The FIM and Dorna WSBK Organization (DWO) are launching the FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship (WorldWCR) this year. The inaugural season of the championship will kick off in Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli and comprise six rounds (two races at each round) integrated within the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship. On May 16 and 17, an official test took place at the Cremona Circuit with 23 riders participating. We caught up with some of the riders on the entry list this season, today we give you the eighth installment in this series, the story of French rider Emily Bondi.
Photos © Emily Bondi
Emily has been familiar with motorcycles or powered-two-wheel vehicles since she was a kid. Both her parents are motorcycle riders. In her teenage years, she spent five years in Shanghai, China with her family, riding around the city on an electric scooter. However, at the time, even though she liked to go fast on a scooter, she never knew motorcycle racing could be accessible for everyone, particularly women. “I knew motorcycles as a way of transport. My parents ride their bikes to buy bread and do things. I didn’t know that it was also a sport, at least not for women. I saw men racing on TV, but only men. I finally found out about track days two years ago. When I got my license, my instructor told me to come with them to the track. ”
Emily crashed on her first track day. But she still fell in love with motorcycle racing. “I took the bike that I rode to school every day and I crashed on the last corner of the day. I discovered racing on the track day. The feeling, the people, the way they talk about motorcycles, the sport. I fell in love at that moment on my first day on track.”
With her newly found love for motorcycle racing, Emily went on to race in the French Women’s Championship in 2023 and became French Champion in her debut year of racing. “I went to the first round like a tourist. I had my bike and some tools. I didn’t even have a pit-board or the tyre warmers. Everyone else was well-equipped. I didn’t know what was the sign to start either. So when the red lights went out and everyone else started and passed me. It was a total mess but I managed to come back third in this first race. I didn’t know how I did it! In the second race of the weekend, I had to start from the pit lane, but I came back third again. For the second race weekend, I came back prepared. I trained, and I got some equipment, and I won.”
Before her motorcycling career, Emily was already a veteran athlete. Her experience in various sports contributed to her stunning debut. “I’m very competitive. When I compete, I want to win. I already did a lot of sports when I was younger. I was already a horseball french champion. I did skiing, slalom, and jet skiing, which all trained my ability to keep balance. I’ve also been going to the gym three or four times a week since I was 14 years old. So these all helped me win last year.”
Now Emily is stepping onto the world stage in her second year of racing. She will face real challenges from riders like Ana Carrasco. “I did only four or five races my entire life, so my lack of experience is my first weakness. When I’m instructed on things, I need to feel it first. I need to feel safe and confident on the bike first to be able to do my lap time. This would reflect on my adaptability. I also don’t know any of the tracks, this would go back to me not feeling safe at first.”
Besides her lack of experience, Emily’s season was also hindered by a recent injury. When we interviewed Emily, it was on the first day of the Cremona test. However, Emily wasn’t able to make it to the test, as she was about to get surgery on her injured ankle. “No surgeons wanted me to do this surgery. They said it was very complicated and risky. I can stay in bed and wait for it to heal. But it’ll take 3 or 4 months, meaning that I won’t be there for Misano or Donington Park. Then I found a specialist who is one of the best in the world, and he understood the necessity for me to participate in the opening round in Misano. I may not recover ever, but I want to risk it to be able to go to Misano. I’m giving my surgeon my entire life, and I hope everything will be okay.”
With less than a month to go before the opening round, the clock is ticking for Emily’s recovery. “We have 26 days to do the work of two months. It will be a huge challenge, but I’m happy to do it. I prefer to be challenged and do something in 26 days rather than lying around and waiting for 2 months. I’d rather be a part of this world championship and it begins now. With the best outcome, I’ll be able to go to Misano on a crutch.”
Even though she faced this huge amount of pressure going into the season, Emily also had strong support by her side – former Grand Prix rider Xavier Siméon as her rider coach, and MotoGP rider Johann Zarco as her mentor. “Johann and Xavier are very good friends as they used to ride in Moto2 together. I met Johann during a test in January. He already knew me as I’m from the Zelos team structure. I was able to follow him on track for a few corners, and he talked to me in detail about my strengths and weaknesses back in the box. He also gave me advice on how to improve. He told me to go train on the karting track, and I did. It helped me a lot. It’s impressive to have the strengths of two World Champions by my side.”
As Emily recovers from her injury and prepares for the opening round of WorldWCR, we wish her a speedy recovery and a great season ahead!
The 2024 WorldWCR Calendar
1. Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round, MWC “Marco Simoncelli” – 14-16 June
2. Prosecco DOC UK Round, Donington Park – 12-14 July
3. Pirelli Portuguese Round, Autódromo Internacional do Algarve – 9-11 August
4. Hungarian Round, Balaton Park Circuit* – 23-25 August
5. Acerbis Italian Round, Cremona Circuit* – 20-22 September
6. Prometeon Spanish Round, Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto – 18-20 October
* Subject to homologation
Paddock Sorority 
Leave a comment