Tayla Relph ends tough season on a high

Aussie Tayla Relph caps her WorldWCR campaign with a strong final round as Maria Herrera seals the title

Tayla Relph closed out a difficult WorldWCR season with a much-needed confidence boost, the Australian rider producing a strong final-round performance to underline the pace and fight that bad luck too often masked in 2024.

Relph, riding for Full Throttle Racing, finished the weekend with a strong sixth in Superpole, 11th in Race One and eighth in Race Two to secure 12th overall in the championship on 59 points. It was a fitting way to end a season that never fully reflected her potential, with three DNFs all coming after first-lap incidents in which she was taken out.

While Relph ended her year on an encouraging note, Maria Herrera needed only one race to secure another WorldWCR title. The defending champion from Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha finished fifth in the opening race, which was more than enough to wrap up the crown after Donington’s slightly premature victory parade lap.

The star of the weekend, however, was Paola Ramos. The Klint Racing Team rider won Race One despite a double Long Lap penalty, beating Beatriz Neila and third-placed Roberta Ponziani in a ride that was a thing of wonder.

Ramos returned on Sunday for her second win of the round, this time with fewer dramas but an even tighter margin. She edged Neila by just 0.130sec in a true thriller, while Chloe Jones battled past Herrera late to take third and claim her first podium since Misano.

Herrera finished the season on 250 points, with Neila second on 222, Ramos a strong third on 167 and Ponziani fourth. Relph’s 59-point haul left her 12th overall.

For Relph, the headline result was not just the points but the progress.

“Honestly, in a roundabout way, I am really happy with how the weekend played out,” Relph said.

“The times were super-fast this weekend, and once again on Friday, we were quick. We worked a lot on being fast on Friday in the off-season. I was excited to be on the first two rows for Superpole. We were fifth in the Tissot Superpole award.

“I lacked a lot of confidence this year, and I am not the same rider as I was in Assen after being taken out three times. I am happy with how I raced on Saturday, just not super-happy with the final result. I made a mistake into T6, and that relegated me into P11.

“I was much happier in Race Two, even though I started in P10. I was really aggressive off the start and made a strong first lap. I fought my way into P8, and after that, it was a little bit of a lonely race. Again, I was really happy with how I raced.

“Not the season we wanted for sure, but my three DNFs have been because I was taken out all on the first lap.”

2026 WORLDWCR FINAL STANDINGS