Superpole Highlights:
Maria Herrera of the Klint Forward Factory Team, who currently leads the WorldWCR championship, delivered a stellar performance in Friday’s Superpole session at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal. She secured pole position for the second time this season with a lap time eight-tenths of a second faster than her nearest competitor.
The 27-year-old Herrera not only outpaced her rivals but also triumphed over the sweltering heat to finish first. Ana Carrasco (Evan Bros Racing Yamaha Team) and Sara Sanchez (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team) followed closely, both setting their fastest times in the closing moments of the action-packed qualifying phase.
On the second row, just behind the top three, are Beatriz Neila (Ampito / Pata Prometeon Yamaha), Roberta Ponziani (Yamaha Motoxracing WCR Team), and Lena Kemmer from Austria (Bertl K. Racing Team). Originally qualifying fifth, South African rider Jessica Howden (Team Trasimeno) was demoted to eighth after receiving a penalty for irresponsible riding.
Only five riders from the 23-strong field managed to break under the 1’57 mark in Friday’s challenging conditions (air temp. 34°C, track temp. 47°C).
During the Friday morning free practice session, the same four Spanish riders dominated the standings, with Pakita Ruiz (PS Racing Team 46+1) and Howden rounding out the top six.
P1 | María Herrera | Klint Forward Factory Team | 1’54.609
“Another good day for us. We started strong in free practice, and I felt comfortable right from the start of Superpole. I’m pleased with the way we’re working as a team in preparation for the races. We’re strong over the flying lap, but the race might be a different matter; the girls are fast, and I think tomorrow will be tough. My strategy will be to push hard in the early stages of the race, as I did at Donington, but we’ll have to see what’s possible at this track and in these conditions.”
P2 | Ana Carrasco | Evan Bros Racing Yamaha Team | 1’55.443
“I’m happy with my performance today, especially since the others had a training day here recently, while I haven’t ridden here in over a year. The lap times came easily this morning, and I improved a lot in the afternoon, despite the hot conditions and the wind along the main straight. We still have things to work on, but starting on the front row is always important. If we can improve these aspects tomorrow, I believe we can battle for victory.”
P3 | Sara Sanchez | 511 Terra&Vita Racing Team | 1’55.640
“We had a few issues this morning, and I wasn’t entirely satisfied with the setup. We made some adjustments for Superpole, but there are still small issues to resolve for tomorrow. Being on the front row is already an improvement from this morning, so now we just need to focus on finding a solution that will allow us to stay with the leading group in tomorrow’s race.”
WorldWCR Provisional Tissot Superpole Results
1. Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Team) 1’54.609
2. Ana Carrasco (Evan Bros. Racing Yamaha Team) +0.834s
3. Sara Sanchez (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team) +1.031s
4. Beatriz Neila (Ampito / Pata Prometeon Yamaha) +1.524s
5. Jessica Howden (Team Trasimeno) +2.248s
6. Roberta Ponziani (Yamaha Motoxracing WCR Team) +2.587s
Official WorldWCR Press Release
