Bio Excerpt: Beatriz Neila Santos proves that some people are simply built different. This Spanish motorcycle racer didn’t just break barriers—she obliterated them, becoming the first woman to participate in Valentino Rossi’s legendary “100KM dei Campioni” and later training at his VR46 Master Camp. A four-time European champion... (full bio below ↓↓)
Beatriz Neila
Motorcycle racer // Spain
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Beatriz's Socials:
When I was eight my father gave my brother a motorcycle for his fifth birthday and they let me try it out…From the first moment I tried it I didn’t want to get off of it, I loved it.
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Beatriz's full bio:
Spanish motorcycle racer Beatriz Neila Santos is a four-time European champion who took the 2025 FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship down to the wire, finishing runner-up in a title fight that came down to just six points at the final round.
EARLY YEARS
Born April 15, 2002, in Madrid, Spain, Neila grew up in a motorcycling family where two wheels were a way of life. Her father and mother rode recreationally, hitting the circuits with friends two or three times a year. But it was her brother’s birthday present—a motorcycle—that changed everything. At just eight years old, watching him ride sparked something fierce in Beatriz. She didn’t just want to watch; she wanted to race. From that moment, motorcycling consumed her life, and everything else revolved around her sport. Her father became her de facto manager, shepherding her career from those early days through to the world stage. She remains close to her younger siblings, Carla and Raul, who at 21 and 20 are barely younger than Beatriz’s 23 years.
OTHER INTERESTS
Neila isn’t just fast on two wheels—she’s also got a law degree and a Master’s in International Law to her name. It took her four years of grinding through coursework alongside racing, especially brutal at first as she adjusted to balancing university with competition. She graduated just after the 2024 season wrapped. Outside the classroom and the paddock, she’s a fitness enthusiast who runs mini triathlons as part of her training regimen and competes in Hyrox, a CrossFit-style competition that combines running with functional fitness exercises. She’s planning multiple triathlons and hopes to compete at the big Hyrox event, proving that her competitive drive doesn’t stop when she takes off her leathers.
EARLY SUCCESS
After a year competing on an 80cc bike in the CEV series, 2016 became Neila’s breakout season when she won both the Mediterranean Women’s Championship and the Catalunya Women’s Championship. Those twin victories announced her arrival on the scene. She later competed in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup in 2017, battling in packs of 12 riders and fighting for position from fifth on the grid. That same year, she became the first woman to participate in Valentino Rossi’s “100KM dei Campioni,” a distinction that opened doors and caught the attention of racing royalty. She later attended the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp, becoming one of the first women to train there, and worked with Jonathan Rea’s crew chief, Andrew Pitt, during pre-season WorldWCR testing at Cremona. Rea, who became her teammate at one point, offered invaluable guidance and continues to support her in WorldWCR.
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS
- 2016: Won Mediterranean Women’s Championship and Catalunya Women’s Championship.
- 2017: First woman to participate in Valentino Rossi’s “100KM dei Campioni.”
- 2020: Won Women’s European Cup.
- 2021: Won Women’s European Cup.
- 2022: Won Women’s European Championship (series elevated to Championship status).
- 2023: Won Women’s European Championship.
- 2025: Finished runner-up in FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship, losing title by just six points; recorded four wins from 12 races; finished on the podium in every single race; earned two pole positions; set six fastest race laps; won the 2025 Pirelli Best Lap Award for most fastest laps across the season.
INSPIRATIONS
Neila’s first racing hero was Marc Márquez, but she’s since switched allegiances to Valentino Rossi—a change she calls “betraying” Márquez with a grin. After working with Rossi through the VR46 Master Camp, she came to deeply appreciate his willingness to help young riders. “Valentino loves to help, that’s what I appreciate most about him,” she’s said, noting he’s “a diamond” and expressing willingness to leave Spain to train at the Academy. Her father remains her biggest day-to-day support, acting as her manager and guiding force throughout her career.
REPUTATION
Neila is known as a fierce, consistent competitor who brings relentless intensity to every race. Her 2025 season—12 podiums in 12 races—speaks to her precision and ability to deliver under pressure. She’s hardworking to a fault, grinding through the offseason to make significant technical steps forward. Championship rival Maria Herrera acknowledged Neila’s speed throughout 2025, noting, “This year was amazing. Bea was very fast.” Her ability to set fastest laps became a signature strength, earning her the Pirelli Best Lap Award. Beyond raw talent, she’s respected for her cerebral approach to racing—balancing elite-level competition with completing a demanding law degree shows discipline most racers can’t fathom. She’s also a trailblazer who’s opened doors for women in male-dominated racing spaces, from the Rookies Cup to working alongside WorldSBK legends like Jonathan Rea.
FUTURE GOALS/PLANS
After her heartbreak runner-up finish in 2025, Neila isn’t backing down. She and Ampito Crescent Yamaha have re-signed to rejoin the WorldWCR title fight for the 2026 season, part of the Pata Maxus Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team. She’s also set to switch to prototype machinery, with a planned wildcard appearance at Barcelona stepping onto the Road to MotoGP—a significant shift that could open new pathways in her career. With her law credentials secured and racing remaining her singular focus, Neila is gunning for the world championship title that slipped through her fingers by just six points.
REFERENCES
Beatriz Neila – Wikipedia
WorldWCR star to step on the Road to MotoGP with Barcelona wildcard – Crash.net
Race like a girl – Yamaha Motor Europe
Beatriz Neila – Red Bull
FIGHT TO THE END – Beatriz Neila’s Epic WorldWCR Title Decider – YouTube
Beatriz Neila Takes 2025 WorldWCR Championship Title Fight to the Wire in Jerez – Yamaha WorldSBK
Renewed Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Opens its Doors for 7th Edition – Yamaha Racing
HER STORY: meet Beatriz Neila – “Motorcycling became my life, everything revolved around my sport” – WorldSBK
Race Like A Girl | Ep. 2 – Meet Beatriz Neila | WorldWCR 2025 – YouTube
I, Woman and Rider – Beatriz Neila – Sports247
Beatriz Neila and Pata Prometeon Yamaha Target FIM Women’s World – Yamaha Racing
WorldWCR: Race Two Results From Jerez – Roadracing World
Beatriz Neila celebrates a maiden WorldWCR win at Assen! – FIM
Beatriz Neila – WorldSBK
Herrera reacts to 2025 title success – WorldSBK
#WorldWCR – Her story: Meet Beatriz Neila – Speed Live
Vice Champions Beatriz Neila and Ampito Crescent Yamaha Re-join WorldWCR Title Fight in 2026 – Yamaha WorldSBK
Beatriz Neila: “Valentino Rossi loves to help, that’s what I appreciate most about him” – GPOne
Beatriz Neila: “I was a Marquez fan, but I’ve betrayed him with Rossi” – GPOne
Neila claims first career WorldWCR win, pipping Herrera by just under two tenths – WorldSBK
Beatriz Neila: The Fast-Lane Life of a Law Graduate & World-Class Racer – Bike Review
Ampito partners with European Champion Beatriz Neila for the Inaugural FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship – Ampito
I, Woman and Rider – Beatriz Neila – Superbike Planet
Carrasco holds onto victory as Neila charges to second, Herrera fourth – WorldSBK
Neila on law degree, family support and WorldWCR – WorldSBK
Interview with Beatriz Neila, Women’s European Cup Champion – Paddock Sorority
INSIDE LINE WITH BEATRIZ NEILA – YouTube
