Ana Carrasco didn’t just break barriers in motorcycle racing—she shattered them, becoming the first woman ever to win a world championship in a mixed-gender category when she claimed the 2018 FIM Supersport 300 World Championship by a single point.

EARLY YEARS

Born in Spain around 1997, Ana Carrasco was handed her future before she could probably even tie her shoes. At three years old, her father put her on a minibike, and that was that—no turning back. By the same age, she’d already entered her first race in 2001 on a pocket bike. While other kids were learning to share toys in preschool, Carrasco was learning racing lines.

Standing at just 5-foot-1 and weighing approximately 51 kilograms, she’s proof that size means absolutely nothing when you’ve got the skill and guts to back it up. Her physical stature became part of her story, but never a limitation—just another detail that made her victories that much sweeter.

OTHER INTERESTS

While racing consumed much of her life, Carrasco wasn’t content to put all her eggs in one basket. She enrolled at UCAM (Catholic University of Murcia) to study for a Degree in Law, balancing textbooks with throttle control. Her approach was refreshingly pragmatic: she planned to complete her university career before retiring from racing, noting, “Once I retire, I will still have 35 years to practice my profession.” It’s the kind of long-game thinking that separates the smart from the simply fast.

EARLY SUCCESS

Carrasco’s early career reads like a highlight reel of Spanish domestic racing. In 2009 alone, she claimed the 125cc championship in the Extremadura Championship, the Murcia 125cc 2T Championship, and the Spanish Cup. She wasn’t just participating—she was dominating.

Then came the real firsts. In 2011, racing for Hype Energy Drink & gobayu.com on an Aprilia RS125R LE, she became the first woman to score points in the Spanish Championship CEV 125GP. The following year, riding a Honda NSF250R for JHK Laglisse in CEV Moto3, she posted the best result ever by a woman in the series—a sixth-place finish. These weren’t token achievements; they were legitimate performances that demanded attention.

Her 2013 Moto3 World Championship debut with Team Calvo on a KTM RC250GP marked another milestone: she became the first woman to score points in the series since Katja Poensgen, with a best finish of eighth at the Valencia GP. Over the next three years, she’d rack up more than 80 Moto3 races, bouncing between teams—RW Racing GP in 2014 on a Kalex-KTM, and RBA Racing Team in 2015 back on a KTM RC250GP.

But the path wasn’t smooth. Uncompetitive bikes plagued her Moto3 stint from 2013 to 2015, along with injuries that would’ve made lesser riders quit. She found herself without a bike for 2016, eventually landing with Team Griful in FIM CEV Moto2 on an MVR-Honda—a stint that disappointed when the team changed bikes mid-season. Underfunding, broken bones, and surgery became part of the package. Still, she kept showing up.

Everything changed in 2017 when she moved to the WorldSSP300 series with ETG Racing on a Kawasaki Ninja 400. On September 17, 2017, at Portimao, she became the first woman ever to win a motorcycle road racing world championship race. The racing world had no choice but to pay attention.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2009: Won the Extremadura Championship 125cc, Murcia 125cc 2T Championship, and Spanish Cup.
• 2011: Became the first woman to score points in the Spanish Championship CEV 125GP.
• 2012: Achieved the best result for a woman in CEV Moto3 with a sixth-place finish.
• 2013: First woman to score points in Moto3 World Championship since Katja Poensgen, with a best finish of eighth at Valencia GP.
• 2017: Became the first woman to win a motorcycle road racing world championship race at Portimao on September 17, finishing eighth overall in WorldSSP300.
• 2018: Won the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship by a single point at the Magny-Cours finale, becoming the first woman to win a world championship in a mixed-gender category. Also became the first woman to take pole position in WorldSSP300 at Imola, and won races at both Imola and Donington Park.
• 2020: Finished eighth in WorldSSP300 with three podiums including one win.
• 2021: Secured 16th in WorldSSP300 with one podium, one win, and two best laps.
• 2024: Won the inaugural FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship, securing podiums in all 12 races—four wins, four second-place finishes, and four third-place finishes, with two pole positions.

INSPIRATIONS

The only documented influence in Carrasco’s career was her father, who encouraged her to start riding that minibike at age three. That single decision launched everything that followed—a career built on a parent’s belief that his daughter could compete with anyone.

REPUTATION

Carrasco is regarded as a true ambassador and role model for women in motorsport, and rightfully so. UCAM president José Luis Mendoza called her championship “a great gift for Spanish sport,” noting that her success required “great physical preparation and concentration”—a diplomatic way of acknowledging just how demanding racing at this level truly is.

Her 2018 championship campaign has been described as a stunning performance, and the significance of her achievements wasn’t lost on her—though those who know her work say she thinks like a racer first, focusing on the job rather than the history being made. She’s a tough competitor who earned respect not through novelty but through results. When you’re the first woman to lead a world championship, win races, and ultimately claim a title, your reputation writes itself.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

After claiming the 2024 FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship, Carrasco set her sights on a new challenge. For 2025, she’s racing in the World Supersport series with Honda RACING World Supersport on a Honda CBR600RR—a significant step up in competition. She’s also maintained her commitment to finishing her Law degree before retirement, ensuring that when the racing chapter eventually closes, another one is ready to begin. It’s the kind of planning that suggests she’s not just fast on the track—she’s thinking several laps ahead in life, too.

References:

WorldSBK Official Rider Page
Motocard Blog Interview Summary
Speed-Live Biographical Article
Motorcycle Minds Feature (August 8, 2018)
BikerGlory Career Retrospective
UCAM International News