MISANO, ITALY – A highly captivating scene unfolded on the sidelines of the World Ducati Week event last week in Misano, Italy, when a female racer was seen speeding on Marc Marquez’s flagship racing motorcycle.
The stellar figure in question is Kayla Yaakov, a young, rising racer who competes on a Ducati machine in the highly competitive MotoAmerica Supersport class.
Yaakov is currently just 19 years old. She is only about 1.5 years older than Indonesia’s brilliant racing prodigy, Veda Ega Pratama, who is forging his path in the Moto3 class.
This golden opportunity certainly did not just fall from the sky.
In the prominent racing championship spearheaded by MotoGP legend Wayne Rainey, Yaakov has proven her mettle by capturing podium finishes in the Supersport class, including an outstanding performance at the legendary Daytona 200 series.
The Daytona 200 itself is recognized as one of the most historically significant racing events in the world.
During its golden era, Grand Prix world champions felt highly challenged to compete there; classic examples include the legendary Jarno Saarinen and Giacomo Agostini, who both successfully emerged as historic winners.
Yaakov herself finished an impressive third in the most recent edition of the Daytona 200 back in March.
She crossed the finish line right ahead of former MotoGP rider Darryn Binder, who migrated to the MotoAmerica Supersport class starting this year.
Without holding back, Yaakov test-rode the beastly Ducati Desmosedici GP26 bearing the iconic number 93, belonging to Marc Marquez, the reigning world champion and the spearhead of the Borgo Panigale factory team.
She was not alone out there on the asphalt. Seen accompanying her closely was the ultimate MotoGP legend, Casey Stoner, who famously served as the master “whisperer” of the Desmosedici during his own golden era.
For motorcycling enthusiasts in North Sumatra and across Indonesia, the sight of a female racer handling a premier-class MotoGP machine is a historic milestone for gender inclusivity in motorsports. Kayla Yaakov’s remarkable feat at Misano breaks long-standing barriers, proving that next-generation female athletes possess the precise technical mastery and physical stamina required to tame a 250+ horsepower prototype beast.
Furthermore, her close proximity in age to Indonesia’s own racing prodigy, Veda Ega Pratama, highlights a massive global shift toward younger talent in professional motorcycle racing. The global racing ecosystem is witnessing a vibrant generation of teenagers who are ready to bypass traditional developmental timelines and challenge seasoned veterans on the world’s most demanding circuits.
The choice of the Desmosedici GP26 for this showcase also emphasizes Ducati’s current technological dominance in the racing industry. Under the careful guidance of legendary figures like Casey Stoner, young riders like Yaakov are given unprecedented access to top-tier factory engineering, creating an unforgettable spectacle that bridges the rich history of MotoGP with its bright, boundary-pushing future.
