Roberta Ponziani

Roberta Ponziani is the reigning Italian Women’s Champion and the only Italian rider competing in the 2024 WorldWCR series, where she’s been turning heads as one of motorcycle racing’s most determined barrier-breakers.

EARLY YEARS

Born in 1996 in Teramo, Abruzzo, Italy, Roberta Ponziani grew up in a world that smelled more like fresh bread than racing fuel. Her family owned a local bakery, and motorsports weren’t exactly part of the daily routine. That changed when nine-year-old Roberta spotted a girl riding a minibike at a local track. Her reaction was immediate and telling: “If she can ride, then I can too!” she recalled years later[1]. The track closed soon after—talk about good timing—but not before Roberta’s father bought her a minibike, despite his initial doubts about whether his daughter could actually handle it[5].

What happened next would define the early years of her racing life: Roberta became the only girl on the grid, racing against boys in the Italian CIV Junior Championship. For seven or eight years, she was alone in that fight[5]. Her father’s skepticism didn’t last long. When she won the Italian CIV Junior Minibike Championship in the Open A category in 2014 at just 11 years old—the only female competitor in sight—he became a believer[1][3][4]. She repeated the win in 2015, cementing her status as a rider who could more than hold her own[1].

OTHER INTERESTS

Racing at the highest level doesn’t leave much room for hobbies, but Ponziani has never fully left behind her roots. She still balances her high-octane racing career with her family’s bakery business in Teramo, a grounding connection to home that keeps her anchored even as her racing ambitions soar[5].

EARLY SUCCESS

After dominating the minibike scene, Ponziani transitioned into larger bikes, competing in the CIV and Yamaha R3 Trophy from 2016 to 2019[1]. It was a critical period of development, learning to handle more powerful machinery and sharpen her racecraft. But it wasn’t until 2020 that she found her next proving ground: the Women’s European Championship. From 2020 to 2023, she consistently landed on the podium, finishing third in the championship four times[1][3]. It was a testament to her speed and consistency, but also a source of frustration—she was knocking on the door but hadn’t quite broken through.

Then came 2023, a season that tested her resilience in ways she hadn’t anticipated. After winning at Misano, Ponziani crashed twice in Valencia, then three more times in three days at the Czech Republic round. “It was a very dark moment,” she admitted[3]. The European Championship slipped through her fingers. But instead of folding, she dusted herself off, kept racing, and won again before the season ended. More importantly, she clinched the Italian Women’s Championship that year, becoming the first female Italian champion in her category[1][3]. By year’s end, she was better—stronger, sharper, hungrier.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2014: Won Italian CIV Junior Minibike Championship (Open A category) at age 11, the only girl on the grid[1][3][4].
• 2015: Repeated Italian CIV Junior Minibike Championship win[1].
• 2020–2023: Finished third in the Women’s European Championship four consecutive times[1][3].
• 2023: Won Italian Women’s Championship (CIV Femminile), becoming the first female Italian champion; also won at Misano in the Women’s European Cup[1][3].
• 2024: Finished second at the Cremona pre-season test for WorldWCR; placed fifth at Round 1 in Emilia-Romagna (home round); competed as the only Italian rider in the inaugural WorldWCR series with Yamaha Motoxracing WCR Team[1][2].
• 2025: Competing with Klint Forward Racing Team in WorldWCR, currently placed fourth overall[5].

INSPIRATIONS

Like so many Italian riders of her generation, Ponziani grew up idolizing Valentino Rossi. Her admiration runs deep enough that she races with the number 96—a direct nod to Rossi’s birth year and a permanent tribute to the man who made her want to go fast[3]. The other pivotal figure in her racing origin story is far less famous: the anonymous girl she saw riding a minibike at that local track when she was nine. That fleeting glimpse of possibility—of a girl doing what girls supposedly didn’t do—was all the inspiration she needed to demand a minibike of her own[1].

REPUTATION

Within the paddock, Ponziani is regarded as a legitimate contender, not a novelty act. Sandro Carusi, her team principal at MotoXracing, spoke highly of her trajectory: “We’ve followed her for a long time. She consistently reaches the podium in the Women’s European Cup and was crowned Italian champion last season, so I’m sure she’ll also be able to do well in WorldWCR”[2]. Media coverage consistently frames her as a trailblazer—a pioneer breaking down walls in a male-dominated sport with determination, resilience, and undeniable passion[1][2][5][6][9].

Her reputation isn’t built on hype; it’s built on years of showing up, staying fast, and refusing to quit when things got hard. She’s known for her rapid pace in testing and her ability to hold her own against tough Italian rivals who push each other to the limit[1]. Fans and industry insiders alike see her as a history-maker—the first female Italian champion, the only Italian woman in the 2024 WorldWCR, and a rider who’s opened doors for the younger girls now following in her tire tracks[2][3][5]. “Once I got older, some younger girls started to come up and now race in the Italian CIV,” she noted. “But at the beginning, for seven or eight years, it was just me”[5].

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

Ponziani has clarity about what she wants: to win. “Now that we have a World Championship, I’m happy because I see a goal: I want to win,” she said plainly[5]. The creation of the WorldWCR series has given her something she didn’t have for much of her career—a defined path forward, a championship designed for women riders where she can compete on equal footing and measure herself against the best. For years, she raced in categories dominated by men, often finishing tenth or lower with no clear world-level objective in sight[5]. Now the target is right in front of her.

Currently riding with Klint Forward Racing Team in the 2025 WorldWCR season, Ponziani sits fourth overall—a strong position that reflects both her skill and her growing confidence on the world stage[5]. She’s admitted to being surprised by her own competitiveness: “Honestly, I didn’t think I’d be this strong”[5]. But strength, as it turns out, has never been her problem. It’s been about opportunity, and now she’s got one. Whether she can convert that opportunity into a world championship title remains to be seen, but if her career has proven anything, it’s that underestimating Roberta Ponziani is a mistake.

References:

WorldSBK – HER STORY: meet Roberta Ponziani
MotoXracing – Team Announcement 2024
Paddock Sorority – Roberta Ponziani WorldWCR Profile
ESC Live – Roberta Ponziani Rider Profile
WorldSBK – I, WOMAN AND RIDER