Herrera and Neila Share the Glory at Balaton

Tight podium battles mark Hungary WorldWCR races as Relph takes points despite injuries

Herrera and Neila Split the Wins as WorldWCR Delivers Thriller at Balaton ParkMaria Herrera (Klint Forward Racing Team) and Beatriz Neila (Ampito Crescent Yamaha) each took a win at the inaugural WorldWCR round at Balaton Park, Hungary, as the all-female championship continued to build momentum. The pair went head-to-head across both races, while Aussie Tayla Relph (TAYCO Motorsports) showed grit and determination across a challenging weekend.

In Saturday’s Race One, Herrera rode all 11 laps inside the leading group. A late injection of pace saw the Spaniard open a small but significant gap, allowing her to finish 1.395 seconds clear of British rider Chloe Jones (GR Motorsport). Jones held off Neila in a close personal duel to record her second podium in as many rounds.

Roberta Ponziani (Klint Forward Racing Team) set a new lap record and track best with a 1’53.338 on lap five and would eventually claim fourth place, with Sara Sanchez (Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR Team) rounding out the leading quintet.

Pakita Ruiz (PR46+1 Racing Team) secured sixth ahead of South African Jessica Howden (Team Trasimeno) in seventh. Avalon Lewis (Carl Cox Motorsports), Lucie Boudesseul (GMT94-Yamaha), and Astrid Madrigal (Italika Racing FIMLA) completed the top ten.

Australia’s Tayla Relph suffered a fall at Turn 5 on lap nine, but fortunately escaped serious injury.

Herrera’s victory extended her championship lead over Neila to 18 points heading into Sunday’s second race.

Race 2 got underway in dry conditions following a mixed-weather WorldSBK Superpole Race earlier in the day, with Herrera once again leading the early laps. This time it was Neila and Jones who rose to the challenge, with Sara Sanchez and Roberta Ponziani also in the chasing group.

Herrera looked poised for a second straight victory, but it was Neila who triumphed in the end after a late-race charge, with Jones crossing the line second and Herrera taking the final podium spot.

The battle for fourth and fifth raged behind the lead trio, eventually going to Ponziani and Sanchez, respectively, though the top three had gapped the chasers by around four seconds.

Pakita Ruiz claimed another sixth-place finish, with Avalon Lewis coming home seventh, five seconds further back. Jessica Howden, Lucie Boudesseul and Astrid Madrigal again completed the top ten, while Relph delivered a solid ride to finish 11th despite riding with two broken fingers.

In the overall standings, Herrera still leads the way with 172 points, but Neila has closed the gap to just nine points with 163. Ponziani sits third on 112, one point ahead of Sanchez on 111. Chloe Jones has moved into fifth overall with 93 points.

Tayla Relph (P11)
“My Superpole result really let me down this weekend. I got a great launch off the start on Sunday but unfortunately got caught up in another rider being too eager on the inside which stood me up and nearly had me off the track into T1, letting everyone through. I was 14th out of T2, and from there we just had to salvage what we could. By the time I made up all the places, the group was too far gone. Took me too long to get in the rhythm after my crash yesterday, but onwards and upwards. We still scored points, so from here I have to be happy with how competitive the field is.”

2025 Hungary WorldWCR Race 1

2025 Hungary WorldWCR Race 2

2025 WorldWCR Championship Standings