Moto3 racer Joel Kelso has posted a breakout world championship season to date, recording three podium finishes while showing consistent front-running pace throughout the year. With plenty going on in the 22-year-old’s career, Check In takes a look at his racing this year and what the future holds.

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Joel, thanks for taking the time to chat. In 2025, it really seems like – looking at the results sheet – that it’s been a breakout season with the podiums and front-running speed. How do you recap this year so far?

Yeah, thanks mate – like you said, so far it has been an incredible season. We’ve had three podiums and on a couple of other occasions, been right there in the podium fight. It’s been a massive step forward this year for sure. I think, without a doubt, it’s one of our strongest seasons in world championship competition to date. And yeah, it’s always great when there’s a massive step up and you make progress in your riding, because you take so much more enjoyment in it. So far, I’ve really enjoyed 2025 and with six rounds to go, I’m keen to get on the podium again.

What do you look towards as being responsible for that uptick in form? Is it experience? Because you’ve been in it for a little while now, or have you changed anything in your riding?

I think just over the past two…three years, we’ve been consistently improving and doing little things, little two to five percenters, [and] that’s making a difference every year. And then this year, all the ducks just lined up well and have been put in place to be able to post more good results, really. I think it’s not anything you change over a three-month break or whatever, it’s more about what you’ve done in the past three years to get to this point.

And what do you look for in the future – is Moto3 world championship success the goal?

I think it’s going to be a little bit difficult or unrealistic to think we can win the championship next year, let’s say. We’re going to kind of feel it out. Changing to the GRYD MLav Racing Team, while also changing machinery to Honda – at this moment, their results aren’t at the top. So they’re planning on changing that and bringing good structure into the team, and I’ll be able to guide them in a way that we can bring the team up and be able to get some stronger results. But I don’t think that’s going to happen overnight. And I think adapting to the Honda might take a little bit, which is natural. But definitely the next step for me is to focus on building the project, and then try and step into Moto2. You know, we tried this year, and we were unsuccessful. We’ll try to step into the Moto2 class because now we’re quite fast and competitive in Moto3. Every single race weekend, we’re around the podium, so it would be great to get a shot in the Moto2 division. But at the moment, my main focus is just trying to bring up the new project with MLav next year, which is a new challenge for me on a Honda, and then go from there.

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What prevented that step into Moto2 this year?

No idea, mate. No idea. A lot of the teams… they have their opinions that they want experienced riders, and then suddenly, if you are friends with the right person, you can step up even without the results. A couple of others have stepped up with a lot less results than what I have, but, what can you say? It’s the way the world works and goes around. I don’t know exactly why we couldn’t get the opportunity, but the opportunity didn’t come. And then if there was any opportunity, they wanted a crap ton of money, which made it unrealistic.

I feel like in that game, especially when you get closer to the top seats, it’s pretty cutthroat…

Yeah, exactly, man, exactly. It’s more the Australian nationality side of things that doesn’t help in a way. Because it makes sense, like as in if the team’s sponsors are Italian or Spanish, they’re going to naturally want an Italian or Spanish rider. So it makes sense, but it does make it a little bit more difficult, that’s for sure.

You’ve signed a two-year deal, and that’s a big shift in its own right. Like you said, you kind of have to build the program up to be competitive – is that something that you’re excited about?

Yeah, exactly. So it’s two years, but optional for me. By optional, I mean that if I have a Moto2 offer, I can take it. So yeah, I’m committed to the two-year project, and that’s the Honda Moto3 team, which I am really excited about because I love a challenge. I love it when a lot of people doubt me as well. And to be honest, yeah, many people were very surprised I went to that team because, of course, I had other options with other Moto3 teams who currently have a better package. But I love new motivation, mate. And I decided to take this project on because I like that it’s going to be two years, and I can prove people wrong. So, yeah, I’m committed to them for the two years if I stay in Moto3, and my goal is to bring up the team, bring up the results, and prove that the Honda is maybe not so bad a bike.

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Six rounds to go for this year, what are some of the goals as you enter the final swing?

I love the Asia tour. So the end of the year for me is always special. In Japan, we had a really good weekend and stuff – we buggered up the race a little bit with a mistake on my part – but other than that, we were super, super strong. Coming into Indonesia, I love it here. First of all, I love the track, but second, if you’re loving what you’re doing outside the race track, you normally go fast on the bike. I love it here, and I think we have that mindset of podiuming week in, week out, and especially this weekend. And then obviously the home GP in Australia will be super important to get a good result at for the home crowd. And Malaysia last year was super strong. So I’m coming into tracks where we have been strong in the past, which gives you confidence.

You’ve been in the category for a while now. Over that time, I imagine you go up and down and in circles sometimes – what’s been some of the biggest learning throughout that time? And do you look at things a lot differently than when you went over there initially?

Yeah, 100 percent. I mean, everything’s a massive learning curve initially because it’s totally different from home. The hardest thing to manage is being away from home and trying to find good, solid ground, and also being able to manage the team better and the people, because it’s really difficult to communicate because of the different cultures and stuff like that. So it’s definitely not easy, that’s for sure. I had to learn a lot along the way, and yeah, it’s one of the trickiest things, moving across the other side of the world. I’m definitely a lot more adjusted now. I’ve even got my little dog over in Europe, so yeah, I’m starting to settle down and be able to manage everything so much better. I feel like the whole world really is my home now. And it’s just been a matter of, you know, changing things around and having the right people around me to be able to do that. And definitely, with more stability comes better results.