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With their Official Test in the books, the Pirelli Portuguese Round is all set for the much-anticipated third season of the FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship. The one-day test event gave riders a chance to knock the rust off and reacquaint themselves with their Yamaha R7 bikes. 2025 World Champion Maria Herrera (Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR) arrives at the round looking to start her title defence campaign strong, while old rivals like Beatriz Nelia (Ampito Crescent Yamaha) and Chloe Jones (Monster Energy Crescent Yamaha) look to make a play for a first world title of their own.

LOOKING FOR EARLY SILVERWARE: Herrera looks to jump out to an early Championship lead

Defending Champion Herrera looked dominant in the test, nearly seven-tenths faster than the rest of the field; furthermore, she is the only rider still on the grid to have won a WorldWCR race here back in 2024, after it was not included on the WorldWCR schedule last season. Beatriz Neila was the #6’s stiffest competition in the title race last campaign, and the happy-go-lucky Spaniard looked strong at the test, taking P3. This season, however, she has to do more than just land podium finishes; she will need to beat Herrera when they go toe-to-toe, setting up another thrilling season-long rivalry to watch next season.  Jones got faster and faster as last season progressed and now looks to fight outright with the title favourites in the hopes of bringing Great Britain their first WorldWCR title. Further spicing up the battle at the front, Spanish 19-year-old Paola Ramos (Klint Racing Team) sprang onto the scene last year in a final-round wildcard appearance where she landed a P4 and even won the final race of the season. She followed that up by placing P2 at the test, insinuating that the fight at the front this season will be one you will not want to take your eyes off of.

SANCHEZ AIMS FOR PORTIMAO PODIUM RETURN: The #64 has seen silverware at Portimao in the past

Roberta Ponziani (Klint Racing Team) remains with her team heading into 2026. While she was one of only four riders to win a race last season, she will be shooting for more podium consistency in 2026, and what better place to start than the season opener? Apart from the defending Champion, Sara Sanchez (Hadden Racing Team) is the only other rider on the grid to have a Portimao podium under her belt; what’s more, she took a podium double away from the round. She hopes to match that mark at Portimao this season with her new team. Lucie Boudesseul (GMT94 Yamaha) and Pakita Ruiz (PR46+1 Racing Team) both were stalwart fighters at the heart of the battle for the top ten all season, while the  #94 was successful twice in the final two rounds in landing on the podium unlike Ruiz, The Spaniard outpaced her French rival by more than half a second in the Official Test to sit P5.

MADRIGAL MAKING MOVES: The Mexican rider will look to fight farther up the order

Astrid Madrigal (Pons Italika Racing FIMLA) is one of only three riders from the Americas, and will look to represent well with a top-eight finish. Tayla Relph (Full Throttle Racing) in her last showing at Portimao had a mixed bag, starting out strong with a Race 1 P8, but also closing the weekend with a Race 2 retirement. Meeting that P8 mark would be a feasible goal for the Aussie; however, that places her on a collision course with Madrigal. Natalia Rivera (Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR Team) had a strong rookie campaign and will now look to punch up into the top eight with consistency in 2026. Emily Bondi (FT Racing Academy) posted a strong P11-earning time at the Portimao Test, and while Mallory Dobbs (YVS Sabadell Diva Racing) fell down to P22 on the timesheet, the American will look to break into the top ten this weekend.

BACK TO 100%: Isis Carreno has been working hard this offseason to put her 2025 injury behind her

Isis Carreno (Pons Italika Racing FIMLA) suffered a mid-season injury in 2025 prior to Donington and while she returned for the final two rounds, her pace dropped from an average finish around P9 to around P15. Now with a full offseason to recover under her belt, she will look to get back to business in the top ten. Lucy Michel (TSL-Racing) and Adela Ourednickova (Dafitmotoracing) return for their third season on the grid and will hope to hit the ground running with finishes in the points at Portimao.

NEW FACES: A host of rookies as well as a pair of wildcards join the grid at Portimao

Wildcard rider Muklada Sarapuech (EEST NJT Racing Team) landed a promising P8 time at the Official Test, and Karolina Danak (Yamaha AD78 FIMLA), behind her, was the fastest of the permanent rider rookies in P9. Behind them, permanent rider Yvonne Cerpa (MotosCerpa) was quick enough to place in P14 at the test, a pace quick enough if she can do the same in the round to earn her first WorldWCR points of the season. Line Vieillard (FT Racing Academy), Martina Guarino (Prata Motor Sport), and Denise Dal Zotto (PATA AG Motorsport Italia) are full-time riders raring for their first races in WorldWCR and will welcome the experience of their first round in the Championship; riding alongside Arianna Barale (Hadden Racing Team) and Patrycja Sowa (Team Trasimeno) as rookies in the rollercoaster round.

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