No women’s bonus and no progress: Supersport debacle for Ana Carrasco

With two motorcycle world championships to her name, Ana Carrasco is the most successful female road racer. The 29-year-old won the fiercely contested Supersport 300 World Championship in 2018 and secured her second title in 2024 during the debut season of the Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship – WorldWCR for short.

Carrasco then took on a new challenge and entered the Supersport World Championship. With the Honda CBR600RR, she does not have the best bike at her disposal, yet her team-mate Corentin Perolari is getting significantly more out of the Mini Fireblade: Whilst the Spaniard failed to score a single World Championship point in 2025, the Frenchman finished the season 13th in the championship with 88 points. This year, Perolari is also struggling and has collected just 25 points – Carrasco remains on zero points and her best finish so far is 22nd place.

Comparisons with other female riders are difficult because a) there have generally been very few women in the Supersport category and b) today’s Next Generation Championship is much more competitive than in previous years. Between 2019 and 2021, Maria Herrera made 29 Supersport starts and scored points in every season.

In the paddock of the production-based World Championship, critical voices regarding Carrasco’s performance are growing. In her defence: the lightweight Honda rider is required to have an additional 8 kg of ballast fitted to her bike, which has a negative impact on the handling characteristics of the CBR600RR.

It is doubtful whether Carrasco will tackle a third Supersport season in 2027. A move to the new World Sportbike Championship, which might suit her better, is a possibility.

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