OFFICIAL PROGRAMME
“ I think attitudes have changed a little bit from my first year in the World Championship in Moto3 to now it changed a lot ,” championship , won by a narrow margin in a tough final round , blah , blah ) but every argument just falls apart when you consider that this tiny young Spanish woman beat all the men and boys to become the FIM Supersport 300 World Champion . More than 50 riders tried to win it that year and the winner was the woman . End of that story and the start of many more , we expect . Her win arguably made more of ground-shaking thunderclap inside the paddock than even the seemingly endless and wide-reaching publicity her victory created in all forms global media . Why ? Because even just for physiological reasons almost no-one had thought that even the most talented woman racer ever would - physically could - win an open title over a full season against all the men . So you want a reason to think that any woman can have any job in motorsport , and deliver on it once they get the opportunity ? Think of Ana and her once ‘ impossible ’ goal already achieved . Another potentially touchy subject has recently been clarified as well , as Ana ’ s recovery from potentially disastrous spinal injuries was overcome so quickly and determinedly that she won the Misano WorldSSP300 race in May , just a few months after a potential career-ending injury . Physically , brave . Emotionally brave . If men are the supposedly the tougher and more ambitious gender , with all the warrior DNA inbuilt at birth , what does that Misano win say about women like Ana ? First off it ’ s proof positive that women do not need balls to overcome injury and win races , they need guts . Just like the men do if they want to be a world champion . Ana is no doubt bored by most questions about being a woman in racing as it is possible to be but she and her female Team Manager Carla Grau gave gladly of their time at the beginning of what was to end up being a glorious Misano weekend , culminating in Ana ’ s first comeback race win . “ I think attitudes have changed a little bit from my first year in the World Championship in Moto3 to now it changed a lot ,” said Ana . “ In the beginning it was quite strange for the people , the riders , the teams to see a girl racing in the World Championship . But now , after some years here , and also because we are making a good result , I think everybody knows I am fast , I can win some races and for them it is like normal to see me on the top of the podium .” So should the next really talented female racer after Ana be taken more seriously at an earlier stage than she was ? “ I hope it will change something because those girls who want to arrive in the world championship , or who want to arrive , it should be easier to have more opportunities inside the paddock , to have better material , a better team and to show to more people that they can be fast . All the work we are doing , the work should be better for the next rider .” As far as what the whole sport is concerned what does Ana think can be done to progress the numbers of working women in the paddock ? Is there anything , other then keep the door open and wait for more to come through ? “ It is difficult because not so many girls start out doing this sport ,” she acknowledges . “ To arrive at a world championship you have to have something . Talent , team , support and everything . So if we compare the number of guys who start riding when they are young with the girls , it is impossible . Many boys trying to arrive in the world championship cannot arrive . We you have only one , two or three girls it is difficult for one to arrive at the top . So the most important thing is to make a base for girls to start
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