAPUECH SOARS: The Thai rider nearly takes P3

Chloe Jones (Monster Energy Crescent Yamaha) enjoyed her best finish of the season by a big margin, improving from P13 in Race 1 at Portimao to P4 at Assen. Sarapuech enjoyed a personal best of her own as well, building on a P9 to close Portimao to an Assen-opening P5. Natalia Rivera (Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR Team) was two seconds behind the podium-contending group ahead of her, but she will finish with a strong P6 result, which ties her best-ever WorldWCR race.

At the restart, Yvonne Cerpa was applied a double Long Lap Penalty for causing the Turn 1 incident by FIM WorldSBK stewards, which was not complied with, resulting in it being expanded to a Ride-Through penalty, and when that was not complied with, it was converted to a 37-second penalty, meaning she was demoted down to P17.

PERSONAL BESTS: Guarino improves, Madrigal ties her best WorldWCR result

Mexican rider Astrid Madrigal (Pons Italika Racing FIMLA) climbed up from her P10 starting position to finish P7, three seconds behind Rivera, but 10 seconds ahead of Polish rookie rider Karolina Danak (Yamaha AD78 FIMLA). Rounding out the top ten, Italian pair Arianna Barale (Hadden Racing Team) and Martina Guarino (Prata Motor Sport) took P9 and P10, a massive improvement on Guarino’s past personal best of P16.

The top six from the WorldWCR Race 1: Full results here!

1. Maria Herrera (Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR)

2. Beatriz Neila (Ampito Crescent Yamaha) +0.083s

3. Roberta Ponziani (Klint Racing Team) +10.803s

4. Chloe Jones (Monster Energy Crescent Yamaha) +11.495s

5. Muklada Sarapuech (EEST NJT Racing Team) +11.618s

6. Natalia Rivera (Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR) +13.716s

Fastest lap: Beatriz Neila – 1’47.150s, new lap record

The battles continue at Assen all weekend! Don’t miss a moment with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Nicolo Bulega took pole position during World Superbike Superpole qualifying Saturday at TT Circuit Assen, in The Netherlands. Riding his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R, Bulega recorded a lap time of 1:32.144, which was not only good enough to top the 22-rider field and secure pole position it also eclipsed Sam Lowes’ All-Time Lap Record of 1:32.596 from 2025.

Sam Lowes qualified second with a 1:32.473 on his ELF Marc VDS Ducati Panigale V4R.

Bulega’s teammate, Iker Lecuona did a 1:32.567 to earn the third and final spot on the front row.

Row two starters includeROKiT BMW’s Danilo Petrucci (1:32.921), Pata Maxus Yamaha’s Xavi Vierge (1:32.946), and biota by Kawasaki’s Alex Lowes (1:32.960).

American Garrett Gerloff qualified 16th with a 1:33.575 on his Kawasaki ZX-10RR. 

More from a press release issued by WSBK:

Pole and crash: Bulega takes P1 ahead of Sam Lowes and Lecuona despite Turn 1 fall. The #11 was the rider to beat in Tissot Superpole, although he did end the session in the gravel. 

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) secured pole position for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship at the TT Circuit Assen with a new lap record as he claimed P1 in the 15-minute session. However, the #11 had a crash in Tissot Superpole session but it came at the end of the session as he secured first place ahead of Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) and teammate Iker Lecuona in the Pirelli Dutch Round.

THE FIRST RUNS: Bulega leads Ducati contingent

Bulega was the pacesetter in the first stint with a 1’32.798s, only 0.035s ahead of teammate Lecuona, while Sam Lowes claimed a provisional front row start as he lapped 0.379s slower than the #11. The first run was interrupted due to a yellow flag after Bahattin Sofuoglu (Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) crashed at Turn 1.

POLE DESPITE CRASH: Bulega beats Sam Lowes and Lecuona

As the second runs started, Lecuona claimed the advantage after going around three tenths quicker with a 1’32.567s – and a new lap record to go with it as he laid down the gauntlet to his teammate. However, the #11 responded with a 1’32.144s to obliterate his teammate’s time to re-claim provisional pole position, although his session ended with a crash at Turn 1 as he tried to push a little bit more. The two factory Ducati riders were split by a hard-charging Sam Lowes, whose 1’32.473s secured him P2. Bulega has taken four consecutive poles, while he also became the first rider since Jonathan Rea (Honda HRC) in 2021 to take the first three poles of a season, and the first with Ducati since Carlos Checa in 2011. With Sam Lowes and Lecuona also on the front row, it’s the first time Ducati have had three top-three lockouts in Superpole since 1992.

STRONG SHOWING FROM PETRUCCI: P4 for the Italian, Vierge P5

Danilo Petrucci (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) has been the stronger of the BMW riders this weekend and confirmed that in Superpole as he claimed P4, ahead of Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha) with the pair separated by less than half-a-tenth. The #97 was following former Honda teammate Lecuona as he set his fastest time, equalling his best WorldSBK Superpole result. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) claimed a late P6 to ensure four different manufacturers were in the top six as he set a 1’32.960s.

BAUTISTA GOES FROM ROW 3: Can he fight his way through the field?

Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team) will go from seventh place after posting a 1’33.013s, ahead of Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) who will go from P8. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) was second on Friday at Assen but will start Race 1 and the Tissot Superpole Race from P9, with Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) missing a third row start by just a tenth of a second.

The top six from WorldSBK Superpole, full results here:

1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’32.144s

2. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +0.329s

3. Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.423s

4. Danilo Petrucci (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +0.777s

5. Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha) +0.802s

6. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +0.816s

Next up, Race 1! Don’t miss any action from 15:30 Local Time (UTC+2) using the WorldSBK VideoPass!