About Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup

For 8 of the last 10 seasons, the Moto3 World Champion has been an ex-Rookie and in 2024 ex Rookies won all three World Titles.

MotoGP – Jorge Martín – Class of 2014

Moto2 – Ai Ogura – Class of 2017

Moto3 – David Alonso – Class of 2021

Johann Zarco, our first Rookies champion and twice Moto2 World Champion, continues his incredible MotoGP campaign. Every year the level of competition has increased and this year's intake is set to raise the bar yet again for the 19th running of the Cup.

Starting in Spain at Jerez in April, the series takes a broad sweep around the classic Grand Prix circuits of Europe ending the year at Misano, Italy in September.

This is the 13th season with the Moto3 specification KTM RC 250 R 4-stroke as we switched in 2013 from the 2-stroke KTM RC 125 that had powered the Rookies for the first 6 seasons.

Just as the RC 125 was a close brother to the 125cc GP machines raced by the KTM factory so successfully, the RC 250 R is a reflection of the factory KTM Moto3 machine that has won the Moto3 World Championship in the hands of ex Rookies like Brad Binder. It was the start of another great lineage, the 2021 factory KTM won the Moto3 World Championship in the hands of Pedro Acosta.

For the 26 Rookies, the first chance to ride the KTMs in 2025 comes at the preseason test held at Jerez with three days on track. Riders come from across the globe, from Venezuela and Kyrgyzstan, from America and Argentina, Italy and Indonesia. The history of the Cup has represented 44 nations.

As we watch in awe, these youngsters putting on outstanding displays of skill and determination that belie their teenage years, be sure that the Grand Prix team managers are all studying very closely to see who their next star may be.

Equally, the Rookies watch the GPs, following the alumni who have gone before them, World Champions like Jorge Martin, Brad Binder,Pedro Acosta and the rest who now pack the grids in the GP classes.