The Terra&Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR Team returned to action at the Circuito de Jerez–Ángel Nieto, Spain, for the final round of the FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship.
Natalia Rivera secured a top-ten result in qualifying, finishing tenth, while Sara Sánchez took 12th on her comeback weekend following her Magny-Cours injury.
The day began with Free Practice 1 at 09:15 local time, where both riders focused on building confidence aboard their Yamaha R7 machines. Sánchez, making her return after being declared fit to race on Thursday, was still under medical review after the morning session.
The Spanish rider ended FP1 in ninth position with a best lap of 1’54.643 and was subsequently confirmed fit to continue for the remainder of the weekend. Her 18-year-old teammate Rivera finished 12th (1’55.223), steadily improving her pace with each lap.
Later, in the Superpole session at 13:30, both riders made strong progress. Rivera impressed by qualifying tenth with a 1’53.217, improving her morning time by nearly two seconds. Sánchez also made a solid step forward, setting a 1’53.361 to claim 12th place, despite still managing the effects of her previous injury.
The Terra&Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR Team will return to the track tomorrow for the morning Warm Up at 09:45, followed by Race 1, which gets underway at 11:50 — the penultimate race of the 2024 season.
"It wasn’t the easiest qualifying overall, but we’re not far from the top five. We’ll aim for a strong start in Race 1 to get as close as possible to the front group, with the goal of staying with them and fighting for a solid result. We’ll keep working on the areas where we’re still missing a bit of pace, but I’m confident we can make improvements and enjoy a strong Saturday and weekend."
“Non è stata una qualifica semplice nel complesso, ma non siamo lontani dalla top five. Cercheremo di fare una buona partenza in Gara 1 per avvicinarci il più possibile al gruppo di testa, con l’obiettivo di restare con loro e lottare per un buon risultato. Continueremo a lavorare sulle aree in cui ci manca ancora un po’ di passo, ma sono fiduciosa che potremo migliorare e avere così un sabato e un weekend positivi.”
Sara Sánchez: P12 (1’53.361)
"First of all, it’s great to be back racing, and I’m happy that I’ll be able to finish the season on track. I’m still dealing a bit with the aftereffects of my Magny-Cours injury, so it wasn’t an easy Friday overall, but we still pushed hard. Unfortunately, we also faced some unlucky circumstances during the Superpole session. However, considering my physical condition, we weren’t too far from the second row. Tomorrow in Race 1, we’ll grit our teeth and aim to get close to the front group from the early stages. The goal is to build a strong first race and secure a better starting position for Race 2."
