(Motorsport-Total.com) – The Women’s World Championship (WorldWCR), which will be introduced in October 2023, completed its first race event last weekend. However, the opening event in Misano was overshadowed by two serious accidents on Saturday (see race report from race 1). Norwegian Mia Rusthen sustained serious head injuries and has been in an artificial coma since Saturday. South African Jessica Howden crashed during the restart and had to be flown to hospital.

The long break on Saturday and the uncertainty caused additional tension among the participants. The WorldWCR starters already had many obligations beforehand, such as media appointments and presentations.

Austrian Lena Kemmer confirms that the pressure was high: “Most people had been there since Monday evening or Tuesday because there were so many press appointments. From Tuesday onwards there were many appointments scheduled. There were so many people there.”

“Of course it’s great and you’re happy, but on the other hand it’s all very nerve-wracking. I think it was difficult for many people. On the other hand, I expect things to get better from the next race,” the 20-year-old said in an interview with Motorsport-Total.com

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From a sporting perspective, the focus was on Maria Herrera’s victories. The 27-year-old Spaniard won both races (see race report for race 2) after strong duels with Ana Carrasco and Sara Sanchez. But the German-speaking participants also put in a strong performance.

Twice in the top 10: Why Lucy Michel is still dissatisfied

Lucy Michel already attracted attention during the test before the season opener. The 19-year-old German finished the first race in ninth place and on Sunday she came in tenth. After the first WorldWCR weekend, Lucy Michel is in ninth place in the overall standings with 13 points.

“We finished in the top 10 in both races,” said Lucy Michel, summing up the situation with satisfaction. “It was our goal to finish in the top 10. But of course, our own ambition means we always want to go further. I know that more would have been possible. That’s why it annoys me a little. We’re still learning and want to do better in the next race.”

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Which areas does the young Saxon want to improve in the upcoming events? “I still have to brake later. We are also still looking for the perfect set-up. We haven’t found it yet. I think there is still room for improvement,” reveals Lucy Michel.

She lost a few positions at the start, which is due to her size. “I always mess up the start because I can’t reach the brake. I’m too small for that. I always have trouble starting quickly. That’s my biggest problem,” she explains.

And how did Lucy Michel deal with the delays on Saturday? “It was very nerve-wracking because we also had a different start time. It was a crazy day that was a bit nerve-wracking,” she commented.

The great uncertainty was another burden. “You’re obviously thinking about it. But during the race you try to block it all out. Then you’re so focused that you don’t think about anything else,” explains Lucy Michel.

Starting accident on Saturday: Lena Kemmer experiences a moment of shock

Lena Kemmer, the Austrian participant, also had a turbulent weekend in Misano. On Saturday she crashed on her third attempt to start. During the sprint to the first corner she collided with an opponent and lost control.

“I didn’t get an ideal start on the third attempt. I have to take responsibility for that mistake. I pulled too far to the left and Emily Bondi came to the right. We met in the middle and I got caught, which led to the fall,” she describes the scene. “Thank God nothing else happened. Start-up accidents are always dangerous. I have to take the blame. I’m sorry, it was stupid of me.”

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This meant that she came away empty-handed on Saturday. In the race on Sunday, Lena Kemmer had to fight back after a weak start and finished in eleventh position. With the five points for P11, she currently occupies 13th place in the championship.

“I messed up the first lap myself,” Lena Kemmer said angrily. “I positioned myself poorly in the first few corners. I still need to practice a bit on that. In terms of racing speed, I could have kept up with the group in front of me.”

Tough duels: Good racing on Sunday

In her pursuit to catch up, Lena Kemmer had to prevail against a number of opponents. How was it to race exclusively against female participants? “The girls are very ambitious, as we saw on Saturday. They hold their own,” says the 20-year-old.

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“It’s probably even worse than against the boys,” explains Lena Kemmer. “But it’s really cool because you have great battles. In the race on Sunday I had a lot of overtaking maneuvers, all of which were fair. It’s a great championship.”

How difficult was it for her to handle the situation on Saturday? “It was pretty challenging because I was somehow involved in all the crashes. Three race starts and the long break before the restart were really difficult,” she says, looking back on the first day of racing.

“You have to ignore what happened to Mia. She fell right in front of me. The crash looked bad,” reports Lena Kemmer, adding: “She was also my neighbor here in the tent. Before the race, I talked to her and wished her good luck.”

“I wish her the best, but I have no information about her condition. On a race weekend like this, you have to ignore it. You also have to ignore what happened to me at the start,” said the 20-year-old Austrian professionally.

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Just like Lucy Michel, Lena Kemmer is also concentrating fully on the Women’s World Cup this year. “I have a full-time job and sacrifice all my vacation for the World Cup and training. It is important to me that I can fully concentrate on it,” says Lena Kemmer.

The WorldWCR debut season will continue in July at the WSBK weekend in Donington.