#WorldWCR – Maria Herrera & Lucrezia Vercelloni: Women Supporting Women
Wsbk_Donington_Park_2026_ Photo : William Joly
Reigning WorldWCR champion Maria Herrera joined the Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR Team for the 2026 season. Her mechanic is Lucrezia Vercelloni, one of few women working in a technical role in the WorldWCR series.
The WorldWCR experience
Both Maria and Lucrezia have been a part of WorldWCR since its inception, in 2024.
Lucrezia: “WorldWCR is a very interesting environment in which to work because we essentially all ‘share’ a garage so there’s a real collaborative spirit. It’s like we’ve created a small community of our own inside the WorldSBK paddock. It’s great to see how the women riders support each other too, offering advice and helping each other. The Italian and European championships are a great platform, but here you have a lot more eyes on you. There’s a lot of interest, also because it’s a relatively new championship.”
Maria: “People sometimes think women riders are slower or less aggressive, but I’ve been very impressed. It’s a challenge every year. We’re at the limit with the bike in WorldWCR, and this year the level is incredible! The bikes are the same for everyone, which levels the playing field. So, you must fight harder and be more precise with certain details than is perhaps necessary in another category, like MotoE or WorldSSP.”
A New Dynamic
2026 brought a fresh challenge, as Maria adjusted to a new team, while Lucrezia faced the pressure of working with the reigning champion.
Maria: “I hoped to do a pre-season test to get to know the team, but it wasn’t possible and so we came to the first round without really knowing each other. But in the end, it was easy and I immediately felt good. It helped that I already felt fast at the first Portimão round, so I was calm and relaxed. And I’m still riding an R7 of course. Switching teams can be tricky, but I know I just have to trust myself and get on with it. I work with one mechanic and one technician, so it’s just the three of us, and I feel very comfortable.”
Lucrezia: “Maria brings so much experience of course. There’s a little more pressure perhaps, but it’s normal to feel a little under pressure when you work with a high-level professional. You always try to do your best and know you’re being closely watched, but that also pushes you to do even better. I think she teaches us, just as we can teach her certain things. Maria’s very good at what she does, and the crew chief, a former rider, is able to steer her in terms of communication, to better understand what she’s feeling on the bike.”
Working in Sync
The working relationship between Maria and Lucrezia is relatively new, but there is already a mutual understanding.
Maria: “Last season, my father noticed Lucrezia in the paddock and told me he thought she was very good, very hard-working, so I was pleased to hear I’d be with her this season. I know she is doing a great job and that all the details are taken care of, so I’m more relaxed. I need this kind of person with me, I think. Away from racing, I know Lucrezia trains and takes part in competitions of her own, so she is disciplined. When you love what you do, you’ll always put in 100% effort, and she gets that. Lucrezia is also very calm and doesn’t talk too much! We understand each other, I think.”
Lucrezia: “As an athlete myself, I understand the preparation required, the fear of disappointing people, the desire to do well. And I get it when Maria feels under pressure. There are similarities between my race work and my streetlifting, I think. In both cases, I must be fully focused and able to tune out distractions. And I need to manage my emotions. At the track, we strive to create a calm atmosphere so that Maria too remains calm. A rider’s emotional state plays a huge role in their performance after all. But Maria’s a professional; once the visor goes down, she’s totally focused on the task at hand.”
The Value of Experience
Both women have learned valuable lessons during their time in WorldWCR.
Lucrezia: “I had to learn to manage the tension and the pressure, as we’re under more scrutiny in WorldWCR. I’ve definitely raised my game since coming to this championship and know I’ve grown, personally and professionally. Winning races means there’s always lots to do, as the goal is to constantly improve our performance. We work on the bike but, as we’re not the ones riding it, it’s fascinating to see how the machine reacts to the modifications we make. It’s a continual learning process.”
Maria: “As a rider, you need to be calm on track. I was more nervous in 2024, the first WorldWCR season, but I feel comfortable with the bike now, and am stronger than I was. I also feel more consistent in every session, whether it’s practice, warmup or the race, which I think is key. I need to change my strategy a little for race 2 and drop a little weight to help myself along the straight, but generally I’m more confident this season.”
Maria Herrera, campionessa in carica del WorldWCR, è entrata a far parte del team Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR per la stagione 2026, con Lucrezia Vercelloni come sua meccanica. Lucrezia è una delle poche donne a ricoprire ruoli tecnici nel campionato WorldWCR, ed entrambe sono coinvolte nel WorldWCR sin dal suo inizio nel 2024.
Lucrezia descrive l’ambiente del WorldWCR come collaborativo, dove i team condividono il garage e costruiscono una comunità. Sottolinea il forte supporto tra le pilote, che si aiutano e si consigliano a vicenda. Maria evidenzia che, contrariamente alla percezione comune, le pilote sono competitive e affrontano sfide significative a causa dell’alto livello di talento presente nel campionato. Apprezza il fatto che tutte le pilote utilizzino le stesse moto, il che obbliga tutte a essere precise e abili.
La stagione 2026 ha portato nuove sfide, con Maria che si è dovuta adattare a un nuovo team e Lucrezia che ha dovuto gestire la pressione di supportare una campionessa in carica. Maria sperava di poter effettuare un test pre-stagionale per familiarizzare con la moto, ma ha iniziato la prima gara senza una precedente collaborazione. Fortunatamente, a Portimão si sentiva veloce ed era tranquilla durante il passaggio di categoria. Ha espresso fiducia nel suo meccanico, sottolineando come lavorare a stretto contatto con un unico meccanico e tecnico crei un ambiente sereno.
Lucrezia ha parlato della pressione di lavorare con una campionessa, ma l’ha vista come una motivazione per migliorare. Ritiene che Maria abbia una vasta esperienza da cui tutte possono imparare. Con la guida del capo squadra, Maria comunica efficacemente le sensazioni che prova in moto, migliorando il lavoro di squadra.
Nonostante la loro nuova collaborazione, Maria e Lucrezia hanno instaurato una reciproca comprensione. Il padre di Maria ha riconosciuto il talento di Lucrezia, il che ha alleviato le preoccupazioni di Maria. Maria apprezza la dedizione e la calma di Lucrezia, che contribuiscono a creare un’atmosfera rilassata. Lucrezia, in quanto atleta, comprende le pressioni di Maria e si impegna a mantenere la concentrazione e a ridurre al minimo le distrazioni il giorno della gara.
Entrambe le donne hanno tratto preziosi insegnamenti dalla loro esperienza nel WorldWCR. Lucrezia riflette sulla sua crescita nella gestione dello stress e sull’ampliamento delle sue competenze da quando è entrata nel campionato, sottolineando che il miglioramento costante è fondamentale per il successo. Trova affascinante la reazione della moto alle varie modifiche. Maria ricorda di essersi sentita nervosa durante la sua prima stagione, ma ora si sente più forte e costante in sella. Riconosce la necessità di apportare delle modifiche alla sua strategia, tra cui perdere un po’ di peso per ottenere un vantaggio in termini di tempo, ma in generale si sente più sicura in vista della stagione.
