Maria Herrera (Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR) has made it two FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship titles in two seasons after an incredible 2026 campaign. Once again, the #6 saw off her rivals to make sure she was able to defend her title despite fierce competition from Beatriz Neila (Ampito Crescent Yamaha) and Paola Ramos (Klint Racing Team) throughout the season.
NEW COMPETITION, NO PROBLEM
The story of 2026 was similar to last year: Herrera taking on two or three riders and, more often than not, coming out on top to claim the crown. Last year, it was Neila and Chloe Jones (Monster Energy Crescent Yamaha); this year, it was Neila and Ramos although Muklada Sarapuech (Yamaha AD78 FIMLA by EEST NJT Racing) and Roberta Ponziani (Klint Racing Team) were often close too. The introduction of Ramos didn’t put Herrera off her stride, however, as she marched to her second crown.
LAST-LAP FIGHTS
WorldWCR has seen its fair share of last lap fights over its three seasons, and that continued this season. The opening round at Portimao concluded with an epic Herrera-Neila-Ramos scrap, while Assen was a repeat of 2025 as Neila and Herrera went head-to-head once again. At Misano, there were two epic scraps: Race 1 went down to the wire between Herrera and Neila, while Race 2 was similar as Herrera took a crucial double in Italy. The season has largely been defined by Herrera vs Neila, and this time, the #6 made sure she was more often than not taking the chequered flag ahead of the #36. While final lap fights defined the campaign, there was one crucial opening lap fight as well: Donington Park Race 1, when the two protagonists came to blows at Turns 6 and 7, with Neila out of the race. She thought she had won the title in Race 2 at Donington, but a post-race penalty for a collision with Ramos meant the title would go down to Jerez for the third consecutive year. She still held a 44-point lead into Jerez, and she duly converted that into a second title.
NEW TEAM, SAME OUTCOME
Herrera made a bold switch for 2026, swapping her title-winning Klint Racing Team squad for the Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR outfit, while her previous team snapped up Ramos after her stunning wildcard appearance at Jerez. The switch of team made no difference to Herrera’s title aspirations, starting the season at Portimao with victory and her campaign following that pattern throughout the year.
A TRAILBLAZER MAKES MORE HISTORY
Herrera continues to be a trailblazer in motorcycle racing. From her epic scrap with 2021 MotoGP Champion Fabio Quartararo in the FIM CEV Repsol back in 2014, to being a regular points scorer in various World Championships and World Cups, Herrera has been making waves. Now, she’s added a second World Championship to her name, becoming the first double WorldWCR Champion – and she narrowly missed out on the inaugural title back in 2024 as well.
Congratulate Herrera on her title success using #TheQueensDefence on social media, and watch the best bits of an incredible 2026 campaign on the WorldWCR YouTube channel!