The FIM Women’s World Circuit Racing World Championship took to the track for their penultimate race of the competition’s second season at the Pirelli Spanish Round. The sun hung high over at Spain’s Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, Andalucia, as the Championship, and it was Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Racing Team) who benefitted from a dramatic final lap to top the podium for the sixth time this season. Chloe Jones (GR Motorsport) followed her home in P2 for her fifth second-place result of the season, and Beatriz Nelia (Ampito Crescent Yamaha) was leading the race into the final lap, then finished in P4, but a penalty sent her back up onto the podium in P3. With these results, Herrea rides into the final race on Sunday with a 15-point lead over Neila, and Jones increased her lead for P3 ahead of Roberta Ponziani (Klint Forward Racing Team) by a further three points.

Sparks fly in the final lap: Ramos penalised off the podium, Neila bounced up to P3

Herrera shot off the line ahead of the rest of the grid, cutting across the front row’s other riders as Paola Ramos (YVS Sabadell) snuck ahead of Nelia. Ramos wrestled with Neila for the P2 spot, the wildcard rider showing her pedigree by fighting at the front with the Championship leaders. Jones worked her way up the order from P7 to lead the race into Lap 3.  Jones went wide into Turn 2 of that lap, and when Herrera tried to go up the inside, the two made contact, allowing the #36 to shoot the gap and take P1 for herself. As the race drew into the final laps, Jones’s pace had diminished slightly, placing her behind the lead trio as they flew into Turn 1 of the final lap three wide. In that moment, Neila and Ramos went bar to bar. Making contact and sending Neila wide into P4; the incident was later deemed Irresponsible Riding by FIM WorldSBK Stewards on Ramos’s part, sending her down to P4, Herrera atop the podium, the #15 into P2 and Beatriz Nelia up onto the podium. For her part, the wildcard rider Ramos impressed with her pace, battling solidly at the front for the entire contest. Her penalty saw her shuffled off the podium; however, the P4 result is certainly still a result to be proud of.

Ponziani leads the second group: Beats out Boudesseul by 0.006

Roberta Ponziani (Klint Forward Racing Team) started from P4; however, by the race’s midpoint, she had fallen out of the lead group. Her pace was enough to finish at the head of the second group in P5. Behind her, Lucie Boudesseul (GMT94-YAMAHA) wasn’t able to fight in the podium pack this time after placing P3 in her home round last time out, this time notching a serviceable P6 result. Tayla Relph (Full Throttle Racing) fell from her P5 starting place; however, she held on to a seventh-place finish for her second strongest finish of the season.

Rivera continues to shine: Sticks her fourth top ten of the season

Pakita Ruiz (PR46+1 Racing Team) was bumped up a position by a Track Limits Penalty for Sara Sanchez (Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR Team) on Turn 13 of the final lap, shuffling her back to P9. Rounding out the top ten was rookie rider Natalia Rivera (Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR Team), who continues to impress after her breakout top sixes at Magny-Cours.

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

1. Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Racing Team)

2. Chloe Jones (GR Motosport) +0.291s

3. Beatriz Neila (Ampito Crescent Yamaha) +1.114s

4. Paola Ramos (YVS Sabadell) +2.686s

5. Roberta Ponziani (Klint Forward Racing Team) +5.503s

6. Lucie Boudesseul (GMT94-YAMAHA) +5.509s

Fastest lap: Paola Ramos – 1’51.303s, new lap record

Keep up with the WorldWCR Championship battle by following WorldWCR on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook, and watch the title-deciding Race 2 at 11:50 Local Time (UTC+2) on YouTube!