Maria Herrera: Second World Championship title, but a run came to an end in Jerez

At the season finale of the Women’s World Championship in Jerez, Maria Herrera achieved her main goal as early as Saturday: a fifth-place finish in the first race was enough for the Spaniard to defend her WorldWCR title. However, she did not make it onto the podium this weekend – something that had never happened to Herrera in the championship before.

Whilst Paola Ramos won both races, Herrera led the second race for a while, but later lost touch with Ramos and Beatriz Neila. In the battle for third place, she was ultimately beaten by Chloe Jones. The British rider overtook her on the outside on the final lap, relegating the reigning and new world champion to fourth place.

Huge pressure at the season finale

Herrera had already accomplished the crucial task by that point. In the first race, her main priority had been not to jeopardise her title win by making a mistake. “It was a really tough race. I knew I was fast enough. But I was tense and realised that Paola is very fast. I wanted to see the race through to the end because I was nervous and it’s easy to make a mistake when you’re nervous,” explained Herrera.

She had laid the foundations for successfully defending her title through her consistency throughout the season. The fact that her run of podium finishes came to an end at the very final round did not alter the outcome of the championship. “I think I was very, very fast this year and very consistent in every race. I was on the podium in every race – not here, but every race counts. That’s very important. I knew the pressure would be on in Jerez and that I had to get the job done on Saturday,” said the Spaniard.

In her view, defending her title was made even more challenging because the competition had improved significantly. Herrera had to step up her game to maintain her position at the top. “It’s been a very intense year. I put myself under more pressure when it came to lap times. I was a second faster on every track. The standard is high; the other riders are improving a lot. You can see it’s a large group. That’s why it’s very difficult to carry on with the same mindset year after year,” emphasised the world champion.

WorldWCR 2027: New bike and tyres – Herrera still without a contract

In the 2027 season, a new motorbike – the CF Moto 675SR-R – awaits the riders. The series is also switching from Pirelli to Michelin. Herrera, who does not yet have a confirmed contract for the new season, is optimistic about this development. Her experience on different motorbikes could help her with the transition.

“It’s good for me because I’ve already raced in a wide variety of categories. I think the switch to Michelin is a good thing too. I know the tyres very well from before. I don’t know what they’re like now, though. But it’s good for the riders. Riding style plays a bigger role, and you have to manage the tyres carefully. I’m really looking forward to the change,” explained Herrera.

She’s also hoping for improvements with the suspension. “I think the suspension will improve. At least, I hope so, because at the moment you can feel every bump on the track. We’re having fun, but we can certainly go faster. With the new package, we should be able to brake harder and carry more speed through the corners,” she added.

Platz 5 am Samstag reichte für den vorzeitigen Titelgewinn

Foto: Gold & Goose

At the time of the finale, it was still unclear which team Herrera would be racing for next season. Her wish is to continue working in the familiar environment of GRT. But GRT is a Yamaha team. “I don’t know. I hope I can carry on with the same team. But of course it’s a Yamaha team, so I don’t know. We’ll see. I’m very relaxed,” said Herrera.

She also used her title celebration to draw attention to an issue that is close to her heart: the fight against breast cancer. The initiative was designed to raise awareness and help collect donations.

“This is very important because many of my friends are affected. My team’s main sponsor is also affected, so the issue is very close to my heart. I’d like to dedicate this title to them. It’s very important to raise awareness of this cause and to raise more money for it,” explained the two-time world champion, who wore a special helmet design in Jerez. The sale of replica helmets featuring this design is intended to raise money for a charity.