Ana Carrasco (Honda Racing World Supersport) is one of the biggest names in the history of this paddock. 2018 FIM Supersport 300 World Champion and 2024 Women’s Circuit Racing World Champion, the Spaniard has dedicated her career to breaking down boundaries and demonstrating that women can be just as fast as men. In the process of doing so, she has inspired new generations of riders to fight for their dreams of being World Champions. In this interview, the rider from Murcia, Spain, walks back through her career, talks about her current seat with Honda in WorldSSP, and her immediate future.
HER ARRIVAL TO THE PADDOCK AND HER FIRST TITLE
Carrasco arrived in the WorldSBK paddock in 2017 in the World Supersport 300 Championship. Her first season was one of adaptation, but she was already breaking records: she was the first woman to compete full-time in the paddock, and she landed her first win at Portimao. 2018, however, was the season of her meteoric rise to fame. Her victories in Imola and Donington Park made her the first female Champion in history, beating Mika Perez and others such as current Moto2 Championship leader Manu Gonzalez and current WorldWCR Champion Maria Herrera (Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR).
On her arrival to the paddock and her first World Championship, Carrasco said: “2017 was a very important year for me because it was a completely new project and I was also starting a new chapter in my career. It was a key step in my career. In 2018, I achieved my lifelong dream. Ever since I started competing, my objective had always been to be named World Champion, and achieving that was incredible. I had worked for many years to have that opportunity, and when I finally achieved it, it was a very difficult feeling to describe. It felt like a reward for all of the work I had put in, and something I achieved thanks to all of the people who had believed in me and supported me along the way. Now, with more time having passed, it means even more to me. It forms part of my story, and it makes me very proud. I like to think that that title formed a before and after within the world of motorsport, and it showed that women can compete and win at the highest level.”
HISTORY FOR THE SECOND TIME IN WorldWCR
Six years after her first world title, and after having competed in Moto3, in 2024 a new opportunity arrived in the form of the inaugural season of the FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship. After a passionate fight for the title with Herrera, Sara Sanchez (Hadden Racing Team), and Beatriz Neila (Ampito Crescent Yamaha), the rider from Murcia was crowned in the final race of the year at Jerez. Her decisive victory made her the first Champion in the category's history, earning the title through four wins that season and a podium finish in every race.
Carrasco reflected on that season, she said: “It was a very important year for me, because I had arrived at WorldWCR after several complicated seasons, most of all due to injuries and projects that didn’t come out as I had hoped. I felt competitive again; winning races and fighting back for the Championship was very special. Having the opportunity to be World Champion again was incredible. I felt that all of the work and all of the difficult moments had been worth the struggle. It was a very fun year as well. The fight was very balanced on track, and it made the races close battles. I enjoyed every race and being able to fight for wins again.”
THE JUMP TO WorldSSP AS AN OFFICIAL HONDA RIDER
Far from satisfied, the next year the double World Champion faced a new challenge in WorldSSP in the hands of Honda Racing World Supersport. While she still hasn’t been able to show her talent’s full extent, the development of the Honda CBR600RR alongside her teammate Corentin Perolari is more than clear. Honda is one of the most historic brands in motorcycle racing, if not the most, and this is also a point of pride for the Spaniard, who achieves a dream of hers without losing sight of her responsibilities.
On her project with Honda, the #22 said: “It’s one of the most important brands in the history of the sport, and to form a part of the official project like this is something I’m very proud of. It’s a dream come true. The day-to-day is demanding; there’s a lot of off-track work, like analysing data, working with engineers to understand the bike, and trying new things to make small gains. There are moments when you work a lot, and the results don’t reflect it, but we know it’s a long-term project and we need time to develop the bike. In these two seasons, we’ve brought important changes. The first year was, more than anything, about understanding how the team works, understanding the bike, and finding the areas we needed to improve. We’re working to improve the bike as fast as possible and to be competitive as fast as possible.”
TEN SEASONS AMONG THE ELITE
There’s no doubt that Carrasco isn’t only a legendary rider in the sport’s history, but furthermore that she has continued to grow in different categories and with a huge variety of bikes. In Cremona, she will hit 100 race starts in this paddock, and she is now competing in her eighth season in ten years across WorldSSP300, WorldWCR, and WorldSSP. Her passion for the sport remains strong as ever, and now the Spaniard continues with Honda and their quest to get stronger every season.
Carrasco explained how much has changed in the last ten years, and what’s to come in the near future for her: “I think that I’m still the same Ana, but with much more experience. I’ve learned a lot, not just as a rider, but in terms of how to work with a team and fight for a Championship. Now, I’m more patient, and more than anything else, I can stay calm when things aren’t going well. I understand that in this sport, there are good moments and complicated moments, and that the important part is to keep working and look for solutions. At the same time, I still have the same ambition and the same drive to win as I had when I started. Now, my priority is to continue focusing on the Honda project and finish this season as strong as possible. The goal is to continue helping this project to grow, keep evolving the bike, and get ourselves as close as possible to the fight for the positions at the front.”
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