Billy Bolt Extends SuperEnduro Lead with Belgrade Masterclass

Round five of the 2026 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship in Belgrade, Serbia, saw Billy Bolt continue his commanding performance this season to take the overall victory ahead of Mitch Brightmore and Eddie Karlsson, with the trio emerging as the top three in the Prestige classification after an intense night of racing.

Once again, Bolt was in a class of his own, claiming SuperPole and sweeping all three finals to secure a maximum 63 points. Brightmore’s consistency across the three races earned him second overall on 47 points, while Karlsson’s solid results throughout the night saw him complete the overall podium with 44 points.

The action began in SuperPole, where Bolt laid down a flawless lap to take the three bonus points on offer. Jonny Walker secured second in the session to bank two valuable points as the title contenders set the early benchmark.

Race 1 saw Bolt exit the opening corner in fifth, while Walker launched well and slotted into fourth. Bolt wasted little time moving forward, climbing to second within the opening lap before executing a decisive pass for the lead. From there, he edged clear to take the win in 7:02.681. Brightmore capitalised to finish second in 7:05.330, with Walker regrouping after minor mistakes to secure third.

The reverse-grid Race 2 intensified the battle. Both Bolt and Walker started from the second row and were forced to carve their way through traffic. Walker surged into the lead fight and briefly took control, while Brightmore and Karlsson kept themselves firmly in contention. Bolt methodically worked his way forward and, after seizing the lead at mid-race, managed a fierce multi-rider battle before stretching clear late to win. Karlsson’s consistent pace earned him second, with Toby Martyn third, while contact with another rider dropped Walker to fifth by the chequered flag.

Race 3 delivered early drama when a first-corner pile-up disrupted the field, catching Bolt in the chaos, while Walker avoided the incident and remained inside the top five. Bolt mounted another charge through the pack, rejoining the leaders within two laps before advancing to second with three minutes remaining. A decisive late move secured his third win of the night. Brightmore finished second, with Karlsson third, results that ultimately locked in second and third overall for the round.

“We’re finished here in Belgrade, and it’s been a perfect night with maximum points, so I can’t complain,” Bolt said. “The starts weren’t great, which definitely made things more interesting, but in a way I enjoyed the battles. It’s good to be racing closely with the other guys because you can always learn something and take positives from those situations. Even with the tougher starts, my overall speed felt strong and I was able to stay calm, make the right moves, and manage the races well. The team did a great job all night and the bike was working perfectly. To come away with 63 points and extend the championship lead is exactly what we wanted. Now I’m really looking forward to Newcastle and racing in front of the home crowd.”

Walker’s 3-5-5 results gave him fifth overall for the round with 39 points, keeping him second in the championship standings despite a challenging night that included late-race contact and a hand injury.

“Just finished up here in Serbia and overall, the speed was definitely there tonight,” Walker said. “I felt competitive and strong, especially in race two when I was right in the fight for the lead. Unfortunately, I went down with a lapper and hurt my hand, which made the final race a bit of a struggle. It’s frustrating because I felt like we had the pace to be right at the front, but that’s racing sometimes. We’ll get it checked with some x-rays tomorrow and focus on recovering properly, and hopefully I’ll be good to go for Newcastle.”

Overall in Belgrade, Bolt topped the standings with 63 points, followed by Brightmore on 47 and Karlsson on 44, with Martyn fourth on 41 and Walker fifth on 39.

After five of seven rounds, Bolt leads the championship on 312 points, with Walker second on 227 and Brightmore third on 216. Karlsson sits fourth on 197, Martyn is fifth on 138, while Josep Garcia holds 10th on 99 and Manuel Lettenbichler 11th on 89.

The championship now heads to Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom, on February 28, where Bolt has the opportunity to clinch the title on home soil as the fight behind him for podium positions continues to intensify.