The Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup starts this weekend in Jerez as part of the Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez on 2-3 April.
A revitalised Rookies Cup website launched this weekend will carry all the latest information and a live feed of all this season’s races as 25 of the world’s best teenage racers aim for stardom and a chance to become professional GP riders.
In the three-day pre-season test at Estoril three weeks ago, Australian 15-year-old Arthur Sissis was fastest overall, just ahead of 14-year-old Spaniard Xavier Pinsach and 15-year-old Brad Binder.
South African Binder has been the pre-season favourite since finishing 5th in the Cup last year on the back of three rostrum appearances.
By comparison, Sissis was down in 13th at the end of the Cup chase, his best finish being a single sixth place finish.
It just shows what a difference a year makes and Sissis had certainly been a great talent with too little road race experience struggling to show what he could do in his first two Rookie seasons.
The number of races this year has been increased to 14 at the eight GPs in Jerez, Estoril, Silverstone, Assen, Mugello, Sachsenring, Brno and Misano.
There are 14 nations represented from around the globe fielding a total of 25 Rookies all on identical KTM Grand Prix 125s.
The racing will be seen on television either live or delayed in countries around the world and for those who can’t see the races live on TV there is the live stream available both on www.redbullrookiescup.com and on www.redbull.com.
The Rookies Cup website also features all the background you could want plus previous race videos and the fabulous behind the scenes look into the 2009 and 2010 Cup contained in ‘Young Guns Rising’.
That is the TV series that provides total depth to the Cup with the complete background story of a group of Rookies. It reveals the characters from inside their own homes and at the races, it shows what makes them tick, makes them win or lose.
The 2011 edition of Young Guns Rising is already being shot and will be available on the website later in the year. Until then follow this year’s rivalries at the races, on television, web TV and through the rider blogs and other web news and features.