Discover the reactions of the French drivers involved in the Women's World Championship, after the fifth round of the season at Donington.
The Women's World Championship held its fifth round of the season last weekend at the Donington Park circuit in England, with two explosive races. The championship leader, María Herrera, in fact caused the falls of Beatrice Neila in Race 1 and of Paola Ramos in Race 2, which earned him two penalties that shifted the title to the final round in Jerezin October.
On the French side, one of the drivers was missing. It was... Lucie Boudesseul, seriously injured after a crash during her participation in the FSBK at Nogaro, and aiming for a return at Jerez. She is replaced by Justine Pedemonte who achieved a top 10 finish, just like Emily BondiThe rookie Line Vieillard She, for her part, has moved closer to it.
Also worth noting is the grand return ofOrnella OngaroShe, too, suffered a serious injury at the end of last season, and this weekend she competed in her first race in the Women's World Championship this season. It was an opportunity to get back into the swing of things and test her physical condition.
JUSTINE PEDEMONTE – 11th and 10th
Overall ranking: 18th
Race 1 : “I got off to a good start and caught up with the right group, which allowed me to continue improving my lap times from the second lap onwards. A small mechanical issue caused me to lose my rhythm mid-race. I was overtaken in the final laps due to my lack of experience on this bike. I now know the mistakes to avoid in races. I'm very happy with my progress so far, especially for my first time on this circuit and only my third race with the R7. There are a lot of positives to take away.”
Race 2 : “After a good start, I improved my lap times and race pace, battling in the group for sixth place. My lack of experience in this championship led me to make a few mistakes in the heat of battle, and I lost contact with the group. I finished the race alone, as the group behind was 11 seconds back. The positives are important: for my first time on the circuit, I improved my lap times with each outing and finished within one second of the leaders. Thank you to the entire GMT94 Yamaha team! I know many people believe in me and expect better results. One step at a time; I'm learning, progressing, and building my experience. The best is yet to come.”
LINE VIEILLARD – 13th and 11th
Overall ranking: 16th
Race 1 : "Twice climbing from 19th to 13th place after a long lap and then a false start, the pace to get into the top 10 is there, tomorrow is another race."
Race 2 : “A solid race to finish the weekend on an upward trajectory, with a time 1.6 seconds behind the leading riders. A few mistakes caused me to lose touch with the front group, but I continue to gain experience in my first season in this championship. See you in Jerez for the final round after a long three-month break. Time to rest, the work continues.”
EMILY BONDI – 10th and 19th
Overall ranking: 17th
Races 1 and 2 : “I was 11th before my crash. The race wasn't bad at all, even though I wasn't able to ride the way I wanted. I know I was still far from showing my full potential, but we continue to progress. This weekend, we secured another consecutive top-10 finish in the World Championship, as well as a fifth-place finish in free practice, which demonstrates our potential and the hard work of the entire team.”
“I know I’m just missing that little something to take the next step and finally show what we’re building this season. When that happens, it will be the biggest milestone of my career. We’re working every day, we all feel it coming. The results are already improving, but the best is yet to come. Next stop: Jerez. We now have three months to continue working hard, progressing, and putting all the pieces of the puzzle together to come back even stronger.”
ORNELLA ONGARO – 21th and 21th
Overall ranking: First participation of the season.
Race 1 : “I’m so happy to be back. I’m accepting this transitional year with humility, because I know where I want to go. I’ve come a very, very long way, and this race confirms that I’m continuing to progress, lap after lap, and the lap times prove it. I’m putting my ego aside to learn, work, and build for the future with a clear objective: to come back stronger. A huge thank you to my Prata Motorsport team for their exceptional work, as well as to all my partners and sponsors for their trust. I’m also racing to show that everything doesn’t have to be perfect to keep moving forward. With hard work, perseverance, and passion, you always end up getting closer to your goals. As always, I gave it my all.”
Race 2 : “This weekend was a significant milestone. The second race was definitely one of the toughest of my entire career. With the wind, my mind wanted to attack, but my body wasn't quite ready to keep up. Nevertheless, this weekend allowed us to understand exactly what we need to work on. When I think back to my times of 1:39 and 1:40 from the previous two years, I realize that with two arms at 100% and five races under my belt, I would have been at the front despite the extremely high level of competition, so we're in good shape. The most important thing right now is that I'm back. Now it's time for hard work, mileage, and rehabilitation to come back even stronger by the end of the season. I'm already looking forward to the next one.”
Join us from October 16th to 18th in Jerez, Spain, to follow the French women during the final round of the Women's World Championship of the 2026 season.