Category Archives: Competition

Sam Lowes outlines ‘top Independent rider’ goal in 2025 at Marc VDS Ducati’s team launch

With the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship’s 2025 season just around the corner, Sam Lowes and the ELF Marc VDS Racing Team hosted their team launch event on January 13th in Belgium. At the event, the second year WorldSBK rider outlined his expectations for this season, as well as his impressions of WorldSBK compared to his past experience in Moto2™ as he looks to build on a rollercoaster rookie campaign in 2024.

2025 ASPIRATIONS: “I expect from this season to fight as close to the front as I can, obviously top Independent…”

Struggles with injuries and adapting to a new platform hampered Sam Lowes’ rookie season in 2024. The season got off to a tough start before even technically beginning after a nasty high-side crash at free practice three in at Phillip Island, beginning a trend of Lowes fighting through injuries in pursuit of staying in the competition. This offseason however has proven beneficial for him as it has given him time to focus on fully recovering his fitness and to in turn be able to focus on fine-tuning his skills on the back of his Ducati.

“When you’re riding injured, and things aren’t going good it’s a hard moment,” said the #14. “Every rider has the winter, but I feel like it’s been a long time since I’ve been feeling good on the bike, so I definitely needed the winter to get healthy. I’m looking forward to getting going and I’m feeling in a better place than last year. I expect from this season to fight as close to the front as I can, obviously top independent. It seems like a big job considering last year, the end was difficult, but we had some good rides, so just to keep improving, improve my run and start adapting to the superbike and fight for the top positions.”

ADAPTING TO WorldSBK: Lowes opens up about his transition from Moto2™ to WorldSBK

Lowes competed for a combined eight years in Moto2™ before transferring to World Superbike while maintaining his partnership with the team he fought for the 2020 title with as the squad moved into WorldSBK. The transition to WorldSBK is a hurdle many riders struggle with, however Lowes, back in full physical health, looks forward to improving from last season.

Speaking on adapting to the Panigale V4 R machine from Moto2™, Lowes said: “Honestly, it’s bigger than I thought, I think now I’ve managed to understand it a lot more and change my way of thinking and training over the winter. The adaptation is going well but I think it needs to go a bit more, and I think when we get into the season with a few different people around me pushing me in a little bit of a different way we can keep going.”

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT: Lowes speaks on where he most wants to improve

The English rider is confident in his platform’s ability to succeed, and a with his health now back in check, Lowes wants to continue to work on his fluidity and comfort atop the bike to propel him to success in 2025. With this in mind, he opened up about where he aims to find the biggest gains in his sophomore campaign.

He said: “The biggest thing last year was fitness; in the second half of the season I was struggling. My riding style, braking, the way you have to get the maximum from Superbikes especially Ducati, which everyone knows is obviously the best bike, is just to stop the bike better and use the bike’s strong points on the exit.”

Can the Brit make it onto the rostrum in 2025? Find out using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

WARMING UP THE ENGINES – all of 2025’s confirmed WorldSBK team launch dates

BIMOTA RETURNS: the storied Italian manufacturer back on the grid

bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team will make their long-awaited return to WorldSBK after a 10-year hiatus from the sport, last competing at Laguna Seca in July 2014. The Italian manufacturer will be partnering with Kawasaki to produce the new KB998, which will be ridden by Alex Lowes and Axel Bassani. The bimota by KRT team launch event will be held on February 6th at 20:00 CET at the Bimota factory in Rimini, Italy.

THREE FOR TOPRAK?: BMW looks to continue last season’s success

ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK will look to keep the ball rolling with their new talisman Toprak Razgatlioglu coming off of a red-hot season which saw him win a record-setting 13 consecutive races. ’El Turco’ has breathed life into a historically wayward BMW team, who now look to record their first ever back-to-back titles. He is joined by teammate Michael Van Der Mark who enjoyed a productive comeback season after being plagued by injuries throughout the 2022 and 2023 seasons. The Dutchman secured two podiums, including first place at a wet and wild French Round at Magny-Cours, finishing sixth in the rider championship.The German manufacturer’s team launch will take place in Berlin on January 15th.

Ducati’s diverse success: The Bolognese manufacturer celebrated their 20th manufacturer title in 2024

Aruba.it Racing – Ducati had a pleasant surprise in 2024 with the breakout success of rookie Nicolo Bulega, dueling with Toprak throughout the season for first place and finishing second in the rider championship. Two-time champion Alvaro Bautista had a subpar season by his standards despite finishing third in points, the Spaniard had a litany of crashes which hampered his placement in several rounds throughout the season, costing him in the title race. Despite this, race wins by five different riders led Ducati to their 20th manufacturer’s title. Aruba.it Racing Ducati’s official team launch will be held in Monte San Pietro, Bergamo, Italy on February 11th.

Ducati independent teams Team GoEleven and Elf Marc VDS Racing Team will look to host their team launches earlier in January. Ducati affiliates Marc VDS Ducati will host their team launch on January 13th, and GoEleven Ducati will host their team launch in Limone Piedmonte, Italy, on January 17th. Sam Lowes will return for his second year riding with Marc VDS Ducati, a season in which he showed clear upside however struggled to find his footing with the bike, recording nine DNF’s, more than any other rider on the grid. GoEleven Ducati rider Andrea Ianonne looked in his element in 2024, after a 4-year hiatus from the sport he landed podium finishes five times and finished first at Aragon’s race 1.

Confirmed Team Launch Dates (ongoing):

January 13th – (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team)

January 15th Berlin, Germany – (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)

January 17th Limone Piedmonte, Italy – (Team GoEleven)

February 6th, Rimini, Italy – (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team)

February 11th, Monte San Pietro, Bergamo, Italy (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)

 

Source: WorldSBK.com

Zaidi joins MIE Honda for rookie WorldSBK campaign, team reveal changes for WorldSSP

Zaqhwan Zaidi will make his MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship debut in 2025 as he links up with the PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing team. The Malaysian rider brings some Moto2™ experience to the team with a handful of races under his belt, but has predominately made his name with success in Asia. He replaces Adam Norrodin, whose sole WorldSBK season was interrupted by injury, with Zaidi racing alongside Tarran Mackenzie.

ZAIDI JOINS, MACKENZIE STAYS: changes in WorldSBK

WorldSBK rookie Zaidi will join Mackenzie atop MIE Honda’s pair of CBR1000RR-Rs, replacing Mackenzie’s former teammate and fellow Malaysian Norrodin. Zaidi spent the last three racing seasons competing in the Asia Superbike championship, being named champion in 2022, runner-up in 2023, and while landing a sixth-place finish in 2024, his Honda Asia-Dream Racing with SHOWA team earned the teams’ championship that year. This championship pedigree coupled with his familiarity with the Honda CBR1000 platform made Zaidi a candidate for the MIE Honda bike alongside Mackenzie, and together the pair will hope to elevate the team to new heights.

Discussing his move to WorldSBK, Zaidi said: “I am definitely excited to announce that I’ll be racing in WorldSBK this season. My goal is to make the most of the experience and push to my limits. It won’t be easy, as the category is very competitive, but I happily accept the challenge and can hopefully achieve my targets and gradually build results.”

WORLD SUPERSPORT CHANGES: MIE Honda welcome Azman

Syarifuddin Azman will be MIE Honda’s newest addition to their pair of riders in World Supersport. The 23-year-old Malaysian rider, dubbed ‘Damok’ by fans, has garnered experience at the world championship level before, having made his debut in a single round of the 2019 FIM CEV Moto3 Junior World Championship, as it was known then, before earning a full time position in the competition the subsequent year. Azman began to make a name for himself the next year, in 2021, where he won that competition’s Race 1 in Barcelona. He kept that momentum going in 2022, earning several podiums and finishing overall in fourth place. Last season, in 2024, he competed in Asia Superbike 1000 championship. He raced as part of Idemitsu Boon Siew Honda Racing Team, earning him valuable experience, and he’ll race alongside Kaito Toba in 2025 as he remains with the team for a second campaign.

Looking ahead to his first WorldSSP season, Azman said: “I am really happy to debut in World Supersport with the PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team. My target for the season will be to gain a lot of valuable experience, considering this is my first year in the category. I will try to understand where and how to improve, race by race, and will work as hard as I can.”

Team Owner Midori Moriwaki discussed the 2025 line-up across both Championships, saying: “I am very happy to announce our new rider line-up for 2025. Each rider brings their own specific experience, and, with this line-up, we continue to develop our talent program. We are confident that we can achieve good results as we move into this new stage and ready ourselves for a fresh challenge. I also take this opportunity to thank all the sponsors for their ongoing support. Rest assured that we will keep going and continue to work hard!”

Don’t miss a moment of the action as lights out grows closer with the WorldSBK VIdeoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

TECH GALLERY: Explore the beauty of Bimota’s return to WorldSBK with the new KB998

Bimota will make their long-awaited return to Motul FIM World Superbike Championship in 2025, get an exclusive look at their new bike, the KB998

After an extended hiatus from the sport, Bimota and Kawasaki have partnered up to form a new race team. Their machine will combine Bimota’s chassis engineering pedigree with the Kawasaki Ninja’s ZX-10RR engine in a collaboration that has many WorldSBK fans thrilled to see the historic manufacturer back in competition. Bimota saw success early on in WorldSBK, winning seven races back in the competition’s inaugural season in 1988, before winning their last WorldSBK race back in 2000 at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza with Pierfrancesco Chili on the back of his Bimota SB8R.

Be sure to catch the return of Bimota to WorldSBK with full races, exclusive content and more with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

 

Source: WorldSBK.com

DEFINING STORIES; ROUND 12: Razgatlioglu becomes double WorldSBK World Champion at Jerez

Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) secured his second MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship at Jerez, becoming only the third rider in history to win titles with two different manufacturers. Although Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) won Race 1 and the Superpole Race, Toprak’s second place on Saturday was enough to claim the title. The Turk also rounded off the year with his 18th win, whilst Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha), Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) each claimed a podium finish over the weekend. Enjoy the best moments from Race 1 and Race 2 HERE and a look at what the Championship was like from BMW’s perspective with the UNFILTERED, here!

SATURDAY: Razgatlioglu wraps up second WorldSBK title

Toprak could have lost up to nine points to Bulega on Saturday and still be Champion and the latter is what happened. The Italian won the race, followed by the Turk, so the gap was reduced from 46 to 41 points, with just 37 at stake. Razgatlioglu thus celebrated his second WorldSBK title and BMW’s first, becoming only the third rider in history to win with two different manufacturers after James Toseland (Honda and Ducati) and Troy Corser (Ducati and Suzuki) – and the first to do so without winning with Ducati. Locatelli completed the podium in Race 1.

THE BEST POSSIBLE SEASON END: victories for Bulega and Razgatlioglu

With the Championship decided, the Tissot Superpole Race saw a repeat of Saturday’s result. Bulega beat Razgatlioglu by just over two seconds, although this time they were joined on the podium by Alex Lowes, who ended the year with 12 podiums, his best record in WorldSBK. In the afternoon, however, it was ‘El Turco’ who took the win, his 18th of the year, ahead of his arch-rival, ‘Bulegas’. In addition, the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team completed the double, as van der Mark was third, adding his second podium of the year after his victory at Magny-Cours and achieving his dream to be on the podium with teammate Toprak. 

2025 LOADING: relive the entire 2024 season and beyond with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

DEFINING STORIES, ROUND 11: the closest finish in WorldSBK history, Toprak with one hand on the title

The 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship was drawing ever closer to the end and Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was edging ever closer to his second title. The Turk closed the weekend with two full-race wins but Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) managed to snatch victory in the Superpole Race from him by just three thousandths of a second – the closest finish in WorldSBK history. Enjoy the best moments from Race 1 and Race 2 HERE.

RACE 1: Razgatlioglu takes 16th win of 2024, the first since injury

Toprak arrived at Estoril with a slim chance of being crowned Champion that weekend, but to do so he needed to score 23 points more than Bulega and he could only do so on Sunday. The round started well for the Turk, as he took a crushing victory in Race 1, with a nine-second margin over Bulega in second. The podium was completed by Iker Lecuona (Team HRC), who took the best result of the year and his first podium since April 2022, the second in his WorldSBK career. This podium capped Honda’s progress during the year and marked the first for new team manager, Jose Escamez.

SUPERPOLE RACE: WorldSBK’s closest ever finish between 1st and 2nd 

Sunday morning saw perhaps the best race of the year, a start-to-finish battle for victory that was decided on the final lap. Bulega set the fastest lap on the previous lap to close in on Razgatlioglu and overtake him on the line to take the win by just three thousandths of a second. In the afternoon, ‘El Turco’ got his revenge by taking another win ahead of ‘Bulegas’, although the results of the weekend meant he couldn’t celebrate the title just yet. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) completed the podium and claimed his 16th of the year, whilst Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) finished fourth, his best result since third place at Donington Park in mid-July. 

2025 LOADING: relive the entire 2024 season and beyond with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

HER STORY: meet Isis Carreno – “We’ve waited years for a Championship like this; I hope young riders always fight for what they want”

Isis Carreno (AD78 FIM Latinoamerica by Team GP3) was one of a few riders on this year’s FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship to have world stage experience, with the Chilean rider competing in one WorldSSP300 round back in 2021. Carreno missed half the 2024 campaign through injury but she still scored points in all six races she competed in, taking a best of P6 at Misano twice as she showed her potential.

CARRENO’S CAREER IN HER OWN WORDS: national championship debut

Carreno provides a detailed history of how she’s risen from regional and junior champions to now compete with the best female riders on the planet, saying: “My first motorcycle was a 140cc minimotard, I was 12 years old by then. I had my first race on that bike in a national championship which was a very important step because I was just learning how to use a geared bike. Then at the age of 13 I changed categories to a TM450cc supermotard and I also tried a 250cc at that time. In 2014 I had the opportunity to compete in Spain in the pre-Moto3 category. I spent a year competing in Spain, then in 2015 I returned to Chile and participated in Latin American and Pan American championships in Mexico and Argentina which I won.

“From 2017 to 2019 I was racing in Mexico in a women’s championship and also in 2019 I participated in a Latin American championship in a category similar to WorldSSP300, racing with a 400cc Kawasaki. I won that Latin American championship, then in 2021 I returned to Europe, specifically to Italy where I competed that year in the Women’s European Cup with a 400cc Kawasaki with TEAM GP3 AD11. In 2022 and 2023 I achieved podiums in that championship, in Croatia and Valencia. I have also managed to win the national championship in my country in the GP3 Super Expert category, which some years have been with the Yamaha R3 and another with the Kawasaki 400cc. They have been years of a lot of sacrifice and learning for me.”

OTHER SPORTS JUST DON’T COMPARE: trying out different sports before settling on motorcycling

Although Carreno tried a variety of sporting pursuits as a child it would eventually be motorcycle racing that she dedicated herself to, even if she still had to convince her mother of the merits of the sport! She reveals: “Before choosing motorcycles 100%, I tried many sports such as speed skating, figure skating, roller hockey and cheerleading, but I didn’t feel as happy doing those activities as I did with motorcycles. I chose motorcycling because it is the sport that I liked the most and I’m passionate about it. I love speed, adrenaline, I like to learn from my mistakes and improve myself.”

Once she decided on racing motorcycles there were still some family conversations to work through. Carreno acknowledges: “My father was the happiest of all because I was going to do a sport and pursue a passion that he loved. My mother was not so happy, but I managed to convince her to let me race. Now she knows what my happiness comes from and what I am passionate about. The rest of my family is also a little scared but happy about the things I have achieved and how brave I am, more so because of how hard it is to get to Europe being Latin American, which really is very difficult.”

PROUD TO REPRESENT CHILE: flying the flag for the South American country

On the topic of making across the Atlantic Ocean to race in the European circuits visited by WorldWCR and to fly the flag of her country in the inaugural season of the FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship, Carreno comments: “Representing my country and Latin America is very important to me, I feel proud of everything I have achieved over the years, the level I have reached, especially as in Latin America it’s very difficult to be able to travel to Europe and get to good circuits or places where you can train, to be able to reach a high level and be competitive. You need to have a lot of determination, heart, and courage to get to where we are now, so for me it’s a dream and an emotion I can’t explain, being able to represent Chile and Latin America in Europe. I think my time in Europe will open many doors for future generations who want to get there.” She also takes inspiration from the top riders in the WorldWCR against whom she now does battle, adding, “My role models have always been Ana Carrasco and María Herrera, they are great women and athletes, so it is a dream for me to be competing with them today.”

A WORD OF INSPIRATION FOR OTHER YOUNG FEMALE RIDERS: inspiring the next generation

With regard to the challenges of battling her way to the top in what has traditionally been a male-dominated sport Carreno, has some words of inspiration for all young aspiring female riders, stating: “I hope they never give up, always fight for what they love and the sport they are passionate about. I think we’ve waited many years for a Championship like this to exist and for women to be given more visibility in motorcycling, but I hope the young riders always fight and strive for what they want to achieve. Always give everything and more of yourselves on the track, never let obstacles or crashes stop you, each fall is a learning experience to later get better.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

DEFINING STORIES, ROUND 10: Razgatlioglu returns at Aragon, Iannone wins in comeback year

Toprak Razgatlioglu’s (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) injury at Magny-Cours was a major blow for him and the Championship. After 13 consecutive wins, the Turk was forced to miss six races and there were doubts about how he would be on his return at MotorLand Aragon. Those doubts were swept away with three podiums and extending his lead in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship over Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati). That weekend also saw Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) take his first WorldSBK win and Garrett Gerloff’s (Bonovo Action BMW) second podium of the year. Enjoy the highlights from Race 1 and Race 2 HERE.

SATURDAY: Iannone takes first win, Bulega out before the start

Race 1 was one of the big surprises of the year. Before the start, Bulega had a technical problem on his Panigale V4 R that put him out of the race, so it was clear that he was going to lose a lot of points in the standings compared to Razgatlioglu. For his part, the Turk achieved a solid second place to consolidate his lead but the big protagonists that day were two other riders. After four years away from competition, Iannone took his first WorldSBK victory and his first since 2016. On the other hand, Gerloff scored his second podium in 2024 and the last with Bonovo Action BMW and the brand and was on the rostrum with Toprak for the first time since 2021.

A MEMORABLE SUNDAY: epic fight in the Superpole Race

Álvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was 64 thousandths of a second off the podium on Saturday in Aragon but made up for it on Sunday with a double. In the Superpole Race, he, Razgatlioglu and Bulega gave us one of the fights of the year over the course of 10 laps. In the end, it was decided in favour of the Spaniard while Toprak finished second, less than a tenth behind and the Italian another tenth behind. In the afternoon, the result was the same. Bautista won more comfortably, followed by Razgatlioglu and Bulega, who completed the podium in that order. Bautista, who was forced to wait since Assen in April, was back on top, even if they would be his last wins of 2024.

2025 LOADING: relive the entire 2024 season and beyond with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

DEFINING STORIES, ROUND 9: Cremona welcomes WorldSBK with open arms as Petrucci shines at home

The Cremona venue was a new addition to 2024’s calendar and whilst there were an abundance of unknowns – including, for many riders, the track itself – it didn’t disappoint as the festival-like atmosphere was something to behold. With Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) still out injured, it was a land of opportunity for chief title rival Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) but also Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team), who’d go on to dominate the weekend. Watch Race 1 and 2 here whilst reliving all the emotion with the UNFILTERED here.

PETRUCCI STORMS CLEAR: the fourth rider to do the hat-trick

After a red flag due to technical conditions that compromised the safety of the race, Race 1 was a premature end to an encounter that ‘Petrux’ would’ve won regardless. He was simply in a class of his own and in the Superpole Race, doubled up before becoming just the fourth rider in WorldSBK history to make it a hat-trick. A unique achievement to do it for the Independent Ducati team of Barni, who had just announced an expansion to their line-up for 2025, welcoming Yari Montella. However, for Petrucci, he’d now won a race in WorldSBK, MotoGP™, Stock 600, Stock 1000, MotoAmerica and the Dakar Rally. He probably won’t stop there either but that’s in the future; Cremona however, was one of Petrucci’s best weekends as a professional racer. 

2025 LOADING: relive all the drama from 2024 and further back with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

HER STORY: Meet Sara Varon – "I’m really passionate about racing and I dedicate myself 100%."

Columbian rising talent Sara Varon had a difficult start to her 2024 WorldWCR season, missing the first the Emilia-Romagna Round then subsequently UK Round due to injuries. Her debut in the Portuguese round at Portimao saw her finish 20th in both races, however she showed progression as the season continued, finishing with season best 16th place finishes at the Italian Round and Spanish Round. Despite finishing outside the points this season, Varon’s talent is clear, in 2022 she became the first Columbian Latin American Champion, then the next year, she became the first Columbian to be crowned the Ibero-American Champion.

LEARNING FROM VETERANS: In Mexico pursuing a dream

Having relocated from her native city of Ibague in Colombia to Mexico, Sara Varon is developing her racing ability to the elite level under the tutelage of ITALIKA Racing director Jorge Perez, alongside her teammate, the Mexican rider Astrid Madrigal. Varon’s first season on the world stage has been impacted by injury, but she is a determined character and is fighting hard to make a name for herself in WorldWCR.
 
A CHILD’S DREAM: A pocketbike as the first step to WorldWCR

Varon states that her family are fully immersed in the motorcycle scene and it was a natural pathway for her into racing. “It’s thanks to them that I got into riding motorbikes,” she reveals. “From when I was a baby they took me to races and also my father had a workshop so I’ve always been around bikes. When I was a child, there was a pocketbike in my father’s workshop and I told him that I wanted to race it like the others, so my father brought the motorcycle to the house one day and let me ride it. Somehow I rode it like I already knew how to.”
 
VARON’S PATH TO WCR: From riding for fun to racing

It was not long before those first turns of a throttle became a serious hobby as the young Varon began to compete. “I started racing because of my parents, as they also raced,” she explains. “I competed in Colombia for most of my career but I was not very well known, nor supported, so I couldn’t go to all the races because it was not financially possible. In 2018 I started going to Mexico to race representing Colombia and that year I was top 10, so I managed to keep my place for the following year, I received a scholarship and won my first race. I only won the first race in the season, then in 2021 they invited me again, I had more podiums and I managed to place well in the championship. So I went to live that year in Mexico, I left my family, friends and university to do it.”
 
LAUNCHING HER CAREER: Varon’s dreams for the future

Having been selected to develop her career further as part of the ITALIKA Racing structure Varon is highly grateful for the opportunity the organisation has given her. “I’m really passionate about racing and I dedicate myself 100%. I want to achieve something big in this sport and thanks to the support that ITALIKA Racing gave me, I’ve made it here and I never lacked for anything. I’ve been able to train every day and prepare myself properly for this. In 2022 I managed to be Latin American champion, the first Colombian to achieve it, then in 2023 I became Ibero-American champion, again as the first Colombian to do it. In 2024, thanks to the work I did and the titles I won, ITALIKA Racing have helped me fulfil my dream of reaching the FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship. With our sporting director Jorge Perez and my teammate Astrid Madrigal I’ve really learned a lot. Now my dream is to be a World Champion. Racing is what has made me who I am, it’s my identity.”

RESILIENCE TO ADVERSITY: Coming back from injury in 2024

Varon’s 2024 campaign has not been an easy one due to two crashes in which she sustained injuries in the first half of the year. That meant she was unable to make her WorldWCR debut until the third round of the season in Portugal in August. “I got injured in March and then again in Cremona at the WorldWCR test,” she comments, “So I missed the races in Misano and Donington Park. I would have loved to have been at those races, but unfortunately it wasn’t to be. I got the ok to ride at Portimao, but I still wasn’t feeling so good mentally. I had some fears about crashing again and getting injured again. It was a difficult moment and then of course Portimao is a special circuit with the ups and downs. I knew it was going to be hard. I need to train a lot to be up there amongst the best riders. I’m positive and relaxed, I know I’m coming back from injury and I need to be calm. My goal is to get some points to be in the standings, that’s the step to take to fight to be in the championship again next year. I’m determined and I’ll fight for my dreams.”

 AN EXAMPLE TO FOLLOW: Representing Colombia and a message to young riders

On the significance for her of representing her nation in WorldWCR, Varon states, “It is very important, I represent an entire country, I am very proud to represent Colombia, I was born there, I grew up there, I will always be Colombian and I will represent my people as it should be. It is the most important thing in my life, I dreamed of this moment. It is an honour to be able to make history and mark this new era of motorcycling. It’s the beginning of something that in a few years will be phenomenal.” Sending out a message to the next generation of aspiring young female riders she concludes, “Like all elite sports, you must have discipline, commitment, sacrifice and dedicate your whole life to achieve something important. If you really like this sport, you will do whatever it takes to make a difference. Fight every day for your dreams, be a warrior and don’t let anyone stop you, because like me you can fulfil your dream of reaching the FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com