Gutsy WorldWCR Donington Comeback for Aussie Tayla Relph

Round 3 of the FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship wrapped up this weekend at Donington Park in the United Kingdom, with Australia’s Tayla Relph showcasing determination, grit, and undeniable racecraft across the three days.

Despite carrying significant injuries into the weekend—a fracture of the base of the second phalanx of the index finger with ligament injury to the radial and volar plates, and a partial fracture with osteoligamentous avulsion at the base of the second phalanx of the third finger, and a dynamic Scapholunate ligament injury to the right wrist—Relph dug deep to deliver one of her most hard-fought performances of the season so far, finishing 7th in Race 2 and maintaining her position inside the Top 10 in the World Championship standings.

The weekend began with a scorching Friday where Relph battled the heat and a tough Superpole session to qualify 9th. A post-session technical infringement for another rider promoted her to 8th on the grid for Race 1.

“The heat was brutal on Friday, and with the injury to my braking hand, it made controlling the bike even more difficult,” Relph said. “Still, we managed a third-row start, which gave us a fighting chance heading into the races.”

WorldWCR Round 3 2025 \\ Donington Park \\ Superpole Results

Saturday’s Race 1 started with a bang as Relph launched off the line with one of her best starts of the season, jumping two positions by Turn 1 and holding strong in P7 for the majority of the race. But as the laps wore on, the strain on her injured hand began to show.

“I was giving it everything, holding off a train of six riders behind me. But lap by lap I could feel the braking strength in my fingers fading,” she explained. “With just two laps to go, a major technical problem hit and we limped home in 13th. I was gutted, but proud I still got the bike across the line.”

WorldWCR Round 3 2025 \\ Donington Park \\ Race 1 Results

On Sunday, Relph came back with fire. After starting from 11th on the grid, she fought her way through the field in one of the most aggressive and determined rides of her WorldWCR career. She made eight on-track passes in 12 laps—many of them through high-speed corners like Craner Curves while reaching speeds of over 180km/hr, Turn 4 and Turn 7, where overtaking is both fast and risky.

“That was the most ‘racey’ race I’ve had so far in WorldWCR, and I’m honestly so proud of myself,” Relph said. “I couldn’t brake aggressively into slow corners because of my injury, so I had to get creative and make my moves in the faster sections. It was tough but incredibly rewarding.”

“I know 7th place might not sound like a big deal, but for me, it felt like a win this weekend. We shaved 7 seconds off our overall race time from Saturday and set a new personal best lap in the 1:40s. We’re moving in the right direction.”

WorldWCR Round 3 2025 \\ Donington Park \\ Race 2 Results

With a Superpole result of P9, Race 1 finish of P13, and a P7 comeback in Race 2, Relph now sits tied for 8th in the World Championship standings after three rounds.

The Full Throttle Racing Team will now head to Magny-Cours, France, for a two-day test this Friday and Saturday, before continuing to Round 4 at Balaton Park, Hungary, from 25–27 July.