The first all-female circuit racing motorcycle racing series was announced back in April, though very little was known about it other than it would form part of the World Superbike support bill in 2024.
On Saturday 28 October at the Jerez WSBK finale, a special press conference was held announcing the first details of the Women’s Motorcycle World Championship.
The season will consist of six rounds following the WSBK paddock through Europe, beginning on the weekend of 14-16 June at Misano.
The championship will take in the UK (12-14 July), Portugal (9-11 August), Hungary (23-25 August), Italy (20-22 September) and Spain (11-13 October) rounds.
There will be two races per weekend across Saturday and Sunday at each event.
Yamaha has been announced as the control manufacturer for the championship, with the Japanese marque providing its YZF-R7 bikes.
A press release from WSBK stated there will be “a single technical and logistical partner [who] will oversee all technical aspects, ensuring a level playing field”.
The entry fee for competitors will be €25,000, which will include use of the Yamaha bike, a GYTR Racing Kit, Pirelli tyres, fuel, servicing and paddock access.
There will also be prize money from Pirelli and television coverage, though details of which are yet to be revealed.
A minimum age limit of 18 has been set for competitors, with the initial pre-application process open from 13 November 2023 to 31 January 2024, while riders can opt to race under a team name if they so wish.
Janika Judeika, the FIM Women in Motorcycling Commission director, said: “Today is a special day as we present the first-ever FIM World Championship for Women in Circuit Racing.
“The FIM launched a project dedicated to women in Circuit Racing 10 years ago with the first-ever training camp on the circuit in Albacete, Spain.
“Four other camps then followed between 2013 and 2015 in the Czech Republic and Qatar with an average number of 24 participants from four continents and 12 countries. In 2014, as part of this project and thanks to the support of Midori Moriwaki, an all-female team took part in the Suzuka 4 Hours that included Shelina Moreda and Melissa Paris [and] also in 2015 with Shelina and Avalon Biddle.
“Already at that time, it was clear that there were fast women who were also clamouring to have their own championship.
“I am pretty sure that among the women who will now participate in this new FIM World Championship will be some of those who have previously participated in the FIM circuit racing training camps where the aim was to bring together fast women and to understand when the time would be right to create their own championship. This is now a reality!”
