2027 Red Bull Rookies Cup Taking Shape
Eight young riders have earned invitations to compete in the 2027 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup following three days of selection trials at the Circuito de Guadix in southern Spain.
The successful candidates emerged from an invited field of 127 riders representing 45 nations, with the selectors ultimately choosing three Spaniards, two French riders, two Italians and one Swiss youngster.
All eight selections are European, leaving the Australian contingent empty-handed from this year’s selection process. However, Australia’s representation in the 2027 championship is not necessarily over, with incumbent Rookie Archie Schmidt’s future yet to be confirmed.
The selection process brought together young racers from across Europe, Asia, Oceania, Africa and the Americas, all hoping to secure a place in one of the most established development championships on the Road to MotoGP.
The successful eight represent just over six per cent of those invited, illustrating how competitive the process has become.
They will join returning riders and others granted direct entry for the 21st season of the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, which began in 2007.
No Australian selections from Guadix
As MCNews reported ahead of the selection event, Levi Russo was among the Australians invited to Guadix, along with Australian-Thai youngster Teerin Fleming, who appeared under Thailand on the official entry list as he is a dual national.
Neither rider appears among the eight successful selections.
Judd Plaisted was also included on the original Australian invitation list, but his family confirmed ahead of the event that he would not participate. The Guadix selection event clashed with the Moto4 Asia Cup round at Mandalika, and attending the Spanish trial would have meant sacrificing valuable track time in the Asian championship.
“Judd is still very young, and we believe you can’t skip steps in this sport, so we are taking the next 12 months to build the right foundations. For now, it’s about putting in the work and continuing to build.”
While Russo and Fleming will naturally be disappointed, the selection process is exceptionally competitive, and neither rider’s absence from the successful list necessarily closes the door on future international opportunities.
Australia’s existing Rookies Cup representative, Archie Schmidt, completed his debut season in 2026, finishing 26th in the championship on three points.
His campaign was a demanding introduction to European racing, culminating in a difficult final round at the Red Bull Ring, where his weekend ended with two retirements.
Schmidt was taken down in an opening-lap incident involving Ryota Ogiwara in the final race, bringing his first Rookies Cup season to a premature conclusion.
Whether Schmidt receives an invitation to return for a second campaign remains to be seen. No confirmation of his retention has yet been located.
What do we know about the returning riders?
Although the eight Guadix selections are now known, the complete 2027 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup entry list has not yet been officially published.
Several developments, however, help build a picture of the likely composition of next year’s field.
One of the clearest is the confirmed retention of Germany’s Fynn Kratochwil. Kratochwil enjoyed an impressive debut season in 2026, finishing fifth overall with 144 points and six podium finishes, including two second places and four thirds. In his own season review, the young German confirmed that he has secured a place in the 2027 Rookies Cup and intends to return stronger. That makes Kratochwil one of the most interesting established competitors already looking towards next season.
The German will also benefit from the departure of several riders who finished ahead of him in the 2026 standings.
Spain’s Beñat Fernández secured the 2026 Rookies Cup title by just five points over Fernando Bujosa, finishing on 175 points against Bujosa’s 170, with Japan’s Ryota Ogiwara third on 159.
Fernández has secured a Moto3 World Championship ride with LEVELUP MTA for 2027, while fourth-placed Kristian Daniel Jr. will join Red Bull KTM Tech3.
David González, who finished sixth in the Rookies Cup on 130 points, is also moving into the Moto3 World Championship with Leopard Racing.
Further down the 2026 standings, Giulio Pugliese has secured a Moto3 ride with CODE Motorsports, while Frenchman David Da Costa will join the Rivacold Snipers Team.
A significant development also involves championship runner-up Fernando Bujosa. Italian broadcaster Sky Sport reported on October 7 that Bujosa is set to join Intact GP for the 2027 Moto3 World Championship alongside Jesús Ríos. The 2025 European Talent Cup champion earned the opportunity to enter Moto3 below the normal minimum age through his top-three Rookies Cup championship finish.
Meanwhile, Japanese rider Ryota Ogiwara has been linked with a Moto3 move after his three Rookies Cup victories and third place in the 2026 championship. Sky Sport previously reported that Ogiwara was in negotiations with Boé Motorsports, although that report did not confirm a final agreement.
Another interesting case is Thailand’s Kiattisak Singhapong, who finished eighth in the 2026 Rookies Cup and has already moved into Moto3 as a replacement rider with the Snipers squad for the closing stages of this season.
Those developments suggest that a substantial proportion of the established front-running talent from 2026 will not be returning.
That could create opportunities for riders such as Carlos Cano, Kiandra Ramadhipa, Yaroslav Karpushin, Travis Borg, Mateo Marulanda and Ethan Sparks, should they be invited back.
However, their participation should not yet be regarded as confirmed. Some are also pursuing opportunities in MotoJunior and the Moto3 World Championship, and the final retained-rider list remains outstanding.
For context, the 2026 championship featured 26 riders. If that number remains unchanged in 2027, the eight Guadix selections and one additional confirmed newcomer would leave 17 places for returning riders or other direct invitations.
Jack Dunabie already confirmed for 2027
One newcomer who did not need to rely on the Guadix selection results is Britain’s Jack Dunabie. Dunabie has already secured automatic entry for 2027 following his runner-up finish in the 2026 R&G Moto4 British Cup. The British youngster recorded six victories, five second places and three third places during the season, earning him a direct invitation as MotoGP’s selected rider. His confirmation brings the number of publicly identified new entrants to nine, alongside the eight riders selected at Guadix.
2027 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup – Confirmed entrants so far
| Rider | Nation | Entry |
|---|---|---|
| Alessio Arnold | Switzerland | Guadix selection |
| Victor Cubeles | Spain | Guadix selection |
| Johann Dubois | France | Guadix selection |
| Alex Longarela | Spain | Guadix selection |
| Alvaro Lucas | Spain | Guadix selection |
| Jimmy Primaut | France | Guadix selection |
| Lorenzo Pritelli | Italy | Guadix selection |
| Mathias Tamburini | Italy | Guadix selection |
| Jack Dunabie | United Kingdom | Moto4 British Cup |
| Fynn Kratochwil | Germany | Returning rider |
The eight Guadix selections range in age from 14 to 17, and their backgrounds reveal considerable differences in experience. Some have spent several years trying to secure a place in the championship, while others succeeded on their first visit.
Meet the eight successful Guadix selections
Alessio Arnold – Switzerland
Born on November 28, 2010, Alessio Arnold lives near Lucerne in Switzerland and was attending his second Red Bull Rookies Cup Selection Event.
Arnold believes he has made considerable progress since his previous attempt, both in his riding and physical development, and arrived at Guadix more confident of his prospects.
Unlike some of his fellow selections, Arnold is approaching his first Rookies Cup campaign with relatively modest expectations.
“I have no big expectations for the Cup next year, mainly to learn as much as possible and maybe get some good points.”
Victor Cubeles – Spain
Victor Cubeles was born on Christmas Day in 2010 and comes from Zuera, near Zaragoza in Spain.
Another rider returning to Guadix for a second attempt, Cubeles arrived with considerable confidence in his speed and immediately set his sights on achieving more than simply scoring points next year.
He cites former MotoGP World Champion Jorge Lorenzo as his inspiration.
“My Grand Prix hero is Jorge Lorenzo; he is an inspiration, so next year in the Rookies Cup I am going to chase podiums and also victories.”
Johann Dubois – France
One of the youngest successful candidates is France’s Johann Dubois, who was born on February 12, 2012.
The 14-year-old comes from Sainte-Maxime in southern France and has been competing in the French FSBK Moto4 championship.
Unlike several of his fellow selections, Dubois secured his invitation on his first visit to Guadix, admitting that he had not expected to be successful immediately.
“I didn’t know what it would be like, and I didn’t expect to be chosen in my first time here. I have been competing in the FSBK Moto4 championship in France, and to be a Rookie is a huge dream for me.”
Alex Longarela – Spain
Madrid’s Alex Longarela is the oldest member of the successful Guadix group, having been born on August 1, 2009.
For the 17-year-old, selection was particularly satisfying as it came on his third attempt.
Longarela acknowledged that his 2026 racing season had been difficult, but the invitation has transformed his outlook for next year.
“It’s been a very tough season for me, but it has all changed now. I am very excited about being in the Rookies Cup, and I think I can get on the podium and compete for victory.”
Alvaro Lucas – Spain
Born on December 15, 2010, Alvaro Lucas comes from Murcia, a region with an established motorcycle racing culture and access to several successful Grand Prix development programmes.
Lucas highlighted the benefits of training alongside accomplished riders, specifically mentioning Moto3 competitor Alvaro Carpe.
Returning to Guadix for his second selection attempt, Lucas said he approached the event determined to extract the maximum from himself and intends to carry that approach into the championship.
“I am very lucky because we have a lot of good riders who I can train with, like Alvaro Carpe. It’s my second year in the Selection Event. I didn’t know what would happen; I just came here determined to push to the maximum, and I will do the same next year in the Rookies Cup.”
Jimmy Primaut – France
Frenchman Jimmy Primaut was born on March 29, 2010, and was making his third appearance at the Guadix Selection Event.
Primaut admitted that he was far from certain about his prospects, despite putting considerable effort into his preparation.
His determination has clearly been influenced by one of the sport’s most successful competitors, Marc Marquez.
“Like my hero Marc Marquez, I never give up. Next year in the Cup, I will be the same, trying to be better every race.”
Lorenzo Pritelli – Italy
Italian Lorenzo Pritelli was born on August 22, 2010, and lives in Cattolica, close to the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.
It was Pritelli’s first appearance at the selection event, but the 16-year-old said he had worked hard to prepare and arrived believing he could earn an invitation.
Like many Italian youngsters pursuing a Grand Prix career, Pritelli looks to Valentino Rossi for inspiration. He also names Marco Bezzecchi among his racing heroes.
“I believe in myself, and I worked a lot for this moment, so I came here confident. Next year in the Cup, the same: work hard and improve with every race.”
Mathias Tamburini – Italy
Italy’s second successful candidate is Mathias Tamburini, born on March 18, 2010, and based in Pesaro.
Tamburini was another rider returning to Guadix for a third selection attempt, having already been working his way through the junior racing ranks.
He competed in Moto4 during 2026 before making a mid-season switch to Moto3 machinery, experience he hopes will help with the transition to the Red Bull Rookies Cup.
“I have been riding in Moto4 this year and switched to Moto3 mid-season. It’s a dream to get into the Rookies Cup, to gain experience, learn, discover new tracks and be fast.”
A new generation prepares for 2027
The 2027 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup will mark the championship’s 21st season, continuing a development programme that has helped launch numerous successful Grand Prix careers.
Riders progress through the championship on identical KTM RC 250 R machinery, racing at Grand Prix circuits and gaining valuable exposure to the MotoGP paddock.
Alumni include MotoGP World Champions Jorge Martín, Joan Mir and Pedro Acosta, along with numerous other Grand Prix race winners and championship contenders.
For the eight youngsters selected at Guadix, the next challenge will be considerably different from impressing selectors over three days.
They must now adapt to the demands of a full international championship, unfamiliar circuits, close racing and the pressure of competing against riders who already have experience in the series.
With the 2026 champion graduating, the championship runner-up now linked with a Moto3 move, and several other leading riders heading to Grand Prix competition, there is every indication that the competitive order could be substantially reshuffled next year.
The remaining question is precisely which established Rookies will be invited back to take on the incoming class.
For Australia, that question is particularly significant, with Archie Schmidt’s prospects of a second campaign potentially determining whether the nation retains representation on the 2027 grid.
Further details on the full entry list and returning riders are expected as preparations for the new season progress.
