With a stunning weekend of racing at the Misano World Circuit "Marco Simoncelli" in the rear-view mirror, Maria Herrera (Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR) has made it clear that the path to the 2026 Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship title is hers to lose as she closed the round with an emphatic pair of race wins from her team’s home round. She now leads the Championship by a total of 24 points with two rounds left, meaning she could potentially clinch the title next round, at Donington Park.
The Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round kicked off with Paola Ramos (Klint Racing Team) on pole in Race 1, outpacing Herrera by three tenths of a second to watch the lights go out from P2 on the grid. She wasn’t wasting any time on Saturday, however, as she flew forward for the holeshot. Herrera led by just under seven tenths by the start of Lap 3 but having cleared Ramos for P2, Beatriz Neila (Ampito Crescent Yamaha) turned her attention to Herrera in front of her. The #36 closed the gap to a quarter of a second by the end of the next lap. Neila clung to her rival within half a second for the rest of the race, each rider having better pace for stretches; however, it was Herrera’s defensive riding which proved the difference, smothering any ideas of cutting up the inside before the #36 could act, securing Herrera her 16th WorldWCR win and 26th podium as she continues to grow the all-time WorldWCR records in both categories.
On her Saturday success, Herrera said: “I was really happy to win on Saturday, it was difficult with the temperature, it was very hot on the track. I expected Paola and the other riders to be close behind, so I tried to make a gap and relax. I saw Bea behind me, which raised the pressure, but I knew that if I closed the door, I was stronger. I expected her to try to make an overtake in every corner, so I closed the door every time. When I crossed the line in P1, I was very happy because every lap had the same pace.”
All eyes turned to Sunday, as the final race in Misano would see home hero Roberta Ponziani (Klint Racing Team) start from pole, ahead of Neila in P2 and Herrera in P3. While on Sunday it took the #6 one more Turn to take P1, she led the race by the exit of Turn 2, and she wouldn’t see another rider’s back wheel for the rest of the race. It was just her and Neila up at the front once again. By the end of Lap 6 of 12, the #36 tailed Herrera by three tenths, but the next closest rider was more than four seconds back. After being outpaced for the first half of the contest, it was Herrera who kept the hammer down. Apart from Neila’s Laps 9 and 12, which were three-tenths and a tenth quicker, respectively, Herrera set faster lap times across the second half of the race, confirming her Race 2 win. Her Sunday pace saw her take her first double of 2026, and her 8th podium in a row. With a lead of 24 points over her rival. Among the potential pathways to the title for Herrera, she could clinch the Championship as soon as Race 2 at Donington Park, provided Herrera wins both races and Neila finishes P5 or worse in each race in England.
On completing her Misano double after Race 2, Herrera said: “I’m really happy to finish like this. I had a little bit of pressure with this being my team’s home round, so I had to win. It was difficult for sure with the heat. I expected a big group fighting at the front, so I pushed from the start of the race. I set a good lap time early on and thought, ‘OK, I have to continue like this.’ Bea was close behind me the whole race. I expected her to overtake, and she did, but I was able to counter and break the pace, feeling more comfortable in the front. I lost two kilos over the course of the race. I didn’t eat very much before the race to help have more speed on the straight, so I’m very hungry now!”
Maria Herrera will return with the rest of WorldWCR at Donington Park! Tune in on July 10th, follow the action to come by subscribing to the WorldWCR YouTube channel and following the Championship on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook!