Carter Thompson Claims Maiden WorldSPB Victory

Australian rider dominates Race 2 after pole position weekend, giving the new Yamaha R7 its first-ever FIM Sportbike World Championship victory ahead of the season finale in Jerez.

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Australia’s Carter Thompson delivered a landmark victory for Yamaha after claiming his maiden FIM Sportbike World Championship (WorldSPB) race win at Italy’s Cremona Circuit on Sunday. The triumph also marked the first-ever WorldSPB victory for the new 2026 Yamaha R7, capping off an outstanding weekend for both Thompson and Team BrCorse.

After finishing fifth in Saturday’s opening race, Thompson bounced back in spectacular fashion during Race 2. Having already topped Free Practice and secured pole position earlier in the weekend, the Australian produced a commanding ride to claim victory by more than five seconds.

Starting from fourth on the grid for the 12-lap race, Thompson wasted little time moving into contention. He climbed to second on the opening lap before briefly dropping to fourth on lap two. Remaining calm under pressure, he worked his way back through the leading group and took the race lead on lap four.

Once in front, Thompson steadily built a comfortable advantage aboard the new Yamaha R7. By the halfway point, his lead had grown to nearly two seconds, and he continued extending the gap while maintaining impressive pace.

The Australian also set a new race lap record of 1:36.157 on lap nine before taking the chequered flag 5.305 seconds ahead of Spain’s Xavi Artigas, securing a memorable maiden victory in dominant fashion.

The result represents an important milestone for Yamaha, as the 2026 Yamaha R7 records its first race victory in the Sportbike World Championship. It also rewards Team BrCorse after showing competitive pace throughout the season, with Thompson finally converting several podium finishes into his first win.

Team BrCorse also celebrated another solid result through Italian rider Marco Gaggi. Racing on home soil, Gaggi started from 10th on the grid and remained within the lead group during the early stages before finishing ninth, giving the team two riders inside the top ten.

Elsewhere, Mirko Gennai of Panattoni BGR Smrz Racing recovered to finish 14th despite serving two Long Lap penalties for a jump start. Gonzalo Sanchez from ARCO Yamaha MotoR University Team made significant progress through the field, climbing from 34th on the grid to finish 16th.

The Progp Nitiracing pairing of Felix Mulya and Kevin Farkas crossed the line in 18th and 20th respectively, while reigning FIM Yamaha R3 BLU CRU World Cup champion Alessandro Di Persio finished 25th for ARCO Yamaha MotoR University Team.

Reflecting on his breakthrough victory, Thompson said he was delighted to finally stand on the top step after several near misses this season.

“I’m really happy to finally get the race win. I’ve been on the podium a few times this year but I really wanted to get the win. It’s the home race for the team as well, so that makes it extra special.”

He added that his strategy was to escape the leading group as early as possible after experiencing difficulties in Saturday’s race.

“We knew we had good pace all weekend, but yesterday we struggled to fight in the group so my plan today was to try and get to the front and get a gap to run my rhythm and do my lines, and this is what we were able to do. Now we look forward to Jerez, and hopefully we can do it again.”

Yamaha Road Racing Sporting Manager Niccolò Canepa described the result as a historic achievement for Yamaha and praised Thompson’s performance throughout the weekend.

“This is a historic moment for Yamaha, with the new R7 taking its first victory in the Sportbike World Championship. Carter has been strong all weekend and delivered an excellent race to secure his first win of the season.”

Canepa also highlighted Thompson’s rise to third in the championship and expressed confidence heading into the final round of the season.

“With one round still to go, we hope this is the first of more victories before the season comes to a close. Congratulations to Carter and the entire BrCorse Team on a fantastic result.”

With the victory, Thompson moves up to third in the WorldSPB championship standings on 158 points heading into the season finale at Jerez, which takes place from 16–18 October.