{"id":7150,"date":"2026-10-16T16:25:07","date_gmt":"2026-10-16T14:25:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.grtracingteam.com\/?p=7150"},"modified":"2026-10-16T16:39:08","modified_gmt":"2026-10-16T14:39:08","slug":"worldwcr-grt-jerez-friday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.grtracingteam.com\/en\/worldwcr-grt-jerez-friday\/","title":{"rendered":"Gardner and Manzi Complete Challenging Friday in Jerez"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Terra&Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR Team duo of Maria Herrera and Natalia Rivera returned to action today at the Circuito de Jerez-\u00c1ngel Nieto in Spain for the final round of the 2026 FIM Women\u2019s Circuit Racing World Championship (WorldWCR). Both riders delivered strong qualifying performances, securing second and fourth place respectively on the grid for tomorrow\u2019s Race 1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019s opening race. With just six points needed, Herrera has the opportunity to clinch the World Championship title on Saturday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019s 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\u201951.904, 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Maria Herrera: P2 (1\u201951.524)<\/strong>\u201cIt wasn\u2019t 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\u2019re still missing something and need to improve in a few areas, but we can be satisfied with the work we\u2019ve done and look forward to tomorrow. We need to stay fully focused, and the rest should come naturally. I can\u2019t wait for tomorrow\u2019s race!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Natalia Rivera: P4 (1\u201951.904)<\/strong>\u201cOverall, it\u2019s 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\u2019s qualifying session. I\u2019m 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\u2019ll aim for a strong start and try to stay with the leading group. Then we\u2019ll see what happens!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n