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Maria Costello

Epithet: ‘ordinary girl with a passion for motorbikes’

Record type: Motorsport Biographies

Biography: Maria Costello MBE is anything but ordinary. From 2004 she held the Guinness World Record as the fastest woman at the TT (average 114.73mph) until Jenny Tinmouth took the record in 2009. Maria was also the first solo woman to stand on the podium for the Mountain Circuit coming 3rd in the 2005 Ultra Lightweight at the Manx Grand Prix.

Maria jokingly refers to herself as the “Grandmother of motorbike racing” a reference to the younger, female newcomers to the sport. Maria’s years of experience, racing alongside the men, have made her a racing matriarch of sorts, keen to encourage other women into the sport.

“You cannot go racing unless you race against men and I don’t want all-female races. I like being able to compete against guys on equal terms, it’s one of the best things about my sport.”

Although Maria enjoys racing in a mixed field she recognises not all women have the confidence to do so and so in response to comments from her female followers she now runs women-only riding skills track days which aim to boost bike-handling skills and confidence in female riders of all abilities.

“I want to celebrate the fact that women can ride bikes and there are lots of us doing it!”

Maria rode to Buckingham Palace on her motorbike in 2009 to collect her MBE from Prince Charles. She says that for as long as she can get herself on her bike she’ll carry on racing.

Gender: Female

Competed in

RacePositionTimeSpeedMachine
2023 Classic Senior MGPRHonda
2022 Supertwin TTRPaton
2022 Sidecar 2 TT2422:26.797100.853Kawasaki
2022 Sidecar 1 TTRKawasaki LCR
2022 Classic Senior MGP1701:13:33.75692.321Honda
2019 Sidecar 2 TT1744:05.900102.671LCR Kawasaki
2019 Sidecar 1 TT2101:06:41.190101.841LCR Kawasaki
2019 Senior Classic TT401:02:47.760108.150Paton
2019 Lightweight TT2541:23.664109.377Paton
2019 Junior Classic TTRHonda
2018 Senior Classic TTRPaton
2018 Lightweight TTR
2017 Senior Classic TT401:24:26.278107.241Paton
2017 Lightweight TT181:21:56.821110.501Kawasaki
2016 Senior Classic TT31:24:47.25106.799Paton
2016 Lightweight TT121:21:12.59111.504Kawasaki
2016 Junior Classic TT191:39:46.0690.755Suzuki
2015 Lightweight TT171:00:53.92111.52Kawasaki
2015 500 Classic TTRPaton
2015 350 Classic TT361:22:25.2282.40Suzuki
2014 Lightweight TT251:03:09.08107.54Kawasaki
2014 F1 Classic TTRSuzuki
2014 500 Classic TT51:27:31.00103.46Paton
2014 350 Classic TT261:15:43.0089.7Suzuki
2013 Supersport 2 TT411:21:16.38111.41Triumph
2013 Supersport 1 TT491:23:23.89108.57Triumph
2013 Lightweight TT161:02:11.68109.19Kawasaki
2013 500 Classic TTRPaton
2013 250 Classic TTRSuzuki
2012 Superstock TT521:20:44.96112.14Kawasaki
2012 Supersport Junior 2 TTRYamaha
2012 Supersport Junior 1 TT461:22:02.66110.37Yamaha
2012 Superbike TT372:01:08.10112.12Kawasaki
2012 Lightweight TT281:05:11.90104.16Kawasaki
2012 Classic Superbike MGP51:28:37.00102.184Suzuki
2012 250 Classic MGPRSuzuki
2011 Supersport Junior 2 TT291:19:52.20113.37Yamaha
2011 Supersport Junior 1 TT371:00:24.51112.42Yamaha
2011 Lightweight Classic MGP31:47:31.0084.21Suzuki
2011 Classic Superbike MGPR997 Suzuki
2010 Superstock TTRBMW
2010 Supersport Junior 2 TT431:22:18.12110.02Yamahja
2010 Supersport Junior 1 TT421:21:34.27111.01Yamahja
2010 Superbike TT502:03:17.30110.17BMW
2010 Post Classic Senior MGP51:29:20.00101.354Suzuki
2009 Ultra Lightweight MGPRHonda
2009 Senior MGPRYamaha
2009 Junior MGP171:21:06.00111.652Yamaha
2008 Ultra Lightweight MGP61:05:30.00103.668Honda
2007 Ultra Lightweight MGPRHonda
2007 Junior MGP711:25:29.33105.923Honda
2005 Ultra Lightweight MGP31:25:23.00106.04Honda
2005 Junior MGP161:21:01.00111.751Honda
2004 Senior TT411:20:51.40111.99Suzuki
2004 Senior MGP81:20:37.00112.31Honda
2004 Production 600 TT291:00:55.40111.47
2004 Junior MGP131:20:22.00112.67Honda
2003 Senior MGP151:21:14.00111.45Honda
2003 Production 600 TT410:43:35.88103.85Honda
2002 Senior MGP231:23:46.00108.08Bullock Honda
2002 Production 1000 TT491:04:02.70106.04Honda
2002 Production 600 TT391:04:02.80106.03Honda
2002 Junior MGP291:24:17.00107.41Bullock Honda
1998 Senior MGPRHonda
1997 Senior MGP571:28:36.00102.19Honda
1997 Junior MGP771:31:41.0098.74Honda
1996 Senior Newcomers MGP101:36:18.0094.02Honda
1996 Senior MGP731:32:19.0098.08Honda

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