Learning at speed
Riding for GR Motosport, Chloe Jones is competing in her first full season of the FIM Women’s World Circuit Racing Championship (WorldWCR).
Motorcycle Racer
Chloe Jones is competing in her first full season of the FIM Women’s World Circuit Racing Championship (WorldWCR) – a groundbreaking series now in its second year, designed to elevate female riders on the global stage. Riding for British team GR Motosport, she’s already proving that she more than belongs at the elite level.
Self-taught and unafraid to be thrown in at the deep end, Chloe shares what it’s taken to move from tearing up domestic tracks to holding her own against the fastest women in the world – and why confidence might just be her most valuable race-day tool.
It’s easy for a rider’s thoughts to take over in the 10 quiet minutes on the grid before a race.
Seated on her Yamaha R7, Chloe is surrounded by the world’s fastest female racers, knowing that in moments she’ll be competing at speeds of up to 140 mph – where her fate rests on skill, instinct, and variables beyond her control.
“You have no idea how the race is going to pan out,” explains Chloe. “You could be boxed in at turn one, or you could get the best start ever. You just never know what’s going to happen.
“When you’re in it, you always forget about these thoughts, but the grid’s the worst part. I’ve started listening to music when I go out, and I try to keep my mechanics talking to me, but those 10 minutes are where my nerves really build up.”
Finding the spark
As a youngster, Chloe would tag along with her dad to race weekends, riding her push bike around the paddock while he helped friends with tyre warmers and fuel. She wasn’t too fussed by the racing itself, until she spotted a mini moto. “I can’t describe the size. It’s just a small, little bike.”
At 11, she climbed on and wouldn’t get off. “I kept going up and down the hill until it ran out of fuel. Mum and Dad immediately knew they needed to buy me one.”
That tiny bike became the foundation of a racing career that would see Chloe win multiple championships and eventually reach the world stage. And from her very first competitive experience, it was clear her commitment ran deep, even when things didn’t go to plan.
“I had my first race, and I crashed about six times. After that, my parents knew for sure I wanted to carry on. They bought me a more powerful bike and better equipment: everything I needed. That’s how it started.”
What followed was a seamless rise through the ranks. By 14, she was racing against adults in the British Superbike Championship series (BSB); by 2023, she’d claimed her first BSB podium, finishing second at Oulton Park in the Junior Supersport series, before setting her first-ever lap record, at Brands Hatch, which still stands today.
“I had my first race, and I crashed about six times. After that, my parents knew for sure I wanted to carry on.”
Deep end philosophy
Chloe’s career has been shaped by being forced to adapt quickly. While many riders spend years learning the ropes in club racing, she went straight into BSB – the most competitive domestic championship series in the world. It’s a decision she now sees as key to her development.
“I got put in the deep end, really, but it was an opportunity I couldn’t turn down. And when I look back, it taught me a lot more than a year of club racing would have. I learned to trust myself more than I might have otherwise.
“I’ve been self-taught my whole life. I’ve never really had a coach or anyone helping me. It’s just my mum and dad, and they don’t know a lot about racing. They can’t tell me how to take a corner; I’ve had to work it out myself.”
“I’ve been self-taught my whole life... I’ve had to work it out myself.”
At times, this self-reliance has been both a strength and a challenge. When two sixth-place wildcard finishes earned her a full-time grid entry to the WorldWCR at the end of 2024 with British racing team GR Motosport – despite serving a double long lap penalty in one race, which meant she had to take a slower, alternate route around the track twice – she set high standards for herself.
But the transition to full-time world championship competition in 2025 hasn’t been straightforward. Her rivals benefit from years of experience that she’s still working to gain.
“I expected more from myself than where I’ve been this year,” she admits. “My results haven’t been bad, but I’ve come from Britain, where I’ve been the fastest girl for a couple of years now. No one wants to be the sixth or seventh fastest – you want to be the fastest.
“I’m getting better and better, but I’m up against women who have been racing in the Spanish championships for a long time. They’ve won a lot of races at this level, and I haven’t.”
Mind over mechanics
Belief now plays a bigger role in Chloe’s race day than it ever has done. In the WorldWCR, the bikes and tyres are identical: same power, same handling, same potential.
It’s a setup that strips away any technical edge and places immense focus on the mental strength of the rider.
“Self-confidence is 50 per cent of the battle. If you don’t believe in yourself, you’re never going to win. It’s a massive part of it.”
“Self-confidence is 50 per cent of the battle. If you don’t believe in yourself, you’re never going to win.”
This awareness has forced Chloe to confront her own psychology in ways she’s not had to before. “This year I’ve been too hard on myself. I need to believe in myself more because if I don’t believe in myself, why should anybody else?
“There’s a fine balance between confidence and overconfidence, but you have to back yourself and your ability. It’s something I’m working on.”
Chloe Jones racing for GR Motosport.
Fuel for change
Chloe’s journey hasn’t been without the weight of being different, either. As one of few female riders in a male-dominated sport, she faced challenges that had nothing to do with lap times.
“The worst thing was never the kids. It was always the adults. They didn’t like losing. I remember one time we came into the pits. I had beaten someone’s son, and we heard the dad say, ‘You just got beat by a girl, that’s embarrassing.’”
These moments became fuel. “It always made me think, ‘Oh, if you don’t like it, I’ll keep doing it.’ It made me go that little bit faster.”
“I remember one time we came into the pits. I had beaten someone’s son, and we heard the dad say, ‘You just got beat by a girl, that’s embarrassing.’”
Chloe has naturally started to mentor young female riders, offering them the guidance she never had. “I didn’t get any help growing up. Now I’m in a position where, if I see anyone starting out, I like to make sure they’re okay.
“I recently went to Donington Park to meet a girl who’s just started racing. I tried to share my advice on how she could improve on track. She applied it and went faster. It’s really nice when people reach out to you for support and things like that happen.
“Hopefully I can be that role model to the younger riders now,” adds Chloe. “If girls can see what I’m doing, I’d like them to think to themselves, ‘You know what? I can race in the World Championship one day, too.’”
Margin for more
Looking ahead to her own future, Chloe’s targets for the remainder of 2025 are measured and realistic: consistent top-five finishes, a few podiums, and preparation for a championship challenge in 2026. Her focus now is on fine-tuning the small but potentially decisive details.
“What I struggle with most at the minute is the first couple of laps. My pace at the end of the race is similar to the front-runners; if I can sort that out, I can be with them from the start. I need to be more aggressive. To not half-do the overtake – I’ve got to fully go for it.
“I know what I’m lacking, and I know what to change. The hardest part is to do it. But if I can correct the little weaknesses I have, I’m more than capable of being in the top five.”
Despite the nerves, the pressure, and the learning curve of her first full WorldWCR season, there’s nowhere else she’d rather be.
“It’s addictive. You can have a tough weekend and think, ‘Why am I putting myself through this?’ But the moment someone offers you a track day, you’re right back in – no hesitation.”
Chloe Jones
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