{"id":6223,"date":"2026-04-18T18:09:27","date_gmt":"2026-04-18T16:09:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.grtracingteam.com\/?p=6223"},"modified":"2026-04-18T18:10:46","modified_gmt":"2026-04-18T16:10:46","slug":"worldwcr2026-day2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.grtracingteam.com\/en\/worldwcr2026-day2\/","title":{"rendered":"Herrera Claims Stunning WorldWCR Race 1 Victory in Assen"},"content":{"rendered":"

Maria Herrera secured her second win of the 2026 FIM Women\u2019s Circuit Racing World Championship season with a sensational last-corner move to take victory at the legendary TT Circuit Assen in the Netherlands, extending her lead in the standings. Her teammate Natalia Rivera also delivered a solid performance, finishing in sixth place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The day began with the Warm Up 1 session, where the Terra&Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR Team gathered valuable data ahead of the race. In the 10-minute session, the young Spaniard Rivera set the second-fastest time with a 1\u201948.971, heading into Race 1 with strong confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just as Race 1 was set to begin at 12:00 local time, light rain began to fall, making tyre choice uncertain until the final moments. When the lights went out, the entire WorldWCR field opted for slick tyres. Herrera and Rivera both made strong starts, but the race was immediately red-flagged following a multi-rider incident at Turn 1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the restart, in a shortened 8-lap race, both Terra&Vita GRT Yamaha riders once again got off to excellent starts. Herrera took the lead and managed to build a small gap ahead of rivals, forming a leading duo with Beatriz Neila (Ampito Crescent Yamaha). A thrilling battle for victory unfolded until the final lap, where Herrera executed a superb move at the last corner to secure the win\u2014her second victory in three races this season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rivera also delivered a strong performance, battling within the podium group during the early stages and demonstrating competitive pace throughout. The 19-year-old fought hard and remained close to the group until the closing laps but lacked just enough pace to launch an attack. She ultimately crossed the line in sixth place, marking her best result of the season so far.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Terra&Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR Team will return to action tomorrow morning for Warm Up 2, followed by Race 2 at 12:00 local time. After setting the second-fastest lap in Race 1, Herrera will start from second position, while Rivera will line up in tenth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maria Herrera \u2013 P1
<\/strong>\u201cWhat a way to finish! It wasn\u2019t an easy race with everything that happened. The light rain made conditions unpredictable, and it was impossible to know what would happen until the very last minute. Fortunately, the track stayed dry, allowing us to use slick tyres. After the red flag, managing the restart was also crucial. First of all, I want to wish a speedy recovery to all the riders involved in the incident. As for the race, I tried to build a gap, but I knew it wouldn\u2019t be easy. I was ready to fight with Beatriz (Neila) on the final lap, and winning at the last corner like that makes it even more special. Congratulations to her as well for a great race. Now we enjoy the moment, but we must stay fully focused for tomorrow and aim to finish the weekend in the best possible way.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Natalia Rivera \u2013 P6
<\/strong>\u201cFirst of all, I would like to wish a speedy recovery to all the riders involved in today\u2019s incidents. I was quite lucky at the initial start, as I was very close to being hit and crashing, but fortunately that didn\u2019t happen. At the restart, I made a strong opening lap, but unfortunately I lost a bit of time and couldn\u2019t stay with the leading group. We are still missing a bit of pace, but we will work hard and analyze where we can improve. I\u2019m confident that tomorrow we can have another good race, aiming to stay close and fight with the front group.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n