Repsol to Sponsor 15-Year-Old Female Racer

Spanish oil company and frequent racing sponsor Repsol has reportedly close to signing 15-year-old Red Bull Rookies Cup racer Maria Herrera to its stable of riders.

Herrera, the 2011 Mediterranean PreGP Champion, is the first female racer to be selected to compete in the Red Bull Rookies Cup, a youth racing series held jointly with the MotoGP tour. Herrera also trains with MotoGP racer Alvaro Bautista. Baustista backs Herrera financially and the two share the same manager, Armando Guerrero.

According to Spanish sports publication Marca, Repsol will sponsor Herrera in Spain’s CEV Moto3 Championship, with a potential move to the Moto3 World Championship in 2013.

Repsol has been a sponsor for Honda’s factory racing team since 1995, winning nine titles including Casey Stoner’s 2011 World Championship. Repsol also sponsors rising star Marc Marquez in the Moto2 class and Moto3 riders Maverick Vinales (formerly from Paris Hilton‘s 125GP team) and Miguel Oliveira.

[Source: Marca via Vroom Magazine; photos by GEPA Pictures]

By Dennis Chung