From the Balearics to the World Championship
By sheer force of will Pakita Ruiz has forged a path in racing and with almost two decades of competitive racing experience, she is a smart operator. Like many Spaniards she has been inspired by the sporting successes of the likes of Rafa Nadal and Laia Sanz, but two of the figures to have influenced her most are Valentino Rossi and her own grandfather, both of whom had a role in her choosing the famous 46 racing number. Family is clearly a big part of her racing journey and the 27 year-old from Mallorca has always had her younger brother at her side as she pursues her dreams, with her dedicated sibling having also been her mechanic for the last ten years.
A hidden bike eventually finds a talented rider
Explaining the very beginning of her story as a rider, Ruiz recalls, “Although I was given my first bike for the Kings’ Day (Epiphany) by my uncle when I was three, my mother hid it from me and it wasn’t until I was six or seven years old when we moved house that I discovered it and then they couldn’t take it away from me. That first bike was a 50cc Mini Cross Factory. I loved it and I didn’t want to get off the bike. My first race was about six months after I found it!”
Years of competitive experience
Starting from the 2006 season Ruiz competed in junior Minicross, Supermotard, Pit Bike, Motocross and Scooter championships, riding an array of bikes of various capacities from 65cc to 80cc and 125cc. A former Cuna de Campeones participant, she became the 80cc Open Champion of the Balearic Islands in 2011, before becoming Balearic Islands Supersport 600cc Champion in 2015. That season she would also become the Spanish Women’s Champion in Stock 600cc, a title she would win again for the following four seasons. In 2020 she was Champion of the Women’s ESBK Speed Supersport 600cc category, an honour which she achieved again in 2022. She is also a former Yamaha R6 Cup Champion having competed in that competition as the only female on the grid the year she won it (2021).
A clear goal from the age of six
When asked what ultimately inspired her to pursue competitive riding, Ruiz is clear in her answer. “It was simply because I am passionate about it,” she reveals. “From the moment I got on my first bike for the first time, I felt a great excitement and fun that I had never felt before. I watched races on TV as a child and I loved Valentino Rossi, but it was watching a race in my city that helped me realise what it really meant to me and what I wanted to do. I was six years-old, we went to see a minibike race in the city and when the race finished, I told my parents that I wanted to do the same, I wanted to be a rider and to race.”
Two reasons to wear the 46
Whilst Ruiz mentions Marc Marquez, Pecco Bagnaia, Toprak Razgatlioglu and Jonathan Rea amongst her favourite current riders, it was Rossi who caught her eye as a youngster. She proudly uses the number 46 which is synonymous with ‘The Doctor’ in racing, but the number has extra significance for her. She acknowledges, “About using the number 46, I always used it when I was younger. Valentino was always winning and I’d always want to see what celebrations he would do, what outfit he would wear. My family are all Rossi fans.” Ruiz continues, “Then when I had to decide what number to continue with in road racing I thought, I’m going to stay with 46 because 1946 was the year that my grandfather was born. It’s the same as Rossi’s number so the influence was a bit of both. My first memory with a motorcycle was when my grandfather took me to the square in my neighbourhood and all the children had their bikes and I was happy on the motorbike. Sadly my grandfather passed away too soon. He was always with me and my brother. He was the kindest person ever. It still affects me now.”
Keeping it in the family
That close family connection with motorcycles and racing remains an important element of Ruiz’ life and career. Honouring their grandfather’s memory together, Ruiz and her brother have been side by side for many years in pit-boxes and at the race track. “I always had my brother to share every second off the track with and in fact he is my right-hand man and my biggest support during these years. He is three years younger than me and he’s been my mechanic since 2014,” she states. “Initially I showed him a few things, the basics, putting on the tyre warmers, how to use the bike stand, changing wheels, changing tyres, and so on. Just the basics so that he could help me and I could focus on riding on track. It’s something that has always interested him, the mechanical side of things. He’s always been at my side, always supporting me, then he became my mechanic too. I trust him and he’s learned a lot. Now he shows me how certain things are done. Now he tells me, ‘you’re the rider, I’ll take care of the rest.’ He hasn’t studied as a mechanic, he’s an electrician, he just learned along the way.”
