Rookies start 18th season with racing rivalries and records

Drama and records are guaranteed. Jerez is going to be a thrilling weekend for the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup and applications for 2025 are now OPEN.

The first 2 of 14 races in the 18th season and new stars are bound to emerge. There are heroes from last year like Álvaro Carpe who finished 2nd in his debut year with 2 superb victories as he disrupted the record-breaking domination of Angel Piqueras.

Carpe knows he will have a fight on his hands from 3rd-year Rookies Rico Salmela the 16-year-old Finn and South African 17-year-old Ruche Moodley. Both have grown both physically and in experience and are determined to take the fight to the 16-year-old Spaniard.

Another grudge match?

Arch rival for Carpe’s doubtless is Màximo Quiles. The 16-year-old Spaniard locked horns with Piqueras in 2022 and their rivalry burnt through 2023. While Piqueras remained ice cool Quiles boiled over on occasion and has to manage that if he is to better Carpe this season.

There are certainly more challengers. In fact, the Cup is wide open because Argentina’s 16-year-old Marco Morelli has all the skill required to battle for the Cup in his second season as does Guido Pini, the 16-year-old Italian. Last year Morelli was making up for a season out of racing altogether and Pini was trying to curb his enthusiasm.

They, like Salmela and Moodley, were incomplete racers in 2023 but will challenge Carpe if they assemble the missing pieces, as will Hakim Danish. The 16-year-old Malaysian started 2023 with a 5th and a 3rd, it was to be his best weekend of the season but he certainly has the pace, he needs the control and consistency.

First season heroes

Don’t discount the first-year Rookies, Carpe finished 2nd last year and back in 2011, Lorenzo Baldassarri took the Cup in his debut season. Kazuki Masaki matched that in 2017 as did José Rueda in 2022.

So who of the first-year Rookies are likely to challenge? There are some obvious candidates: Valentin Perrone, the 16-year-old Argentine, 15-year-old Italian Giulio Pugliese, Poland’s first Rookie, 17-year-old Milan Pawelec and Guillem Planques the 16-year-old Frenchman.

There is a huge breadth of experience but everyone is learning the Pirelli tyres and the first race weekend of the season is bound to throw up some surprises as we watch two thrilling races.

GP winners

The Rookies may well produce the best racing of the weekend but don’t forget there are some Grand Prix being contested as well. Ex Rookies have won 198 GPs and stood on the podium 596 times. So look out for that 200th win and 600th podium.

Last year’s Rookies Cup winner Angel Piqueras put himself on the Moto3 Rookies dominated podium last time out in Austin so he might take win number 199.

And then will Pedro Acosta, Rookies class of 2020, win his 1st MotoGP? Or will World Championship leader Jorge Martín, class of 2014, add to his tally of 6 MotoGP victories? Enea Bastianini, class of 2013, lies 2nd in the title chase and already has 5 MotoGP wins to his name.

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