Spaniard Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Team) secured the first pole position (1’49.390) of the groundbreaking WorldWCR season aboard the Yamaha YZF-R7. Sara Sanchez (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team) and Ana Carrasco (Evan Bros Racing Yamaha Team) finished a close second and third, respectively, just two-tenths of a second behind Herrera.
Local hero Roberta Ponziani (Yamaha Motoxracing WCR Team) delivered an impressive last lap to take fourth place. Jessica Howden (Team Trasimeno) from South Africa and Isis Carreno (AD78 FIM Latinoamerica by Team GP3) from Chile rounded out the second row in fifth and sixth.
Earlier in the day, Sara Sanchez had topped the free practice session, ahead of Herrera, Carrasco, and Ponziani, in cooler conditions. Mia Rusthen (Rusthen Racing), Mallory Dobbs (Sekhmet Motorcycle Racing Team), and Krystal Silfa (ITALIKA Racing FIMLA) each suffered a crash during the morning practice but were uninjured.
P1 | Maria Herrera | Klint Forward Factory Team | 1’49.390
“I’m thrilled to have captured pole position, though I didn’t realize it until the session ended. This is still a new bike for me, and with no prior testing, today’s practice was my first real experience with it. Despite the challenges, I’m overjoyed – for myself and the team supporting this new endeavor. It’s been a lot of hard work just to get here, but it’s paid off. I was nervous coming in, knowing the competition would be fierce, and our limited track time means we’re still learning the bike’s limits. Tomorrow’s race will be a hard-fought battle, but we’re ready to give it our all and fight for the win.”
P2 | Sara Sanchez | 511 Terra&Vita Racing Team | 1’49.441
“I had a strong start today, setting the fastest time in free practice. We made some adjustments before Superpole, which helped me secure second place in qualifying. I’m pleased with our performance, but we’re focused on making further improvements for tomorrow. It’s an honor to be on the front row of the grid for this inaugural championship round, and I believe I have a solid chance of winning tomorrow’s race. A big thank you to my team, sponsors, and family for their support.”
P3 | Ana Carrasco | Evan Bros Racing Yamaha Team | 1’49.514
“I’m pleased with how the first day went, and starting from the front row is crucial. I anticipated a challenging round since many riders are familiar with the Misano track and can be very fast here. The hotter conditions this afternoon were tough, but the wind was the biggest challenge for me. We have a good pace, but slipstreaming is also key here. I expect a hard-fought race, likely coming down to a last-lap battle between four or five riders, and I’ll give my best to secure a good position. My team and I are working well together, and I have strong confidence. There’s not much we can change on the bike, but my team is doing everything they can to support me. It’s fantastic to see so many countries represented and so many riders on the grid for this inaugural round of the WorldWCR.”
WorldWCR Provisional Tissot Superpole Results
1. Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Team) 1’49.390s
2. Sara Sanchez (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team) +0.051s
3. Ana Carrasco (Evan Bros Racing Yamaha Team) +0.124s
4. Roberta Ponziani (Yamaha Motoxracing WCR Team) +0.183s
5. Jessica Howden (Team Trasimeno) +0.725s
6. Isis Carreno (AD78 FIM Latinoamerica by Team GP3) +0.726
Official WorldWCR Press Release
