#70 Kristian
Daniel
United States
·
Red Bull Rookies Cup
Date of birth | 19 February 2009 |
|---|---|
Place of birth | Los Angeles, California, USA |
Age | 16 |
Nationality | United States |
Career start | 2015 |
Disciplines | Rookies Cup |
01
About Me
“My Mom and Dad joke that my love for racing started before I was born, because when my Mom was pregnant with me, she and my Dad went to a MotoGP race at Laguna Seca. My Dad was (and still is) a die-hard MotoGP fan, so when I was 4 he took me to my first MotoGP race in Austin, Texas. The first time I saw a MotoGP bike fly past me at 200 mph, I felt something light up inside of me and I knew this was my passion. This is what I had to do. We actually had paddock passes for this race, so I got a chance to meet a few of the MotoGP riders and this made the passion even stronger. It was the race where Marc Marquez won his first MotoGP race.”
“I rode my first motorcycle around age 5, when a friend with a motocross track on their property let me ride their PW50. I crashed so many times, but I just kept riding because I was in love. That Christmas, Santa brought me a Honda CRF50 and we raced a lot that year. It was a small dirt bike, but we put asphalt tires on it and I would race at go kart tracks with local Southern California clubs M1GP and UMRA. I also raced a lot flat track with it on that same bike. In 2017, I was gifted a Honda NSR50, which was my first experience with a “GP” bike. Between 2016 and 2017, we drove all over California racing at different tracks and spent a lot of time during the week training in parking lots.”
“In 2018 my family and I moved to Barcelona because there was great structure for developing young riders. I raced MiniGP bikes (110cc 4 stroke) for the next couple of years, and I learned a lot because I was racing against the best kids in the world. When I was 11, I got a chance to ride on my frist MotoGP track which was Circuit Ricardo Tormo, racing in the Cuna de Campeones Moto5 series. My family has always played a huge part in my racing. The biggest support they’ve given me was when we moved from Los Angeles to Barcelona in 2018 because this was a huge sacrifice and it was very difficult in the beginning. Even before that, my Dad was my mechanic and coach up until I was in the European Talent Cup, and my Mom used to drive me around if my Dad was working. They have both worked full time the whole time, so they invested a lot of time and money to make this happen.”
Kristian Daniel and Sr - MotoGP 2013
© Kristian Daniel
Kristian Daniel First Ride 2015
© Kristian Daniel
Kristian Daniel First Race 2016
© Kristian Daniel
Kristian Daniel racing FlatTrack - 2016
© Clark Oden
“My grandparents also supported me a lot, but especially my Grandma on my Mom’s side. She has a small fashion business and she has been one of my main sponsors throughout the years. My father is in Software Sales and Personal/ Professional Coaching. My mother is in Human Resources. I have a little brother at the age of 10 years old (2024) and his name is Jaydon. He loves to play soccer and wants to play for FC Barcelona one day. My favourite subject in school is Math because it’s like solving a really challenging puzzle, and I enjoy that a lot. Also, I feel like a lot of people think math is hard, so there is extra motivation to be good at something hard. When I’m not racing, I like to play video games like Fortnite and Roblox with my friends from school or friends from the paddock.”
"I also enjoy training a lot. I love spending time in the gym with my trainer Marc, training on all types of motorcycles, and this year I’ll be getting into cycling. As an American, Nicky Hayden has to be my biggest hero. Since I began racing, Nicky Hayden was the coolest, most successful American MotoGP rider. So I look up to him because I also want to be a MotoGP World Champion. My ultimate goal in racing is to win at least 1 championship in the MotoGP class because it’s the top achievement in our sport. Just arriving to MotoGP would be an amazing accomplishment but winning the title is something special.”
“I also look up to the supercross legend James “Bubba” Stewart, because he was the first (and only) black 450 Supercross Champion. Not only was he the first black champion, but he was also one of the fastest riders to ever race Supercross. I really like the idea of becoming the first Black MotoGP Rider and Champion, to add my name to motorsports legends like James Stewart and Lewis Hamilton.”
“The most important lessons for 2023 would have to be my mental approach and race weekend strategy. Off the track, I worked really hard last season on my focus, concentration and confidence throughout the race weekends, which helped me improve. On the track, I learned a lot about managing racing scenarios, making bold passes and how to manage the first corner/ first laps of a race. This season I want to build on that but also master the qualifying strategies and make really fast lap times all by myself in both classes. I have the chance to race in the European Talent Cup championship again and the Red Bull Rookies Cup.”
“In the European Talent Cup, my goal is to make it onto the podium. My best finish last season was 7th, so I’m not that far away. In the Rookies Cup, my only goal is to focus on making progress for the whole season and enjoying the experience. It’s a new bike on new tracks, so it’s difficult to make concrete goals without any experience. My best race ever by far has to be last year's Barcelona race in the European Talent Cup because I made an amazing comeback. I qualified back in 24th but I had a great start and passed a lot of people in the first few laps. I spent a lot of the race battling in a big group of 9 riders, where every lap we were passing and being passed.”
"I was able to finish the race in 7th position which felt amazing! It was also like my home race, because I live close to the Barcelona track so my family and friends came to watch me. It was probably the best race ever because of the position, but it was extra special knowing I did so well with so many people I knew cheering for me. My second favourite race has to be Aragon 2020 in the Moto5 class. It was my first season on big tracks, and we were racing alongside the FIM CEV weekend, so there were some very fast riders there. I ended up winning the race after a long battle with 2 other fast riders. Standing at the top of the podium at a MotoGP track at age 11 was special. My favourite track is definitely Portimao. When I first rode it, it’s a bit scary because there are a lot of blind corners and the elevation changes are intimidating.”
“As soon as I found the rhythm though I fell in love. My favourite corner is turn 9 because you come flying down a steep hill at full gas, tucked behind the windscreen, very close to the back tire of the rider in front of you only thinking about being close enough to line up a pass at the corner at the top of the next hill. I think what brings me the most pleasure in racing is the thrill of close battles with other riders. In racing and in training, I love making close passes, being passed closely and even making a little contact. It takes a lot of thinking and courage on the bike, but honestly this is where I feel the most relaxed.”
02
2024 Season
“The best moment of 2024 was when I was called back (in Misano) to show my skills once more in the RBRC and really show all I’ve improved this year and putting all my efforts into next year's championship. My best race of 2024 was in Aragon, both in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup and in the European Talent Cup. In the RBRC I crashed out of running in P5, which was a huge bummer, and ended up remounting from P17 back up to P5 and finishing with my first top 5 in the season. In ETC, I had my best Qualifying, leading on with me fighting in the front group, but after one crucial mistake almost crashing in the penultimate lap I finished P7.”
“The worst moment of 2024 was when I crashed in Race 1, Jerez because of a wet patch while I was in contention for good points and a possible first-ever podium in the championship. The best moment of 2024 outside of RBRC was when I got my first ever front row start, 2nd on the grid in Aragon in the ETC, and holeshotting both races leading the first few laps. The worst moment outside of RBRC in 2024 was when, in Estoril in the ETC championship, I crashed out of P6 on the first lap, knowing well I had the pace to obtain my first podium in the ETC. The funniest thing in 2024 that happened to me has to be when my trainer and training partners all tricked me into thinking we were going to go to Andorra and cycle there, which would've been around 2-3 hours driving, so I arrived there super early in the morning at the spot where we met up, and they were still sleeping! And said it was a prank.”
“I expect to fight for the RBRC championship, including whatever championship I will be a part of next year to compete, I will always have a say next year!”
Kristian Daniel - Helmet Design 2024
© sakart design
Getting there - Kristian Daniel - Assen 2024
© Gold & Goose/Red Bull Content Pool
Kristian Daniel Assen
© G&G
Practice, practice - Kristian Daniel 2024
© Kristian Daniel
03
2025 Season
Kristian Daniel Jr. finished his competitive 2025 season by securing a top-ten finish in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, claiming 10th overall in the championship standings. His season was highlighted by two podium finishes - a 3rd place at Jerez and another 3rd place at Spielberg -cementing his status as a regular front-runner. Alongside the RC, Daniel gained experience in the demanding FIM JuniorGP World Championship, where his best finish was a 7th place at the Catalunya round. The American will return to compete in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup in 2026 while also setting his sights on the FIM JuniorGP World Championship.
Kristian Daniel Jr. Jerez 2025
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Brian Uriarte in battle with Kristian Daniel - Race 2 Mugello 2025
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Hakim Danish followed by Kristian Daniel in Le Mans 2025 - Race 2
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Marco Morelli ahead of Kristian Daniel during Race 1 - Jerez 2025
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