GRRL! Weekly Top-10

The Fastest Newsletter in Women’s Sports - Issue 06 | 10/15 – 21

This week we’ve got a championship decided by just five points, barrier-breaking firsts on several continents, a teenage wildcard who decided to skip the “new-kid” phase and smoke the field, a possible sister dynasty in the making, a woman who seems to be able to sit in any seat and excel, a young prodigy taking another step up the racing ladder, and true legend making good on her threat to step away on top.

Buckle up…

After finishing runner-up in 2024, MARIA HERRERA wasn't about to let the WorldWCR championship slip away twice. The Spanish rider secured her first world title at Jerez with a calculated sixth-place finish in the season finale, winning by just five points over rival Beatriz Neila.

HERRERA's season was a masterclass in consistency: six race wins, ten podium finishes, and three pole positions. She led the championship after every race except briefly at Assen when Neila tied her on points. The 29-year-old from Toledo—the first woman to win in FIM CEV Repsol—chose strategy over heroics when it mattered most, admitting she "almost crashed a couple of times" but got the job done. That's championship mentality.

When JAMIE CHADWICK stepped up to the European Le Mans Series to race prototype sports cars, the narrative was about gaining experience. She wrapped her debut season at Portimão's 4-hour endurance race, securing P3 overall in the championship standing, missing out on P2 by 2 points.

Let's be clear about what "learning" meant: four podiums and three victories—two overall wins—racing for IDEC Sport alongside teammates Mathys Jaubert and Daniel Juncadella. From a class victory at Barcelona in her debut to a brilliant overall win at Silverstone in mixed conditions, she demolished the skeptics. The team finished just two points shy of championship runner-up—in what was supposed to be a learning year. Her traffic management at Portimão was a masterclass, proving she belongs at this level. We can’t wait to see what she can do once she knows what she’s doing. 😀

Racing sisters HAMDA and AMNA AL QUBAISI are stepping up from Ligier European Series to step up to the Michelin Le Mans Cup for 2026, moving to faster prototype race cars. What makes this even better? Their father Khaled, a former World Endurance Championship racer, shared the Team Virage race car with his daughters during the Portimão Rookie Test and continues looking for opportunities to race alongside them. (Look for this to become a sitcom on your favorite streaming service—kidding!)

This is what motorsport family legacies should look like—fathers racing alongside their daughters as equals. The Al Qubaisi family is proving that Middle Eastern motorsport talent isn't emerging, it's already here and moving up the ladder. These sisters are building something bigger than their own careers—they're creating a blueprint for the next generation in the Middle East and around the world. 

P5: LAURA VAN DEN HENGEL became the first woman to win a GT Sport championship, clinching the 2025 GT Cup Europe ProAm title at Monza in her Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. She built her own racing program from scratch in just her second full season, you know like all 22 year-olds do. 🔥🔥🔥

P6: ALEXANDRA HAINER So Alexandra went into Indy needing a solid finish to win the championship, and it got WILD. Her main rival John Dempsey kept contacting her in both races, but he ended up penalized and out of the finale - so ALEXANDRA took the checkered flag in a damaged car but won the title! 🔥🔥

P7: Two-time NHRA Top Fuel Champion and fastest human to ever pilot a Top Fuel dragster, BRITTANY FORCE ended her season and is ready to begin her planned retirement from drag racing to focus on starting a family. If she can handle 12,000hp and 343mph in 1,000 feet, we think she’s got a pretty good shot at “kids”. 🫡

P8: CHLOE CHAMBERS returns for round two of the Formula E Women's Test with Mahindra Racing, upgrading from last year's half-day to proper seat time in the all-electric race car. 🏎️

P9: JANNI HUSSI called perfect pace notes as co-driver while Latvala dominated every stage at Rally de Asturias in their Toyota Celica GT-Four, claiming maximum points. 🔥

P10: CRISTINA GUTIÉRREZ piloted her Dacia Sandrider to ninth overall at Rally Morocco, while DANIA AKEEL dominated stages in her Taurus buggy with three wins before mechanical failure struck. 🏎️

Eighteen-year-old PAOLA RAMOS rolled into the final race of the WorldWCR at Jerez and immediately became the future. In Race 1, she battled championship leaders Maria Herrera and Beatriz Neila, set a new lap record, and crossed the finish line first—only to be penalized for contact and dropped to fourth.

Most teenage rookies would've been devastated. PAOLO came back the next day for Race 2 and… destroyed the field. Building a 9.5-second lead, the YVS Sabadell rider won by 9.578 seconds—the largest margin in WorldWCR history. She also set another lap record for good measure. This wasn't luck. This was a teenager showing championship riders what they'll face if she gets a full-season ride in 2026. 

If anyone is starting a WorldWCR fantasy league, Paolo had better be on your team.