WorldWCR: In a class of her own, Herrera pockets pole at Donington
WorldWCR championship leader Herrera delivers a Superpole masterclass at Donington Park, qualifying well clear of closest rival, Neila, as the penultimate WorldWCR round kicks into gear.
Superpole Highlights:
In with a first shot at the WorldWCR title this weekend, championship leader Maria Herrera (Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR) made her intentions clear by securing an all-important pole today at Donington Park.
Setting a new Superpole record with an incredible time of 1’39.091, Herrera will start Race 1 from pole for the fourth time this season.
Separated from Herrera by 26 points, Beatriz Neila (Ampito Crescent Yamaha) is still in the mix for the WorldWCR title as this penultimate round gets underway. Saving her best for last, the Spaniard put in her fastest time in the final minute to secure a crucial P2.
Lying third in the standings, Klint Racing’s Paola Ramos qualifies third. The only other rider to duck under 1’40, the Spanish rookie put in a convincing performance despite feeling unwell today.
Despite placing a strong fourth in qualifying, Pakita Ruiz (PR46+1 Racing Team) will unfortunately start from the back of the grid in Race 1 after receiving a penalty for improving on her time under a yellow flag in practice.
Hungry to break into the top ten in the standings, Australia’s Tayla Relph (Full Throttle Racing) shone in both practice and qualifying, placing fifth to secure a place on row two of the grid for Saturday’s race.
Rookie Yvonne Cerpa (MotosCerpa-Gradara Corse) more than made up for a crash in practice, setting the sixth fastest time to ensure herself of a spot on the second row in Race 1.
With her fans out in force this weekend, British rider Chloe Jones (Monster Energy Crescent Yamaha) did well to finish seventh despite crashing in the final stages. Transported to the circuit medical centre, Chloe has been diagnosed with a right thigh contusion and abrasion. She will be reassessed by doctors before Saturday’s warm-up.
Astrid Madrigal (Pons Italika Racing) and Natalia Rivera (Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR) complete row three, qualifying P8 and P9 respectively.
Hadden Racing’s Sara Sanchez rounds out the top ten and will be joined on the fourth row by Klint Racing’s Roberta Ponziani and Muklada Sarapuech (Yamaha AD78 FIMLA by EEST NJT Racing), who currently position fourth and fifth respectively in the standings.
P1 | Maria Herrera | Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR | 1’39.061
“I’m very happy because I started the day with good feeling on the track. I thought we might need to make some adjustments to the bike but in the end, I was able to ride well in Superpole. The strategy was to set the best possible qualifying time, and we were able to do that. I was able to avoid traffic and make two fast laps, enough to achieve pole. As for the races, I expect a big group, definitely more of us than there were at Misano. I just have to stay focused. When I do that, and give 100% like I did at Misano, then the results come. I’m going to push, not at the limit but close to the limit!”
P2 | Beatriz Neila| Ampito Crescent Yamaha | 1’39.639
“Friday started well with a strong practice. I finished P1 this morning and then was able to finish P2 in qualifying. I’m happy because I set that time in traffic; the qualifying was quite chaotic in that respect. But I feel comfortable with the bike, I like the track, and I did my best as always. I had a few small issues in practice, but we were able to fix those in qualifying, so I know I have a good bike for Saturday’s race, when I expect a group fight – I’ll do my best to make a group.”
P3 | Paola Ramos | Klint Racing Team | 1’39.991
“Today’s gone well. I’m working hard to learn the track as this is my first time here. We didn’t expect it to be this hot, and I’m also not feeling very well. I’ve had some stomach pain and so I’m happy with this result, all things considered, which puts us on the front row for Race 1. Tomorrow we’ll try to carry on like this, working hard and improving as much as we can. We made some adjustments to the bike in qualifying and will see if we need to make any other changes tomorrow.”
Superpole Results
1. Maria Herrera (Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR) 1’39.091s
2. Beatriz Neila (Ampito Crescent Yamaha) +0.548s
3. Paola Ramos (Klint Racing Team) +0.900s
4. Pakita Ruiz (PR46+1 Racing Team) * +1.429s
5. Tayla Relph (Full Throttle Racing) +1.465s
6. Yvonne Cerpa (MotosCerpa-Gradara Corse) +1.859s
*Will start from the back of the grid
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