How Chloe Jones outwitted Maria Herrera in the WorldWCR final at Jerez

After Chloe Jones secured a string of second-place finishes in the second half of the 2025 Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship season and finished third in the championship, the 22-year-old from Northampton was regarded as one of the favourites for the title next season – especially as she had moved to the Crescent team, which organises Yamaha’s works entry in the Superbike World Championship! However, those hopes were dealt a severe blow right at the season opener in Portimão, when Jones only managed to finish in the top 15.

The Englishwoman never fully recovered from this setback, even though her results subsequently tended towards the top five and she finished third on the podium in the first race at Misano. Had Jones been as strong in every race as she was in the second race of the season finale at Jerez, she could have achieved more than fifth place in the 2026 WorldWCR.

With a good start, Jones catapulted herself straight into the leading group and was right in the mix among the top five. The way the Crescent rider overtook two-time world champion Maria Herrera on the outside of the final corner on the last lap was a real treat to watch! “It feels so great to be back on the podium this year after Misano,” Jones told SPEEDWEEK.com. “It was the final round and I wasn’t under any pressure. I haven’t secured anything for next year yet, so it was all or nothing. The first race was a bit tricky, but I came back strongly in the second race. It felt good to be able to battle with the world champion.”

How did Jones experience the moment when the Spaniard chose an unusually tight line? “I did think Maria would cut inside, because she’d done the same on Saturday and I’d also watched last year’s races where she did exactly the same,” grinned the 22-year-old. “So I could assume she’d do it again. I just had to stay on the outside and cut her off. It was tight, but it was brilliant.”

Topic of the week

Topic of the week: MotoGP’s new schedule proved highly controversial

In 2027, MotoGP will also enter the 850cc era with a new schedule. It was not so much the changes themselves as the way the decisions were reached that caused a stir. A prime example of: ‘Talking helps’.

Thomas Kuttruf

Read More