“Some really great talents”

Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, next round: the selection in Valencia is over, the level of the 13- to 16-year-old was amazing, the names of the most talented MotoGP rookies will be announced in a few days.

More than 1.100 motorbike-mad rookies from 62 countries applied, 165 of them made it to Valencia, where they rode in the Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo under the watchful eyes of Alberto Puig – Dani Pedrosa’s mentor – and KTM technical director Harald Bartol from August 28 to 30. Their job on the way to the MotoGP title is done for now. Now it’s Puig’s and Bartol’s turn: in the next few days they have to choose the twenty most talented riders among the 165 talents: the twenty riders that will be accepted on the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup program.

Looking for development potential

Valencia wasn’t so much a matter of lap times only, but of sounding out the potential of the 13- to 16-year-olds. Bartol: “A 16-year-old, who has been racing for three years, has a completely different level of experience from a 13-year-old.” That’s why the two talent scouts paid particular attention to the rookies’ development potential. “Our interest was focused on anyone who kept improving.”
The data is currently being analyzed carefully, the results will be finalized in the next few days, and the twenty names announced on www.redbull.com and www.redbullrookiescup.com . There will be no ranking list for the Top 20. “We won’t be distinguishing anyone above the others”, Bartol says, “that would go against the spirit of the program. But there are a couple of riders on whom we will be focusing our particular attention.”

Work is waiting

The twenty chosen talents can look forward to some hard work. In 2007, in the newly-created Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, they are likely to compete in seven races within the scope of MotoGP world championship events. The best riders from this series will qualify for the Red Bull MotoGP Academy, which is intended to lead them to the top of the sport. The goal is clear: “Three years from now, the first talents from this selection will be joining the race for world championship points.”