The Terra&Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR Team duo of Maria Herrera and Natalia Rivera returned to action today at the Circuito de Jerez-Ángel Nieto in Spain for the final round of the 2026 FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship (WorldWCR). Both riders delivered strong qualifying performances, securing second and fourth place respectively on the grid for tomorrow’s Race 1.

Following a productive Free Practice 1, during which she gradually regained her feeling and confidence on the Yamaha R7 after the long break, Herrera headed into the Superpole session determined to secure a strong result. The reigning World Champion delivered an excellent lap time during the 25-minute session, finishing second and securing a front-row start for tomorrow’s opening race. With just six points needed, Herrera has the opportunity to clinch the World Championship title on Saturday.

Rivera also enjoyed a very positive day after a strong performance in the morning session. The 19-year-old continued to push hard in the afternoon’s qualifying session, securing her best result of the season so far and the best qualifying result of her career. With a fastest lap of 1’51.904, she claimed fourth place and will line up on the second row, ready to fight with the leading group and aim for a strong result in Race 1.

Both riders will return to action tomorrow morning for Warm Up, before lining up for Race 1 at 12:00 local time.

Maria Herrera: P2 (1’51.524)“It wasn’t easy to get back on the bike after such a long break, so it took me a little while this morning to regain my feeling and confidence. However, we gradually got our speed back with every lap, and I was able to put together a good lap time in qualifying. We’re still missing something and need to improve in a few areas, but we can be satisfied with the work we’ve done and look forward to tomorrow. We need to stay fully focused, and the rest should come naturally. I can’t wait for tomorrow’s race!”

Natalia Rivera: P4 (1’51.904)“Overall, it’s been a positive day, and we can be happy with the result! We made a strong start this morning after the long break, and I felt comfortable on the bike, so we knew we had a good opportunity in the afternoon’s qualifying session. I’m happy that I was able to put everything together on my final lap and secure fourth place, just behind the fastest riders. I feel we could have been even quicker, which is great because it means we still have room to improve and push harder. Tomorrow, we’ll aim for a strong start and try to stay with the leading group. Then we’ll see what happens!”