Borja Jiménez (WorldSSP): "I had signed to stay in the Moto2 ECh, but..."

While on one side we see riders with plenty of experience and also coming from the MotoGP paddock, on the other side the FIM Supersport World Championship has welcomed in the last years several youngsters, often with short experience on the international stage. To the latter group belongs one rider who joined the field in 2026: Borja Jiménez.

Born in 2007, Jiménez is facing his first year in a world championship on the Ducati lined up by the WRP Racing Team, with Matteo Ferrari as experienced team-mate. Coming from the MotoJunior paddock after one season in the Moto2 European Championship (where he made continuous progress until scoring a 10th place in Barcelona), the Spaniard came to the WorldSSP as an underdog and he has constantly improved until reaching the top 20, hoping to score points throughout the season.

Palmen in Motorradsport had the chance to interview Borja Jiménez to talk about this season, his career so far and more. Worth a mention is the fact that Jiménez, with just 18 years of age, is the youngest rider in the 2026 WorldSSP field.

Borja, how was the start of the season?

We started the season well, as best as possible in our situation. In Australia, on a circuit I didn’t know, we were in the top 15 during the Practice and Superpole sessions. Then, however, we had a bad crash in which the bike was heavily damaged, and that affected the rest of the weekend. In any case, the priority is to learn the tracks, as almost all of them are new to me, and gain experience.

What's your goal in terms of results?

I would like to finish at least five or six races in the points and improve little by little, maybe even reaching the top 10.

At least you already know the Ducati Panigale V2, since you rode it already in the Spanish ESBK Championship.

Yes, I used it for three races in 2023. But it's completely different from this one: there I had a mostly production spec Ducati, while this one is much more developed. I am still 20% or 30% away from fully adapting to this bike.

How different is the riding style between Moto2 and Supersport for you?

Compared to Supersport, Moto2 is much stiffer and harder to understand, and you never really see the limit. The Ducati, on the other hand, gives you more freedom under this aspect.

Can you tell us about the first steps of your career?

I started when I was four and a half years old, because my father really liked motorcycles. He had a bike in the garage and I always asked him to take me there to see it. Later, we got a minibike and I started riding and doing my first races, first with minibikes and then in the 65cc class. At one point we moved directly from 65cc to Moto4, partly because of one of my father’s “crazy ideas", and it was a huge leap for me. From Moto4 I then moved to Supersport 300 in 2022, a year in which I achieved great results.

The Speed Racing Team then proposed that I moved up to Supersport, and together we did three races in 2023. The team was fantastic, but some problems came up and I was left without a ride. Fortunately, Héctor Faubel offered me a seat in his team, Fau55 Tey Racing, in the Stock European Championship. And with this team I also competed in the Moto2 European Championship in 2025.

After racing in Moto4, why did you move to Supersport 300 instead of heading toward Moto3?

To be honest, at that moment I wanted to race production based bikes. The reason I moved to Moto2 was because, at the time, it looked like the best path to grow. And there, I admit, I also started thinking about MotoGP. Things did not go very well in Moto2, though, so I took another path, which fortunately brought me into the WorldSBK paddock.

Initially, you had already signed to race another season in the Moto2 European Championship in 2026.

It's true. But, as I said before, Moto2 is a very complicated category, where you need at least two or three years to understand the bike and be fast. Moreover, almost no riders get paid, and nearly everyone has to bring money. With the small budget I have, it was not feasible for me to stay three years in the European Championship. I was supposed to do a second year in the series, again with Fau55. But then the WRP Racing team came with a very good offer to race in World Supersport, and I accepted it without thinking twice.

For the future, are you aiming to build a career in production based racing? Or do you still keep an open door towards MotoGP?

Every rider’s dream is to reach MotoGP, but I would not mind staying in WorldSBK my whole life. I like this championship: it's different and there is more passion for motorcycle racing than in MotoGP. I would like to have a great year in Supersport and then move up to Superbike.

What's been your best season so far?

The one in the ESBK Supersport 300, in 2022. I achieved excellent results, including a victory and some podiums, and I had a lot of fun. Also, in that category there was a lot of close battling and I really enjoyed fighting with my rivals in the pack. I was also with a good team, which was Motap (now Pons Motorsport Italika Racing, also competing in the Sportbike World Championship and the WorldWCR, ed).

Outside of motorcycles, what are your hobbies?

I like everything related to two wheels. When there are no races, I do a lot of cycling and train in the gym. I also enjoy spending time with my friends and, finally, when I am not training, I work in my father’s construction company.

Has there ever been a moment in your career when things became difficult, and you thought your career might be over?

Sometimes I think about it, but I never give up. My mind always wants more and I am convinced that with hard work, if things go bad one day, they will go better the next day.

Would you like to share something curious about yourself, that few people know?

A few years ago, I had a pair of "good luck pants", but they had a hole in them. One day I went to my physiotherapist. When he arrived, I had my leg raised and one of my "balls" popped out through the hole... That bastard made fun of me the whole time and now he tells everyone about it (laughs, ed). Now I don't use those pants, also because they don't fit me anymore, but he said that when I retire, he wants to put them in a frame and keep them at his home!

To conclude, the “Thank You Moment”: would you like to thank anyone in particular?

I also want to thank my father, my brother, and Héctor Faubel, who helps me a lot in my career. And then I thank the WRP Racing Team, who believed in me this year.

Palmen in Motorradsport thanks Borja Jiménez for his availability and the WRP Racing team for making the interview possible. Best wishes to the rider and the team for the upcoming races and seasons.