The FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship was another fight to the line in Race 2 at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli”, with Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Team) securing her second win of the weekend after overtaking Sara Sanchez (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team) at the final corner on the last lap.
HERRERA VS CARRASCO… AGAIN: another fierce fight in Italy
Both Herrera and Carrasco got superb starts as the lights went out, going side by side through the opening couple of corners before Carrasco came out in front. That didn’t last long, however, with the #6 responding almost immediately. The lead group was made up of four riders – Herrera, Carrasco, Sara Sanchez (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team) and Beatriz Neila (Ampito / Pata Prometeon Yamaha) – with Turn 10 and the run to Curvone being the preferred overtaking places. On Lap 5, Carrasco used the slipstream to move ahead but was unable to keep the lead and tried again on Lap 6 before Herrera responded at Curvone. A lap later and Carrasco was ahead heading into Turn 14, before her rival tried to respond under braking; Carrasco had the outside and just held on to P1 through the final sector.
EPIC FINAL LAP: Herrera vs Sanchez for the win
With the lead group fighting hard, Sanchez looked to take advantage and got an excellent run out of Turn 10, using it to full advantage as she passed both Herrera and Carrasco to briefly lead, although she was unable to keep P1. Heading into the final three laps, Herrera was ahead of Sanchez while Neila had been in the top three before Carrasco reclaimed third on Lap 10. The #6 and #64 continued to trade fastest laps out in front with the gap stabilizing at around two tenths, but the final lap was a different story. Herrera led on the exit of Turn 10 but Sanchez slipstreamed her way alongside, and ahead, of the #6. However, she didn’t take that lightly, fighting around the outside of Turn 14, had a look at the inside of Turn 15 before outbraking Sanchez at Turn 16 to claim victory. It demoted Sanchez to second, with Carrasco completing the podium after her fight with compatriot Neila, who came home in P4.
P5 FOR PONZIANI: good results on home soil
While the top four were fighting, home hero Roberta Ponziani (Yamaha Motoxracing WCR Team) was taking another strong result as she finished in fifth place, ahead of Isis Carreno (AD78 FIM Latinoamerica by Team GP3) in sixth, with the Chilean rider showing great potential once again as she returns to World Championship level. French rider Ornella Ongaro (Yamaha Motoxracing WCR Team) came home in seventh and she was delighted with this, celebrating it like a win on the cool down lap.
COMPLETING THE TOP TEN: a solid star to WorldWCR
Ran Yochay (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team) finished in eighth place after missing out on P7 to Ornella by just 0.006s, while it was a fight that Pakita Ruiz (PS Racing Team 46+1) was also involved in; the three riders were separated by less than two tenths. Chun Mei Liu (WT Racing Team Taiwan) had been running in the top ten, but a crash from P8 on the final lap meant she wasn’t classified with Lucy Michel (TSL-Racing) finishing in the top ten as a result.
TO NOTE: two more retirements
Astrid Madrigal (ITALIKA Racing FIMLA) was the first rider to retire when she crashed at Turn 6 around halfway through the race, while Emily Bondi (YART Zelos Black Knights Team) brought her Yamaha R7 machine into the pits and retired; the French rider is making her way back to full fitness following injury sustained in training.
The top six from WorldWCR Race 2, full results here:
1. Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Team)
2. Sara Sanchez (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team) +0.085s
3. Ana Carrasco (Evan Bros Racing Yamaha Team) +1.305s
4. Beatriz Neila (Ampito/Pata Prometeon Yamaha) +1.352s
5. Roberta Ponziani (Yamaha Motoxracing WCR Team) +14.711s
6. Isis Carreno (AD78 FIM Latinoamerica by Team GP3) +25.014s
Best lap: Beatriz Neila (Ampito / Pata Prometeon Yamaha) 1’47.961s
Championship standings
1. Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Team) 50 points
2. Sara Sanchez (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team) 36
3. Ana Carrasco (Evan Bros Racing Yamaha Team) 36
4. Beatriz Neila (Ampito / Pata Prometeon Yamaha) 24
5. Roberta Ponziani (Yamaha Motoxracing WCR Team) 24
6. Isis Carreno (AD78 FIM Latinoamerica by Team GP3) 20
Source: WorldSBK.com