Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup: it all started with an idea

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pubblicato il 23 marzo 2007

Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup: it all started with an idea

In the spring of 2006, an idea sprung to life committed, ambitious and focused on an objective. Dorna, KTM and Red Bull decided on the biggest talent search in international motorcycle racing.

More than 1,100 applications from 60 countries were received within a few weeks – among them 103 interested young ladies, who were looking to find their way into MotoGP. The following steps lay ahead of these young, 13 to 16 year old talents:

Selection 2006
During the Selection Event at the “Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo” from August 28th to 31st 2006, the best twenty riders were selected in the first instance and nominated for the Rookies Cup. In another test in October at the Adria Raceway in Italy, three further rookies were nominated – under the athletic direction of Spanish motorcycling legend Alberto Puig, KTM’s Race Director Harald Bartol and multiple Grand Prix winner Gustl Auinger from Austria.

Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup 2007
22 male riders and one young lady from ten nations will contest the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup starting March the 25th. Seven races supporting selected European MotoGP race weekends. From Jerez via Mugello to Donington, then from Assen via Germany’s Sachsenring to Brno, and finally back to the Selection’s point of departure – Valencia.

In another step of professional training, the cream of the crop will have the opportunity to complete a very special kind of prep program at the Red Bull MotoGP Academy on their way towards MotoGP.

They stood wide-eyed in front of the lap charts in Valencia, some of them with a tear in their eye – at the Selection Event for the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup 2007. They were able to share their delight with friends, relatives and patrons.

For it was certain: They had qualified and would travel across Europe from March to November 2007 – chauffeured and accompanied by friends, relatives and patrons.

Life has changed significantly for at least 23 families when testing started. Because from now on it’s all about hoping and trembling and competing. 23 talents between the ages of 13 and 16 need to be accompanied across Europe – on their possible way towards the potential target: MotoGP. For most of them the motorsports bug runs right within their own families.

Most of them (14) name Valentino Rossi as their role model, but reigning world champion Nicky Hayden is very popular as well. And all of them have only one goal: To compete in a MotoGP race and win it, too. The youngest of the rookies will be celebrating his 13th birthday in May. Péter Sebestyén from Hungary. And the oldest, Johann Zarco from France, has already reached a biblical age, turning 17 in July 2007.

A young lady wants to try her hand as well – Lucy Gloeckner from Germany is the only female participant in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, she not only wants to push the young gentlemen ahead, but also be among the front runners herself – right at the sharp end, mind you.

23 riders from ten nations will push their KTM bikes onto the starting grid for the first time in Jerez. The young talents come from Germany, Italy, Norway, Great Britain, the USA, the Czech Republic, France, Sweden, Hungary and Spain. Great Britain leads the quantitative rankings with five rookies, followed by Spain and Germany with four riders each. The USA are dispatching three talents, while France is sending forward two riders to the cup. The remaining countries (Czechia, Hungary, Italy, Norway and Sweden) are each represented by one rookie.