Press Release | November 30, 2024
The first-ever FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Champion, Ana Carrasco, will move to World Supersport for 2025 in a brand-new Honda effort.
Corentin Perolari (left) and Ana Carrasco
This is a press release from WordSBK…
Honda France are the team that will move into WorldSSP, with Carrasco and ex-WorldSSP full-timer Corentin Perolari, who returns to the class. Double World Champion Carrasco will be part of the Supersport Challenge category, which takes places at the European rounds only.
Carrasco enjoyed a magnificent year of racing in WorldWCR, taking four wins and finishing every race, becoming World Champion in a dramatic final round showdown with arch-rival Maria Herrera. This latest accolade for one of the pioneers for women in modern motorcycle racing and indeed the wider motorsport and sporting industry, coupled with her 2018 WorldSSP300 title, makes her a big name to keep an eye for 2025’s WorldSSP grid. As well as this, all of her prior experience in Moto3™ will serve her in good stead to adapt to the CBR600RR.
Ready for a first season of WorldSSP action, Carrasco is excited for the challenge: “I am very happy to join Honda in this new project. Honda is the biggest motorcycle factory in the world and is an honor for me to race with these colors. I want to learn as fast as possible during the season and fight for good results. I looking forward to work with the team and to ride the bike for the first time. I want to thank HRC, Honda Europe and Honda France for trusting on me and give me this opportunity. I will give my best to achieve our goals during this season.”
Alongside her will be Corentin Perolari, who has had a career ranging from Red Bull Rookies to the Endurance World championship. The 26-year-old impressed many in 2019 and was a constant top six finisher in the second half of his maiden WorldSSP campaign, taking a best of fourth from pole position in Argentina. 2020 saw him bag a podium however in the first race of the season in Australia, before a solid top ten season concluded with him P10 in the standings. His most recent endeavor in the class came at Magny-Cours in 2024 for Honda France with a fine P7 in Race 2.
Speaking about his WorldSSP return, Corentin Perolari said: “I’m delighted to be in the World Supersport Championship, especially representing the Honda brand, which I’m very fond of. The whole team can count on me to give my best in every race. The initial tests will allow us to take our marks with the team. After that, the aim is to perform as we did during the wildcard at Magny-Cours last September, but over a full season. Consistently being in the Top 10 would be fantastic.”
Bruno Skotnicki, in charge of competition for Honda France, said: “Honda is setting up a program over several years. As we announced last September, the aim of this wildcard was to score points and make an impression. Run by Honda’s racing department, HRC, the aim is to represent Honda at the highest level in this category. Honda wants to improve the bike, the riders and the staff. As for the Magny-Cours round, our aim will be to provide the best possible equipment so that the riders can regularly finish in the Top 10.”
