One of the best, but no sponsor: Roberta Ponziani fears for her WorldWCR 2027

The 2026 WorldWCR was the third season of the women’s-only World Motorcycle Championship – and it was once again dominated by Spanish riders. Only Maria Herrera (6), Paolo Ramos (4) and Beatriz Neila (2) claimed victories; this trio also secured 27 of the 36 podium places.

Best of the rest, for the third year running: Roberta Ponziani. The Italian finished fifth in the 2024 World Championship and fourth in both 2025 and 2026. With three podium finishes, a fastest lap and a pole position this year, the 30-year-old stands out clearly from the rest of the field, with the exception of the aforementioned Spanish riders.

“I think my season has been pretty good. Although I didn’t manage to secure a win or have those standout races like the one in Cremona a year ago, I was consistently among the frontrunners,” said Ponziani, drawing a positive conclusion. “Now, at 30, I also need to think about what I want to do next year. Having finished fourth in the championship for two consecutive seasons, I’m ready to take on a new challenge and aim for even higher goals.”

Like many of her fellow riders, Ponziani also visited the EICMA motorbike show and popped into the CF Moto stand to get a feel for the standard bike for the coming season. The 675SR-R is more powerful and lighter than the Yamaha R7 used previously.

“Unfortunately, I haven’t had the chance to try the bike out yet. From the outside, the motorbike looks promising and it has more power – that could be a good thing,” said Ponziani, who, however, has neither a team nor a sponsor lined up for 2027. “I don’t know if or how things will pan out for me. It would be great if it worked out, but at the moment I’m still looking for a solution for next season. I’m currently working on my project for 2027 and looking for partners who want to be part of this journey and share my ambitions, values and new goals.”

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