An ecstatic Domi Aegerter: in Jerez he rode as he did in his heyday

Having moved up from the Moto2 World Championship, Dominique Aegerter delivered outstanding performances in the 2021 and 2022 Supersport World Championships with Team Ten Kate Yamaha, finishing on the podium in 35 of his 44 races – 27 of those as the winner! After winning two world titles in the middleweight class, Yamaha promoted him to Superbikes; however, a underperforming R1 and several long-term injuries prevented the experienced rider from establishing himself during his three years there.

In 2026, he returned to the Supersport World Championship – Kawasaki and Aegerter had huge ambitions and were determined to clinch the title together. However, little went to plan up until the summer break; sixth place in the first race at Assen was the only bright spot. Then came two test sessions in Cremona. At the end of September, there were glimmers of hope on the circuit in northern Italy; Estoril was decent; the first race at Jerez was strong with a fifth-place finish; and in Race 2 on Sunday afternoon, we saw Dominique Aegerter riding once again as he had in the two years that took him to second place on the all-time winners’ list – only Kenan Sofuoglu has more, with 43 victories.

Race abandoned after 12 laps and classified

The race was abandoned following a crash involving substitute rider Jorge Navarro (PTR Triumph) and was classified after 12 of 17 laps. Kawasaki celebrated a one-two finish with Jeremy Alcoba and Aegerter, whilst Matteo Ferrari (WRP Ducati) finished third.

“I’d already managed to close the gap to the top five on Saturday; it was tough, but I was able to control how the bike was handling,” explained Aegerter. “This season we’ve often struggled just to make it into the points. Somehow we kept working at it and didn’t lose faith – this is the result. The team helped improve things like throttle response, engine braking and the suspension. At the start of the season, we were a long way off with the overall package, and my mindset suffered as a result. When you doubt yourself – whether you’re fit enough, eating enough, or are too heavy; whether you’re training too little or too much; when you think about giving up and wonder whether the team and the bike are any good – then everything becomes very difficult.”

The top 15 are all within half a second of each other.

Dominique Aegerter

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“The track has also helped us at the last two rounds; the 636 copes a bit better here,” said Dominique. “And it suits me. If this had been Aragon, I don’t know if I’d have been quite as fast. It’s hard to say; it was certainly a combination of factors. With Mahias, Ferrari and Öncü, it wasn’t a walk in the park; we were right on each other’s heels and there wasn’t a millimetre of space anywhere. The field is incredibly tight; you can’t just pull away at the front or ride one or two tenths of a second faster – that’s almost impossible in this class now. The top 15 are all within half a second of each other.”

Would you have secured a podium finish even without the race being stopped? “I felt strong and would have been faster than everyone else over the last ten laps, with the exception of Jeremy Alcoba,” emphasised the Rohrbach rider. “I think we would have decided it on the final lap. This success feels good.”