A new FIM Supersport 300 World Championship title winner was crowned after Race 1 at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve, as Spanish rider Alvaro Diaz (Arco Motor University Team) claimed the World Championship during the Pirelli Portuguese Round. In his second full season of WorldSSP300 action, Diaz surged to the top of the standings with a string of consistent performances. Here, you can discover ten things you probably didn’t know about the first World Champion of 2022.

1. Alvaro Diaz raced with the #72 during his first WorldSSP300 campaign, in 2020, but switched to #27 for his title-winning season in 2022. The reason? He used to have a shirt with the #72 on it but didn’t like it, so decided to reverse the numbers and race with #27. Coincidentally, Diaz also uses the number that his hero, Casey Stoner, used.

2. Diaz earnt the nickname “Hulk” throughout his school days, as results come easier to him when he is angry.

3. If Diaz couldn’t be a rider, he claims he would’ve taken up a profession in firefighting.

4. One famous person Diaz would most like to meet is Valentino Rossi.

5. Riders up and down the paddock all have hidden talents, with Diaz no exception. His hidden talent is fishing. It’s one of the activities he likes to do when he gets the chance on a day off.

6. Everyone gets given advice, with some pieces of advice resonating more than others. The best piece of advice Diaz has received is: “the only easy day was yesterday”.

7. Aside from motor racing, Diaz likes to take part in other sports. He enjoys games of tennis and padel. Away from the circuit, Diaz’s favourite type of training is cycling.

8. Diaz would most like to trade places with reigning WorldSBK Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) for the day.

9. Not only would he like to swap places with Razgatlioglu for the day, but he also considers the Turkish star one of his three favourite riders in WorldSBK. The others are Spanish duo Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Iker Lecuona (Team HRC).

10. He credits his dad for being the key person in his career, while his manager is the one who attends all of Diaz’s races.

Watch Diaz’s best moments from his title-winning year using the WorldSBK VideoPass!