The Circuito Estoril is set to host a FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship showdown this weekend as Ana Carrasco (Evan Bros Racing Yamaha Team) and Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Team) get ready to battle in what could be a pivotal weekend. Carrasco leads Herrera by just nine points heading into the Estoril Round and that means it’s match point for the #22, albeit unlikely due to the small gap between the pair.

THE TITLE FIGHT: advantage Carrasco… just

This season has been defined by four riders – Carrasco, Herrera, Sara Sanchez (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team) and Beatriz Neila (Ampito / Pata Prometeon Yamaha) – more often than not taking up the top four positions. Carrasco and Herrera have shared all eight wins between them, with the #6 taking five and Carrasco three, meaning they have a slight advantage over Sanchez in the standings. With this being the penultimate round, Carrasco can win the title this weekend if she outscores Herrera by 42 points and Sanchez by 15.

Discussing the Championship fight, 2018 WorldSSP300 Champion Carrasco said: “Honestly, I’m not thinking about the Championship. There are still four races to go, so there’s still a lot of points available. I think it’ll be really, really difficult to be Champion here at Estoril. I will try to focus on myself, be fast, win races if it’s possible because, until the last race, we won’t know who will win the Championship. I have to keep enjoying and do all I can to win races this weekend. It’ll be so good to keep the gap between Maria and me for the first race.”

CATCHING UP WITH HERRERA: the #6 talks Cremona crash and provides fitness update

The two Spaniards are often trading blows with one another in races as they fight for victory, switching positions countless times and ensuring the other can’t escape when the positions do change. That came to a head at Cremona in Race 2 when several riders were heading down from Turn 10 to 11, when Carrasco and Herrera were side-by-side and banging elbows, before a crash under braking at Turn 11 meant Sanchez hit Herrera and took the #6 out of the race.

With this being the first time Herrera has spoken at the circuit since the crash, she was asked for her view on it. Providing a fitness update, she said: “It was a big crash. I think I was lucky because I thought my neck was destroyed; I suffered a lot the day after the crash. I’m happy to be here to battle again for the Championship.”

She then spoke about the crash, saying: “I was a little bit angry with this situation because I know Ana is strong on the straights. If she can have more speed, she can go and then we battle at the braking point because it’s the only place I can battle with her. She overtook me and pushed me onto the green. I wasn’t happy so I pushed to the right because I was on the limit in the wrong part. Sara could come to us, and the situation was difficult for Sara, I think, but Ana has something to say at that point.”

THE ESTORIL EXPECTATION: four or five riders to fight at the front?

Carrasco went on to win the race and with it the Championship lead heading into Estoril, and she also spoke about what she expected from the Estoril weekend in terms of the fight at the front, believing the story would be similar compared to other races this season. She said: “We’ve seen the same races since Misano, so I expect the same. The weather can make it a different weekend if we have rain during Friday or Saturday, so let’s see how the weather is. I expect Maria to be fast, Sara and also Beatriz. I think it’ll be a group of four or five riders as always. I will try to achieve the results and try to keep following my line to win this Championship.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

With the first-ever season of the FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship closing in on a thrilling conclusion, Ana Carrasco (Evan Bros Racing Yamaha Team) spoke in-depth about the season so far, being in the group of four that consistently fights for wins and podiums plus the title fight, which Carrasco leads heading into the Circuito Estoril by just 9 points over rival Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Team).

THE NEW CHAMPIONSHIP: “To be back in the WorldSBK paddock was important for me… I feel like here is home for me”

Carrasco previously spent five seasons competing in WorldSSP300, claiming the title in 2018 as she became the first woman to win a world title. She remained in the Championship until 2021 before she spent two seasons back in Moto3™. She then joined up for the inaugural WorldWCR campaign for this season and, in eight races so far, has taken eight podiums including three wins.

“This new Championship is going well at the moment,” began Carrasco when discussing WorldWCR. “The races are really interesting. We’re having a great fight and I’m enjoying the Championship. Coming back to win is really nice. To be back in the WorldSBK paddock was something important for me because I feel like here is home for me. I’m really happy and ready to fight.”

THE LEAD GROUP: “The top group’s having a lot of battles…”

This season has been the story of the ‘fantastic four’, with Carrasco, Herrera, Beatriz Neila (Ampito / Pata Prometeon Yamaha) and Sara Sanchez (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team) often leading the charge, although occasionally other riders join the fight. Carrasco reflected on the battles, where she’s come out on top on a few occasions, with the biggest winning margin this season just 0.511s, and this is the only winning gap over two tenths.

Speaking about the battles and her strengths, Carrasco said: “The top group’s having a lot of battles in all races at all circuits. When you fight this hard and you achieve victory, it’s even more special. You can’t always win in racing, so you have to be good when you win and when you lose. During the season, I felt better in the fast corners, and I think, this year, this is my biggest positive point.”

RIVALRIES AND TITLE FIGHTS: “To win by beating a rider with that level is really good… I think it’ll be decided in the last race at Jerez”

One key aspect of this season has been the rivalry between Carrasco and Herrera, which has reignited with both fighting at the front in WorldWCR. It’s something Carrasco spoke about, detailing how they’ve known each other since they were kids and how she feels beating Herrera would be ‘really good’ due to the #6’s speed and abilities.

On the rivalry, Carrasco said: “I’ve known Maria since we were 4 or 5 years old. Since minibikes, we’ve been racing together. To be in this Championship racing together, and fighting for the title, is something really good because to win by beating a rider with that level is really good. I want to fight with her until the end. I don’t care about who’s beating me in that moment because I only want to win.”

The Spanish rider also spoke about the title fight, believing it’ll go down to the wire. She said: “I think, in this Championship, it’ll be decided in the last race at Jerez. We’re all very close on points and it’ll be difficult to make a gap for the last race. If we get to Jerez in the last race, on the last lap, I will be really tough to beat.”

BEING CROWNED CHAMPION: “The biggest thing of my life…”

Carrasco was crowned World Champion for the first time at Magny-Cours in 2018 when she beat Mika Perez and Scott Deroue to the title, finishing ahead of Perez by just a single point. Speaking about this moment, Carrasco said: “Being World Champion was the biggest thing of my life because, since I was a kid, and I was starting to race, my dream was to get to the World Championship and be World Champion. After that moment, I became a professional rider. After that, a lot of things changed, and I had a lot of opportunities.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Source: WorldSBK.com

The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship has never been more competitive. On any given weekend, the 18 fastest riders in the Championship are separated by just one second. Modern racing is a game of tiny margins and while the milliseconds from pole position add up so does the budget to catch up.

OPTIMISM FOR HONDA: a tough run but things looking up

Team HRC is the best example of the challenges facing teams in the midfield in the World Superbike class. Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge are good riders. Both came to the production-based series with Grand Prix pedigree that proved their talent. WorldSBK though is a tough nut to crack. Both riders have found this with one podium apiece over the course of the last three seasons. It’s easy to look at the shortcomings of Honda’s performance and think wholesale change will bring a change in fortunes.

After three years, both Lecuona and Vierge have scored less points each season. Despite increasing their experience, the fortunes of Honda have been on a downward spiral. Much of that has been due to an increase in competitive bikes on the grid and a closer field. In three years, there have been precious few reasons for optimism at Honda. Until now.

CONSISTENTLY IN THE TOP TEN: Lecuona and Vierge show Honda’s potential

For three consecutive weekends, Magny-Cours, Cremona, and Aragon, both bikes have finished every race inside the top ten. This is the first time we’ve seen such form from both riders at the same time. The superconcession system has helped Honda to find improvements and understand their bike to a much greater degree than in the past. 

Even when Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was riding for HRC in 2020 and 2021 consistent performances were the biggest problem. The Spaniard’s good days on the Fireblade were very good and he could take podiums and challenge at the front, but his bad days were crash filled. For the team, in recent years their tough days have been painful days with Lecuona having missed races in each season due to injury.

KEEPING THE BALL ROLLING: a small chance of a top-ten Championship finish

The bright sparks of recent rounds have been encouraging for the team and for the manufacturer. Now the goal has to be keeping momentum on their side as we finish the season in Estoril and Jerez. Both riders will feel that there’s a chance to finish the season in this vein of form It probably won’t be enough to catch Remy Gardner in the Championship, the Yamaha man is 35 points ahead of Lecuona, it should at least give them momentum heading into the winter.

A LONG JOURNEY: seeing rewards for progress

The package of the bike and riders is strong. The engine in the Fireblade is as fast and powerful as anything else on the grid. The team are now making progress with their understanding of the chassis, Pirelli tyres and the demands of WorldSBK. It’s been a long road to get to this point and a lot of money has been spent but the progress they showed in September is real and they’re now close to being able to fight closer to the front.

WINTER IS KEY: can Honda keep the momentum going into 2025?

It remains to be seen how much change will come in the winter. Rumours have been rife about upheaval at Team HRC. Their technical team is set to change with the make-up of the crews for both riders set to be revamped. It’s far from the ideal time for these changes when stability could help them further improve their package. That being said, the data and information from this season will allow them to go into the winter months confident of progressing further. Team HRC has been a major talking point around the paddock for years but finally they are making news for the right reasons.

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Source: WorldSBK.com

As the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship gets set for a visit to the Circuito Estoril for the penultimate round of the season, Pirelli have announced their solutions for the weekend. Teams and riders will have plenty of options during the Estoril Round, with the SCQ tyre back in the allocation and two SCX solutions available. At the front, the Italian company have opted for standard solutions all round.

REAR SOLUTIONS: soft allocation, SCQ is back

Pirelli opted not to bring the SCQ tyre to MotorLand Aragon after its resurfacing, but the tyre will be back for the Estoril Round, with its use limited to the Tissot Superpole session and Tissot Superpole Race. The SCX tyre is available, this time for use in all races, in two forms: the standard SCX solution and the SCX-A, which is a development solution designed to offer greater wear resistance with a new compound but maintain the same grip level as the standard option. The SC0 soft compound is the final tyre in the allocation. In the event of rain, the standard intermediate and rain tyres can be used.

FRONT CHOICES: standard solutions for every tyre

The front tyre choice will come from the standard Pirelli tyres that are on offer. The SC1 medium tyre is the softest available and is joined by the SC2 hard as Pirelli opt for their standard front options during the visit to Portugal. Should it rain, like for the rear choices, riders and teams will be able to select from the standard intermediate and rain tyres.

WORLD SUPERSPORT OPTIONS: four standard tyres

In WorldSSP, four standard solutions are available to choose from in the slick tyre range. At the front, the SC1 soft compound and the SC2 medium compound are the options, while it’s the SCX super soft and SC0 soft for rear tyre choices. If it rains, the options are once again from the standard tyres for both the front and rear: in both cases, it’s the standard rain tyre available with no intermediate option.

PIRELLI SAYS: “All our range solutions have already proven to be suitable for different situations… the SCX D0820 specification has proven to be a valid evolution”

Explaining the allocation, Pirelli’s Motorcycle Racing Director, Giorgio Barbier, said: “We’ve been racing WorldSBK at Estoril for several years now, so we can say that we know the characteristics of this circuit very well, also because the asphalt has been the same since 2006, so we have a very solid history of information and data. The layout is very varied, and the surface often changes, in terms of perceived feeling, between corners, which is why it is quite demanding for the tyres that are subjected to high stress. The track is quite slippery, so you need to use soft compounds that can generate more grip, as well as compensate more quickly for the temperature differences between the right and left sidewalls, which are typical of Estoril. All our range solutions have already proven this year to be suitable for different situations and the development SCX in D0820 specification has also proven to be a very valid evolution. Already in its first appearance at Magny-Cours it gave a very positive response and was then widely used in Cremona, so we believe it is an excellent option for this round as well, given its new compound that maintains the grip levels of the standard SCX while being more protected in terms of wear. It will therefore be interesting for us to evaluate its performance even on this rather demanding track, so as to gather further useful information from a development perspective.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Four rounds done, two to go and the first is where the title race could come to an end: the 2024 FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship hits Estoril and returns to Portugal, although this time just a short distance from the historic town of Cascais and a short hop from Sintra’s jaw-dropping National Palace of Pena. Looking to become royalty of her own sort, Ana Carrasco (Evan Bros. Racing Yamaha Team) has a slim opportunity to be World Champion this weekend but chief title rival Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Racing) isn’t done just yet, with both more than ready for another battle in 2024.

HEAD-TO-HEAD: Carrasco vs Herrera’s next chapter awaits

Nine points is the difference meaning that the title can only be decided in Race 2 on Sunday; that means Carrasco first has to win or be second in Race 1 and hope that Herrera doesn’t finish inside the top six or top 12 respectively. It’s highly unlikely but those are the permutations to take it to Sunday – after Cremona’s drama, anything is possible. Estoril is the track where Carrasco suffered a serious back injury in 2020 during a private test, meaning she’ll have added determination to put those demons to rest. For 28-year-old Herrera, she last raced at Estoril in 2021 as part of the WorldSSP grid but missed the points, meaning both go into the weekend pretty level in terms of race experience at the Portuguese venue. Carrasco took a third win of the year at Cremona when Herrera crashed out and whilst the latter wasn’t too impressed by her rival’s final lap tactics, they’ll be ready to do battle once again.

REST OF THE TOP 5: Sanchez still in mathematical contention

The late race error that cost Herrera a chance at a sixth win of 2024 came from Sara Sanchez (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team), who out-braked herself into Turn 11 and thus took herself and Herrera out. It was a costly mistake from Sanchez who fell to 35 points adrift of Carrasco in the title race, meaning that she needs a lot of luck to go her way for the rest of the year and she’s yet to win a race. However, she’s 21 clear of quadruple European champion Beatriz Neila (Ampito/Pata Prometeon Yamaha). The #36 aims to return to the podium battle after struggling at Cremona, with her sights also set on a top three overall in the Championship. Roberta Ponziani’s (Yamaha Motoxracing WCR Team) home podium last time out was her first of 2024 and put her fifth in the Championship overall and closing down on a top four slot. She’ll be looking to continue momentum at Estoril and try to add to her podium tally.

COMPLETING THE TOP TEN: Ruiz and Relph shine, Madrigal continues to rise through the standings

Finishing every race in the top ten and the last four inside the top six, Mallorcan Pakita Ruiz (PS Racing Team 46+1) has been in good form throughout 2024 and has made big steps at each round. However, she wasn’t able to capitalise on the lead group drama last time out and bag herself a podium; that honour went to Tayla Relph (TAYCO Motorsport), who was very emotional with P3 at Cremona. Her best weekend of the year will be a good base to build from at Estoril, whilst Ran Yochay (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team) hopes to get back inside the top ten after a tricky couple of rounds at Portimao and Cremona. Mexican ace Astrid Madrigal (ITALIKA Racing FIMLA) has been very impressive in recent rounds with four top ten finishes and a best of P7 on two occasions; now, the 24-year-old from Chihuahua has her eyes on the top six. Completing the top ten, Ornella Ongaro (Ongaro Racing Team) will be all action as usual, as she trails Madrigal by a singular point.

FURTHER BACK: big names aiming for a strong penultimate hurrah, Carreno set for return

Chun Mei Liu (WT Racing Team Taiwan) has scored points in all but two races in 2024 and will be seeking a return to the top ten in a race for the first time since Donington Park, whilst Lucy Michel (TSL-Racing) did return to the top ten last time out and hopes to continue that precedent at Estoril. One of just four riders to score points in every race so far, Adela Ourednickova (DafitMotoracing by Smrz) is 13th in the standings and consistently knocking on the door of the top ten, ahead of Emily Bondi (YART Zelos Black Knights Team), who took her season-best of P8 last time out. Isis Carreno (AD78 FIM Latinoamerica by Team GP3) will be back racing this weekend for the first time since Misano after sustaining a foot injury in a testing incident; keep an eye on her as she was in the top six during the first round of 2024. Nicole van Aswegen (Andalaft Racing) continues her recovery after crashing at Portimao, with Lena Kemmer (Bertl K. Racing Team) is closing her down in the standings. Mallory Dobbs (Sekhmet Motorcycle Racing Team) and Luna Hirano (Team Luna) complete the top 20.

Jessica Howden (Team Trasimeno) has been fast in 2024 but hasn’t converted into many points; Estoril will be vital for her to finish the year on a high. After her team took a podium in WorldSSP300 at Aragon, Andrea Sibaja (Deza – Box 77 Racing Team) will hope for a memorable Estoril of her own. Colombia’s Sara Varon (ITALIKA Racing FIMLA) had a luckless Cremona and aims to score points, whilst Iryna Nadieieva (MPS.RT) continues to heal up after breaking her leg on a track day. Jamie Hanks-Elliott (Sekhmet Motorcycle Racing Team) replaces Alyssia Whitmore for Estoril whilst Portuguese fans have a home-hero to cheer on in Rafaela Peixoto (RP27), who’s had podiums in the Portuguese national series.

JOIN THE COMMUNITY: Follow WorldWCR on X, Instagram and Facebook and watch all the races FREE on YouTube! Races get underway on Saturday and Sunday at 12:45, with Tissot Superpole starting on Friday at 14:00. All times are local (UTC +1).

Source: WorldSBK.com