Kiara Fontanesi clinches first World Title

The Monster Energy-backed athlete secured enough points with one round remaining in what has been an utterly dominant campaign so far.

From the seven rounds of eight in the 2012 series the eighteen year old from Parma has not dropped out the top three in any of the fourteen motos, including ten chequered flags in what has been a remarkable achievement. In the UK she again gained 25 points in the first moto on Thursday and it meant she needed just one point on her YRRD equipped YZ250F this afternoon to make history. After a first lap collision with Livia Lancelot vying for the lead Fontanesi had to fly back from last place to classify third.

‘Fonta’ has clinched overall Grand Prix wins in Holland, Italy, Slovenia and Slovakia maintained her 100% podium record with second place overall in Great Britain. She has blazed a trail through European women’s motocross and become the new poster girl for the sport on the continent. Such is her profile that the teenager will now fly across to the United States to contest the last round of the AMA Women’s Championship at Lake Elsinore, California on September 8th.

"I feel really good and I’m so happy to have won the world championship,” she said. "At the moment I’m pretty emotional and I’m frustrated with my second moto because I feel like it is one of my worst! I crashed and came back from last to third and focussed more on the championship and making sure of it rather than the race itself.”

"I think one of the best grand prix of the year for me was in Valkenswaard in Holland for the first round. Italy was special also, but to win in the sand like I did really started the series in the right way,” she added.

"I have to give so many thanks to my parents, family and all the people who helped me, especially Michele Rinaldi who I have said is like a second father to me! The support from Yamaha has been great and the bike has so much power. I’ve matured as a rider and the key to the results this year has just been more experience and learning how to be a better racer.”