Only narrowly missing her first win, Beatriz Neila finished on the podium in both races at the final round of the inaugural FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship at Circuito de Jerez in Spain last weekend.
Another top five qualifying on Friday for 22-year-old Neila set the stage for the most thrilling races in the first World Championship exclusively for women yet. Both Race 1 on Saturday and Race 2 on Sunday each came down to an epic final lap fight that had fans, teams and supporters on the edge of their seats, from Turn 1 all the way to Jerez’ notorious Turn 13.
The corner that has decided championships and ignited fierce rivalries did so once again, but Neila kept a cool head and out of trouble to take not one, but two podiums over the weekend. Race 1 featured the same Spanish quartet that has fought for the championship all year: Ana Carrasco, Maria Herrera, Sara Sanchez and Neila. But it was Neila’s strength and improvement on the Ampito / Pata Prometeon Yamaha R7 in the final round that saw the #36 at the front of the field and in contention for the victory in both races.
Race 2 was easily the most exciting contest of the season, as Roberta Ponziani, Pakita Ruiz and wildcard Chloe Jones joined the fray with the leading group. Six riders remained in contention until the final corner, swapping positions throughout the race. Neila took the inside line into Turn 13, keeping clear of Herrera’s late crash, and crossed the line with a fantastic second-place finish to end the weekend and the championship.
Beatriz Neila – SP: P5 / Race 1: P3 / Race 2: P2
“Racing at home at Jerez, I really wanted to be able to do something special. I had no idea how Race 1 would go, but in the end, we were able to cross the line third which is something incredible for me. I was fighting so hard and am so pleased with the results. I was also aware of the close championship fight and wanted to run a clean race. Then Race 2 was an amazing race, I tried my best and was able to finish second! Honestly, I feel that my season is only starting right now, as I’m feeling in top condition and have run a really strong weekend. We’re finishing the year well and we have a good base to build on. I’m very happy with my performance overall, as I was able to finish top five in every race and didn’t make any mistakes. I finish the season fourth in the championship, and I think we can be very pleased with our first season. I want to thank everybody, the team of course, our main partners Ampito, Pata Snack, Prometeon, all my personal sponsors – especially Comunidad de Madrid and Dursdan – and my family who are always there to support me.”
Comments