Roberto García (WorldSSP): "I can fight for race wins, not only for podiums"

Among many riders with a lot of experience in this championship or coming from other world championships (Moto2 and MotoE above all), in the 2026 FIM Supersport World Championship season we are often seeing a youngster fighting at the front in his first full WorldSSP season.

With just 19 years of age, Roberto García is in fact surprising everyone by holding his own against "big guys" such as Albert Arenas, Jaume Masiá, Matteo Ferrari and even Lucas Mahias, his teammate at the GMT94 Yamaha team and very experienced (as well as 2017 World Champion) in this championship. Moto2 European Champion in 2024 and very close at that time to moving up to the world championship, García began racing in the WorldSSP halfway through 2025, right with the team owned by Christophe Guyot, and from there he has improved constantly. He came close to the podium several times this year, but at Balaton Park he finally secured his first top 3 result by finishing 3rd in Race 2.

Palmen in Motorradsport had the opportunity to interview Roberto García to talk with him about the 2026 season, the years spent in JuniorGP, as well as the future and much more.

Roberto, what do you think about how the 2026 season has started? And what goals do you have for your first full year in the Supersport World Championship?

Honestly, it started pretty well, just as we expected. At Phillip Island we had to adapt to a new circuit, but we still delivered a good performance. Portimão, on the other hand, is a track I know well because I raced there during my years in the Moto2 European Championship, and honestly it’s one of my favorite circuits. We felt quite comfortable there, we were close to the podium and we finished the weekend very happy with the work we did.

Things did not go well at Assen, but then I bounced back at Balaton Park and finally I achieved my first world championship podium. We had a great feeling there and we knew we could aim for the top 3. I’m sure we can do it at other circuits on the calendar as well and, realistically, I think I can fight for victories, not just for podiums.

Who are you mainly watching in the Supersport World Championship?

For sure my team-mate Lucas Mahias, because of his experience, and I would also add Albert Arenas, who spent many years in the Moto2 World Championship. I also watch carefully Nicolò Bulega and Yari Montella, who are now in Superbike, and I often train with Montella as well. I like watching riders who are making the difference in Superbike and previously made it in Supersport. Bulega was a world champion and Montella finished third in the WorldSSP in 2024, so they are important riders for me as well.

Mahias is also your team-mate. What have you learned from him in particular?

A lot of things, especially on how to manage practice sessions, stay calm and handle everything in general. I mean, how to adapt to the bike, how to quickly learn a new circuit, how to manage the tyres properly and also how to approach the sessions. In the European Championship and in the Moto2 World Championship, there are more free practice sessions before qualifying, whereas in Supersport you only have one FP and then immediately the Superpole. So, there’s very short track time and you need to be ready straight away. I have observed Mahias a lot in this aspect and I have learned plenty of things from him.

Let’s now talk about the years you spent in MotoJunior. Let’s start with the European Talent Cup (where he raced from 2019 to 2021, ed).

For me, those years were wonderful years and at the same time very difficult, because I grew physically earlier than many other riders, and therefore I was much heavier than them. To give you an idea, the difference between me and some riders I competed against, such as David Alonso, was around 10 kg.

In 2020 I had to stop midway through the season for financial reasons, but José Luis Cardoso (former rider who also raced in MotoGP, ed) let me race in the final round with his team and I finished sixth. Then, in 2021, we completed the whole season with good results and in the meantime I started training with the Yamaha R6, which better suited my body structure. At the final round in Valencia, I made my debut in the Stock 600 category (which at the time raced together with Moto2, ed) and I immediately won. From there, I moved up to Moto2 the following year, with just 15 or 16 years of age.

And how was your progression in the Moto2 European Championship, until winning the title in 2024?

The first years in Moto2 were very different from the European Talent Cup, because the Moto2 bike has much more power and is way heavier. The adaptation was difficult, because the Dunlop tyres were very hard and difficult to manage, but little by little I made it to my first podium finishes. In 2023, for example, I finished third and second at Motorland Aragón. In 2024 things improved, also thanks to the switch to Pirelli tyres, which are easier for me to understand. At Jerez, if I remember correctly, I was even only two tenths away from the fastest lap time set in the World Championship. There were ups and downs in 2024, but in the end I won the championship, which is a more than valuable experience in a rider’s career.

In 2024 you also made a couple of wildcard appearances in the Moto2 World Championship, at Sachsenring and Montmeló. What can you say about that experience?

It was great. At Sachsenring it was especially difficult, because I did not know the circuit, and for me it’s one of the hardest tracks on the calendar. Plus, everything was new. At Montmeló, instead, I raced while I was still fighting for the European title, so I preferred not to take many risks and thought more about my championship. We couldn't fully show our potential, but I gained very important experience for my career.

As a European champion and a rider of Cardoso Racing, which collaborated with Fantic Racing Team at the time, it seemed likely to see you move up to the world championship. However, that didn't happen. Would you like to explain why you did not make it to the Moto2 WC, and what it felt like?

It’s a complicated topic, because these situations never leave you with a good feeling.

Our plan was to reach the Moto2 World Championship and then try to move up to MotoGP. There were several possibilities to move up, but all of them were difficult to make happen. It was around 80% certain that I would race with Fantic in the world championship. However, during the final two races of the season they announced another rider (Barry Baltus, ed). Honestly, i was demotivated after such news, but with the help of my manager and many other people, I reacted and went on to win the title in the European Championship.

Then in 2025, halfway through the season,Yamaha offered me the opportunity to race in Supersport (replacing Michael Ruben Rinaldi in the GMT94 Yamaha team, ed). They immediately opened their doors to me and treated me very well. So I accepted the offer, hoping to eventually reach World Superbike and fight with the best riders in the world. It’s not easy, and even riders coming from MotoGP struggle, but it would be amazing.

If in the future you had, at the same time, an offer to move up to Superbike with a good team and another one to go to the Moto2 World Championship, which one would you pick?

You would need to evaluate many things. However, it’s true that from Superbike you can also do wildcards in MotoGP and become a test rider there (like Nicolò Bulega, ed), while on the Moto2 side you need to understand whether there is really an open door to MotoGP or not. You could end up staying there for three or four years, without ever moving up, so you need to think carefully. Right now, if I had to choose, I would prefer going to the WorldSBK.

Going even further back in time, how did your racing career begin?

It started thanks to my grandfather. When I was a little kid, he always told me to go for a ride with him. He loved motorcycles, whereas my father did not, because he practiced a completely different sport: wrestling.

At some point, though, I seriously fell in love with motorcycles and my father bought me a Chinese pocket bike. From there, I started training and joined a riding school, where I gradually improved. Then, I joined and won championships against riders such as Pedro Acosta, Fermín Aldeguer, José Antonio Rueda, Dani Holgado, Ángel Piqueras and many others.

Do you ever think about the fact that those riders reached the world championship, some even MotoGP, while you did not?

Sometimes. We all started from the same series, then each of us followed a different path. Some had more opportunities, others fewer. I believe every rider ends up in the championship they are meant to join. In my case, I’m in World Supersport and I’m very happy to be here. I see this championship almost like the MotoGP paddock itself. I don’t see a huge difference.

Did you ever have to stop racing?

It happened in 2019, when we no longer had the budget to continue. My father could no longer afford the costs of this sport, so we decided to stop. However, I asked my father to let me race at least one round of the Andalusian Supermotard Championship. In the end he allowed me to do it, and luckily there was also a sponsor at that race, who worked with José Luis Cardoso. Thanks to them, I was able to continue my career.

And you are also in a historic team, which is GMT94.

It has much more history than I imagined. When they told me I would race with them, I started looking into it and I was really impressed by their history (with also many wins in France and in the Endurance World Championship, ed).

At this point, what is your goal for the future?

To reach the WorldSBK and win. That would be one of my biggest dreams.

What sports do you enjoy, apart from motorcycle racing?

I really enjoy cycling, swimming and skiing, and I also watch other sports like basketball and golf. On the other hand, I am not much interested in football. I also like rowing: I tried it three or four times and it’s an incredibly tough sport, that completely destroys you physically. But I enjoy experimenting new things and I had fun doing it.

You also mentioned wrestling, the sport practiced by your father.

Yes. My father won many championships in Andalusia and in Spain. He was even supposed to go to the Olympics, but a back injury prevented him from doing so. Sometimes I practice wrestling too. I like trying different sports.

In conclusion, the “Thank You Moment”: is there anyone in particular you would like to thank?

Yes, I would like to thank those who have been with me since the beginning. Few people are still with me today, but they are truly extraordinary. Above all, I want to thank my parents, José Luis Cardoso and all the sponsors who have supported me so far. I hope I can give all of them great reasons to celebrate, maybe even a Supersport title.

Palmen in Motorradsport thanks Roberto García for his time and Yann Marian (GMT94 Yamaha Press Officer) for arranging the interview. Best wishes to both the rider and the team for the upcoming races and seasons.