Maria Herrera won FIM World Women’s Circuit Racing Race 1 Saturday morning at TT Circuit Assen, in The Netherlands. Riding her Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha YZF-R7 on Pirelli control tires, Herrera won the 8-lap race by just 0.083 second.

Beatriz Neila was the runner-up on her Ampito Crescent Yamaha YZF-R7, and Roberta Ponziani got third on her Klint Racing Yamaha YZF-R7. 

American Mallory Dobbs crashed her YVS Sabadell Diva Racing Yamaha YZF-R7 in turn 5.

More from a press release issued by WSBK:

Fight to the line: Herrera beats Neila in Assen showdown in red-flagged WorldWCR Race 1. A dramatic Race 1 at Assen saw a new face on the 2026 podium.

The FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship filed onto the tarmac at the ‘Cathedral of Speed’ as they disputed the first race of their Pirelli Dutch Round weekend at the TT Assen Circuit. Maria Herrera (Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR) got her nose in front in the Championship picture as she took her second win of the season, ahead of Beatriz Neila (Ampito Crescent Yamaha) in P2 and Roberta Ponziani (Klint Racing Team) in P3.

LAP 1 SPILLS: Relph taken to the medical centre

Rain had begun to fall on track by lights out, and when the race got rolling, Herrera jumped out ahead from Pole just before a group of riders came together and took a tumble at Turn 1, including Emily Bondi (FT Racing Academy), Pakita Ruiz (PR46+1 Racing Team), Line Vieillard (FT Racing Academy), and Tayla Relph (Full Throttle Racing). Unfortunately for the Australian, she was taken to the medical centre and did not participate in the full-distance restart after debris was cleared from the track. She was diagnosed with contusions on her left ankle and foot, and will be reviewed before Sunday morning’s Warm Up.

HERRERA HOLDS ON: the #6 struck back in the final moments to take her second win of 2026

Herrera again took the holeshot, already carving out a quarter-second lead for herself by the end of the first lap’s first sector. By the end of the first lap, it was 2025 season debut déjà vu as Herrera and Neila fought for P1 more than a second ahead of the rest. With five laps to go, they had put more than four seconds between the rest of the pack and them, while just a tenth separated the 2025 Champion and runner-up. Neila bided her time until the final sector of the final lap, when she momentarily took P1, before Herrera made a block pass ahead of the final chicane to land her 14^th WorldWCR win while Neila’s podium streak extended to 17 in a row.

RAMOS FALLS LATE: The rookie star tumbles on Turn 17

On Lap 2, Paola Ramos (Klint Racing Team) ran wide into Turn 1 of Lap 2, losing a pair of positions to Turn 5. From there, the fight for the final podium position was a crazy, six-rider melee in the early laps involving her teammate Roberta Ponziani (Klint Racing Team), Sara Sanchez (Hadden Racing Team), Muklada Sarapuech (EEST NJT Racing Team) and Yvonne Cerpa (MotosCerpa-Gradara Corse). With three laps to go, Ramos reclaimed P3 before the group chasing her went four-wide, and Thai rider Sarapuech moved ahead and looked to land her first podium. Ramos was determined to find her way past, and while she did, to briefly take P3, she fell on the final chicane, and Sara Sanchez (Hadden Racing Team) crashed as well, as she avoided the young Spaniard. It was Italian Roberta Ponziani (Klint Racing Team) who took the rostrum honours. Sanchez and Ramos both went to the medical centre following the race where the #64 was ruled fit, and the #58 will be reviewe Sunday morning before the Warm Up session on Sunday morning as she was diagnosed with a hand contusion.

SARAPUECH SOARS: The Thai rider nearly takes P3

Chloe Jones (Monster Energy Crescent Yamaha) enjoyed her best finish of the season by a big margin, improving from P13 in Race 1 at Portimao to P4 at Assen. Sarapuech enjoyed a personal best of her own as well, building on a P9 to close Portimao to an Assen-opening P5. Natalia Rivera (Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR Team) was two seconds behind the podium-contending group ahead of her, but she will finish with a strong P6 result, which ties her best-ever WorldWCR race.

At the restart, Yvonne Cerpa was applied a double Long Lap Penalty for causing the Turn 1 incident by FIM WorldSBK stewards, which was not complied with, resulting in it being expanded to a Ride-Through penalty, and when that was not complied with, it was converted to a 37-second penalty, meaning she was demoted down to P17.

PERSONAL BESTS: Guarino improves, Madrigal ties her best WorldWCR result

Mexican rider Astrid Madrigal (Pons Italika Racing FIMLA) climbed up from her P10 starting position to finish P7, three seconds behind Rivera, but 10 seconds ahead of Polish rookie rider Karolina Danak (Yamaha AD78 FIMLA). Rounding out the top ten, Italian pair Arianna Barale (Hadden Racing Team) and Martina Guarino (Prata Motor Sport) took P9 and P10, a massive improvement on Guarino’s past personal best of P16.

The top six from the WorldWCR Race 1: Full results here!

1. Maria Herrera (Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR)

2. Beatriz Neila (Ampito Crescent Yamaha) +0.083s

3. Roberta Ponziani (Klint Racing Team) +10.803s

4. Chloe Jones (Monster Energy Crescent Yamaha) +11.495s

5. Muklada Sarapuech (EEST NJT Racing Team) +11.618s

6. Natalia Rivera (Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR) +13.716s

Fastest lap: Beatriz Neila – 1’47.150s, new lap record

The battles continue at Assen all weekend! Don’t miss a moment with the WorldSBK VideoPass!