5 questions to Maria Herrera

5 questions to Maria Herrera
Maria Herrera, MotoE rider of the Openbank Angel Nieto team

According to a survey circulated a few months ago, the 12% of British men feel able to score at least one point in a tennis match against Serena Williams. The best answer remains this video, become viral. Applying the same logic to motorcycling, not many of us would bet to beat in a race, for example, Fabio Quartararo. But if in place of Quartararo we put the name of a woman, the answers would certainly change. Maria Herrera, one of the very few female riders to compete at the highest levels knows it well: Spanish, 23 years, already a Moto3 rider, in Supersport 300 and 600, this year she took part in the first edition of the MotoE World Cup with the Openbank Angel Nieto team. Now a winter of training is waiting for her, also to recover a knee injury, and a winter week with her friends ("I love skiing, I love speed"). Engaged with Campus Femenino, an organization that promotes the presence of women in motorsports, Herrera does not complain and does not stand as a symbol, she looks more like a girl who likes to ride a motorcycle: however, she says she is lucky because "My father, a motorcyclist, has always believed in me," he admits that "in the paddock instead it is not always the case", and that often she must "work much more than a male to show what she is worth". And of course, she beat Fabio Quartararo in a motorcycle racing at least once (in the CEV, in Jerez in the 2014).

Maria Herrera will run in MotoE with the Angel Nieto team also in the 2020

During the Valencia GP, we met her for a joint interview with Paddock Sorority.

1 - How was riding a MotoE, compared to those you were already used to?
"The first time was really incredible! The bike was very big and very heavy for me, I had to rethink my riding style. With this bike you have to have a smooth ride, like with a Supersport 600, but bearing in mind that the limit is very different, because this bike is a lot heavier. In addition, the bike is sensitive, and the bike changes immediately when the setting is modified, even slightly: once you find your setting, however, you can find your style and everything goes much better. "

Maria Herrera in Misano got the best result of the season coming fifth

2 - In Misano, for example, we saw a clear improvement compared to previous races: what did you do?
"We moved the handlebars closer! The bike was so much more comfortable, it was the right set-up, and it worked great. In the last races, on the other hand, the problem was the cold temperature: it is not easy to find the set-up to keep the rear tyre warm and have the right grip, and I have to work harder than the others, who are higher and 20 kilos heavier than me."

3 - The MotoE races currently have only 7 laps: what is the key point to getting good results on such a short race?
"Starting well and having a good grid position: Di Meglio, for example, was among the fastest at Misano, but starting from behind he couldn't really fight for the top positions. And of course you have to concentrate to do a perfect first lap."

Maria Herrera on track in Valencia with the MotoE

4 - How important is it for you to be able to rely on a stable team and a solid environment, like what the Angel Nieto team seems to offer you?
"Having a team for so many years offers the possibility of improving with less pressure on you: you know that today's work is also for tomorrow's results. When I think of next year, I know I have a good bike and a good team. For me, the hardest thing is to build a team that truly believes in the possibility of a world champion woman. "

5 - What would you feel to say to a female child who wants to ride a motorcycle?
"Have fun, because riding a motorcycle is a wonderful feeling! Enjoy the moment, believe in yourself and bring no limits: if you work really hard, you can be the world champion! "

We want to thank you Paddock Sorority and the Openbank Angel Nieto Team for making this interview possible.