News

Ornella Ongaro (Ornella Ongaro Racing Team) is a household name that few familiar with the sport should underestimate. She stands alone as the only French woman to have earned podium finishes and points at the regional and national levels. With the FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship, she now looks to bring that experience into the paddock, both on-track and off-track.

OVERCOMING OBSTACLES: “When I won in France, I didn’t feel respected; people said that beating the men was only confirmation of the low level of the championship”

Many young riders know the difficult reality of motorsport’s financial strain; unlike other sports, the costs associated with motorcycle racing are very high, presenting a hefty obstacle right out of the gate for young talent trying to launch their career amid a sea of other aspiring riders. Ongaro struggled with this all the same; however, in her eyes, her gender also formed an obstacle which she struggled to overcome early on.

On her struggle to make her name early on, Ongaro said: "I had two main challenges throughout my career, the first was simply being a woman, because when you’re riding with the men, in this ‘macho’ world, it’s really tough. When I won in France, I didn’t feel I had the respect; people said that beating the men was only confirmation of the championship's low level. I also rode with Marc Márquez when I was young – he already had a lot of support and sponsors, but they didn’t consider me in the same way, as a female rider. And then when you don’t have a lot of money, it’s even harder, because this sport is wonderful, but it’s expensive. You can’t just start as you might in football with no budget. So, you have to work hard, find sponsors, be physically prepared, everything. It’s not easy! I ran a full-female team in 2014, but it was clear we were ahead of our time! It was just too soon. I did it because I wanted to demonstrate that women can do just as good a job as men. So, we had a female telemetrist and mechanic, and I was the rider, but the environment was still too ‘cold’ for that kind of initiative, and it was hard to find support or sponsors. We did it for one season, with the help of a small sponsor, but then we had to let it go. Perhaps when I stop racing, I could try again and run a women-only team alongside my work to promote road safety in France. It might be nice! The challenge is finding the right people, because there are already some strong women working in the paddock, for sure, but they’re already employed, of course. But it’s a possibility. I’ve fought hard to get here, so yes, I’d be ready for it.

“There’s still a lot to do in France. It’s difficult because a lot of women like motorcycling but are nervous to take it to the racetrack. It’s hard to convince those women that they can do it, and it’s also complex in that you can’t create a series in which there are very experienced women up against women with little to no experience. It’s not easy; getting women into motorcycling is an evolving process, and this is why this Championship is an important step.”

SIDELINED: “I’d been riding for 20 years, so it was hard. I can honestly say they were the seven toughest years of my life so far”

Ongaro’s story is marked not only by her overcoming adversity, but also by her return to compete in WorldWCR after a seven-year hiatus from the sport. The break from competition was a time of needing to tend to a loved one who fell seriously ill, forcing her to step away from the sport, as well as taking on the role of providing for her niece when she was born. Despite riding for the last 20 years of her life, at that point Ongaro simply couldn’t make time for it amid her responsibilities and even left social media as she couldn’t bear to see her peers still on track following their dreams.

On her having to step away from the sport, Ongaro said: “The seven-year break was a very difficult period for me, with a lot of personal problems as well as serious illness for a loved one, and it was just a combination of factors that made for a very, very tough time. I was taking care of my niece, who now lives with me full-time, and there were other family issues as well. I essentially looked after my niece from birth; I was the first to feed her! So, I had to learn how to be a mum, essentially. And it was a complicated situation as you can imagine. You find that your life starts to revolve around the difficulties, and you have no time for anything else, no sport, no holidays, no time for myself, and I didn’t really ride at all during that time, just a little with minibikes, but not much. I even came off social media because it really hurt to see other riders on track. I’d been riding for 20 years, so it was hard. I can honestly say they were the seven toughest years of my life so far. I didn’t have the headspace for riding, but I knew I would make a comeback. I just knew in my heart that I would return to competition, because racing is a great passion of mine, the most important thing after my niece. Motorcycling has essentially been my salvation in the tough times. When I saw this Championship, I knew that after all my hard work in motorcycling, and after all my race experience, I was the first French woman to do this and that... I knew that this was my time, my chance for a comeback."

BACK ON THE BIKE: “I still plan to race until I’m 40, that’s the objective I’ve set myself”

The 35-year-old rider is looking to cash in on her wealth of experience now that she finds herself in an all-women Championship. With the stated intention of racing for another five seasons, she has plenty of time to get her speed back if she is successful. Through all the hardship Ongaro has endured across her career, Father Time may be undefeated, but if anyone will give him a fight, few would give him a run for his money like the #28.

On her future, Ongaro said: “I’d like to be fighting for wins in this Championship. And I’m hoping I can find the money to compete in a second Championship alongside WorldWCR, a category with the men, as there’s no other women-only Championship, just to keep the momentum and the rhythm. I still plan to race until I’m 40; that’s the objective I’ve set myself. And after that, I’ll dedicate time to promoting road safety in France, a project close to my heart and that I’ve already been involved in for a while, which is why you see the “Sécurité Routière. Vivre, ensemble” slogan on my leathers. And then there’s my niece. She’s six. It's so funny because I was just saying that if she wants to ride, I won’t say no, but I also won’t pressure her into riding in any way. And so, we were at the Cremona round, and she asked me if she could try riding the pocket bikes in the paddock. It was her first time, and she loved it; the only problem was that she just wanted to go full throttle, no brakes! I was just the same when I was a kid…"

Catch Ongaro in the upcoming 2026 season by subscribing to the  WorldWCR YouTube channel and follow the Championship on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.