Ana Carrasco (Evan Bros Racing Yamaha Team) made more history in 2024 by becoming the first FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship title winner, defeating Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Team) in a final round showdown ay Jerez. The 27-year-old became a two-time World Champion with her success, and she’s now reflected on her second title, discussing how she bounced back from some tricky years, the 2024 campaign and her rivals.
BOUNCING BACK FROM ‘DIFFICULT’ TIMES: “At some point, it’s difficult to keep believing that you’re still competitive…”
Carrasco has endured some tough years recently, with serious injuries and a difficult time in Moto3™ before she returned to the WorldSBK paddock to compete in the inaugural WorldWCR campaign. A back injury in testing at Estoril in September 2020 forced her to undergo surgery, but she returned to action in 2021 in WorldSSP300. The #22 then returned to Moto3™ for 2022 and remained there until this year when she starred in the first-ever WorldWCR season, on the back of a leg injury sustained towards the back end of last year.
Reflecting on her success following a difficult period, the Spaniard said: “I’ve come from three or four really difficult seasons, with my back injury and then last year with my leg. At some point, it’s difficult to keep believing that you’re still competitive and to prove that I’m still a winning rider; I had a lot of people around me during this period that was difficult, so I give them this World Championship. It was a dream to race in the World Championship. Not many people have this opportunity and to win two times is crazy. I need a little bit more time to realise this. I’m super proud of me and all the people that helped me arrive here.”
EARLY PART OF 2024: “I think my experience in WorldSSP300 helped me a lot…”
The first WorldWCR season featured 12 races across six rounds, with the Murcia-born rider claiming a rostrum in every single race, split evenly across the three podium places: winning four races, taking second four times and third four times. That helped her secure the title, her second World Championship after the 2018 WorldSSP300 crown, and Carrasco reflected on her standout season as she made more motorsport history.
“I knew that I had to finish every race, try to not make mistakes,” Carrasco began. “When I could win, I had to, but when I couldn’t, I had to finish on the podium. Being on the podium in every race is something I’ve never achieved before. We had a lot of races, but it was a short Championship, and I think my experience in WorldSSP300 helped me a lot. As a rider, I always wanted to achieve my goals and dreams. I expected to start at Misano a little bit better. I went back to Donington, really motivated to try to win again. I was really fast there, and I wanted to win both races, but I wasn’t able to! Portimao was a nice weekend for me. I had a problem with the bike in Race 1, so I didn’t show my potential in that race, but I was able to win Race 2, and this was a key point for me.”
TITLE SECURED AT JEREZ: “My strategy was to push from the beginning… her strategy was the opposite”
Carrasco had match point at Jerez and duly converted that after a game of cat and mouse with Herrera, with the pair going for opposite strategies. Carrasco was aiming to pull away from the group but Herrera, needing the #22 to finish further down the order, tried to back the pack up and put more pressure on Carrasco. In the end, a final corner crash between Sara Sanchez (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team) and Herrera meant strategy went out the window as Carrasco secured the title.
On the final round, Carrasco said: “Jerez was, honestly, quite easy for me because I was just focused on the job; being fast in Free Practice, in Superpole and trying to win Race 1. My strategy was to push from the beginning because I wanted to keep the group as short as possible. Her strategy was the opposite. She wanted to slow down the group. It’s normal because she needed more riders in the group. I was just focusing on passing Ponziani. I tried to pass them on the back straight, but the group was too big. I was quite sure I could pass Ponziani on the last lap because my braking there was good. When I saw her crashing, I didn’t have time to think because it was the last corner! I’d just passed Ponziani so fourth position was enough for me when Herrera was second. When she was out, I was sure the Championship was mine!”
RIVALRIES IN 2024: “Sara and Beatriz had a really good Championship… it was a title battle between Maria and me!”
2024 in WorldWCR was defined by four riders consistently at the front – Carrasco, Herrera, Sanchez and Beatriz Neila (Ampito / Pata Prometeon Yamaha), with three of the four often on the rostrum. In the end, the title fight came down to Carrasco vs Herrera, with the former winning it at Jerez, although Sanchez claimed two victories and Neila stood on the podium on several occasions. One flashpoint came at Cremona when Sanchez collided with Herrera on the final lap, taking both out of the race with Carrasco securing victory.
Discussing her rivals, and Cremona where Sanchez and Herrera crashed on the final lap, Carrasco said: “Sara and Beatriz had a really good Championship. They’ve been battling for us in almost every race, and they deserve to be in this position today. I think the battle was fair. In the end, it was a title battle between Maria and me. It’s good to battle with someone like her. We’re quite different riders. The last lap at Cremona was a bit crazy. It’s something that can happen because we’re all pushing to the limit, we were approaching the last braking point at Cremona. In the end, I achieved victory which was really important for the Championship. To lead the Championship was important at that moment of the season because, after Cremona, I was more relaxed, and she was more nervous.”
Re-watch Carrasco’s best moments from her title-winning campaign on the WorldWCR YouTube channel and join the community on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Instagram!
Source: WorldSBK.com