The FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship have rang in their third season with vigour as the world’s fastest women on two wheels are set for a return to their 2026 season. Many riders come from a Racing background, with a family member close by inspiring them to don the leathers; yet in Roberta Ponziani's case, it was a passion she nurtured on her own. From humble beginnings on a minibike as a child, to the world’s biggest stage, Ponziani has put her name up in lights as one of the world’s top female riders and looks to continue her battle for supremacy in 2026.
“I SAW A MINIBIKE RACE AND THOUGHT, OH! I WANT TO RIDE!”
Ponziani started out riding minibikes as a child in her hometown of Teramo, Italy, and made a name for herself as one of the most interesting prospects in her country’s long history of motorsport excellence. Throughout her meteoric rise as a rider, she balanced her commitments to her family with those to her racing career. Her family’s business, a bakery in her hometown, has remained central to her and her family’s lives with pride. The #96 dons the apron in the morning to prepare pastries and other delights before changing into her leathers in the afternoon for her training sessions at the circuit.
On her introduction to the sport, Ponziani said: “No one in my family has a passion for racing or even follows this sport. When I was little, I saw a minibike race, and I thought, ‘Oh, I want to ride!’ My family were a little scared at the start; they didn’t know the cost of the sport, and we had to see how it was. I was lucky because they didn’t stop me when it got expensive or when we didn’t find sponsors. The first year in WorldWCR was new for me; every race was discovering something, new tracks, new riders, new people. I didn’t expect to be so fast. I was always up in the top five, and it was amazing to earn my first podium last season.”
WHEN I JOINED WorldWCR, THEY SUPPORTED ME”
From there, she raised her profile nationally in 2017, when she became the first woman to race in the Italian Supersport 300 category. From there, in 2024, with the inaugural WorldWCR season preparing for liftoff, she was one of the logical choices to invite to the paddock. She showed her level in that first season, competing with the Yamaha Motoxracing WorldWCR team and taking a podium in her native Italy at Cremona as the only Italian on the grid.
On balancing her family commitments with World Championship competition, Ponziani said: "My family have a bakery; I work there. I have to manage it with the training because in the morning I work, and in the afternoon I train." We always found solutions and a way to ride. When I had the opportunity to take the step onto the World Championship level, they supported me.”
“MY FIRST RACE WIN AT HOME IN CREMONA WAS BEAUTIFUL”
Her progress only continued in 2025, taking two podiums compared to her sole rostrum in 2024, and even managing her first win, once again at Cremona. Adding to her haul, she managed three fastest laps across the course of the season, finishing in fourth to cap off a long season of giving headaches to title rivals Maria Herrera (Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR) and Beatriz Neila (Ampito Crescent Yamaha). In 2026, halfway through the season, she stands with one podium in fifth place, but there is still plenty of time for Ponziani to find a step as she so frequently has done in her career to get back onto the rostrum with consistency.
On her 2025 WorldWCR season, Ponziani said: “Last year, I wanted to do more and cut down on the mistakes I made as a rookie. I won my first race, which to me was a big step. Winning my first race at Cremona at home was beautiful. I was just disappointed not to have earned more podiums at other tracks, even though I was always fast, but I was just frequently one step off the podium. My goal this season is to be in the top three. Maybe this year we can manage that.”
Catch Ponziani in her upcoming home round at Misano by subscribing to the WorldWCR YouTube channel and following the Championship on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook!