Red Bull Rookies Cup recap from Red Bull Ring

2025 Red Bull Rookies Cup
Round Six- Red Bull Ring

After an impressive three Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup wins from the last four races, Veda Pratama kept his momentum going with pole at Round Six of the Red Bull Rookies at Red Bull Ring in Spielberg. The 16-year-old Indonesian lapped 0.271 seconds faster than arch-rival Brian Uriarte. Marco Morelli completed the front row while Cup leader Hakim Danish was a frustrated ninth.

Race One

The opening race saw heavy rain add another challenge to the shortened 10-lap distance, with Brian Uriarte claiming the win and points lead over Veda Pratama through a penultimate corner move.

Brian Uriarte – P1

“Frankly, I didn’t care when it started to rain,” explained the Spanish 17-year-old. “At the moment, I think I’m quite fast in any condition. It’s the same for everyone, so I am just focused on myself and if it rains, we will race. Veda was riding really well, and we got away from the others. I didn’t have a plan for the last lap, but there were a few places I was quicker. I knew that the last corner was very slippery, so I didn’t want to leave it to there. The corner before was normal and I knew the line I wanted to take.”

Veda Pratama – P2

“I feel really confident with the dry conditions,” stated the Indonesian 16-year-old. “So I wasn’t so happy when it rained, but we did the 2 sighting laps, and then the warm-up lap and I thought, so it’s OK, I can do this. I made a good start and thought I would try and make a gap. I was able to get away, but Brian came with me. I just tried to keep focus and go as fast as I could. On the last lap, I tried to win of course, but Brian had a better line and more confidence braking into that corner. Still, second place is good and we have tomorrow to try again, wet or dry.”

Hakim Danish, the points leader since the first weekend back in Spain, was battling for third, slid off on the last lap, but remounted to take eighth. That keeps him in second place in the title chase, but under pressure from Pratama.

Hakim Danish – P8

“I finished P8. In the race, I felt not bad in the rain and was battling for 3rd,” explained the Malaysian 18-year-old. “Then I had a crash because I lost the front. Anyway, I will try to keep working and try to improve for tomorrow’s race. I will be happy if it is wet again, I don’t mind.”

Kristian Daniel Jr. did take the third place on the podium with Kiandra Ramadhipa stealing fourth from David González on the final lap.

Kristian Daniel Jr. – P3

“When I saw the raindrops start, I was like, OK, reset my mind and get back into the zone,” stated the 16-year-old American. “So, yeah, it was a pretty good race in general. I’m happy about my consistency, for sure. I tried my best to catch Brian and Veda, but they were away at the beginning of the race. They had found the feeling pretty quick. It was a really fun race battling for 3rd with Hakim (Danish) and David (González). I waited for my moment. Hakim just out-broke himself, and David basically got sucked into the draft. That gave me the chance to get away, and I took it. I hope it’s dry for tomorrow, as I think I’ve got the pace in the dry as well.”

Kiandra Ramadhipa – P4

“I am happy with the race,” explained the 15-year-old Indonesian. “But I made a mistake in the first lap. I was very excited and I almost crashed. I tried to catch the group. I could and was able to follow them. Then, when Mitani crashed, his bike was in the middle of the track, and I had to stop. Then I used the clutch a lot to get going again. I had to get my rhythm back, and in the end, I could catch González. I tried to attack in the last 2 corners, and we crossed the finish line together. I am happy with the race and will try to do more tomorrow.”

David González – P5

“It was a great battle,” enthused the 17-year-old Spaniard. “The track was slippery, and the race was difficult, just no grip. I pushed hard, but in the last lap, I was caught. I was a bit slow and got passed. I was fighting for 3rd and I got 5th. That’s not good, but I will try to do better tomorrow. Hopefully it will be dry.”

Carter Thompson was the sole Australian competing and had a challenging weekend, with a crash in practice putting an early damper on the weekend, before another crash in qualifying. Yet another crash in race one saw Thompson fight his way back up to 17th after the restart.

Carter Thompson – P17

“Solid start in practice, but qualifying didn’t go to plan after an early crash. Got the bike back to the pits but couldn’t make it out again. Today the focus is clear – push hard and give it everything. Strong start but qualifying crash meant lining up for the races P19. Race One I fought back after a crash to P17 in a wet restarted race.”

Race One Results

Race Two

An incredible 20 KTM battle was resolved in the last two corners of Spielberg with Brian Uriarte repeating his Saturday Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup victory over an equally impressive Veda Pratama, with Marco Morelli a very close third.

Brian Uriarte – P1

“Finally, a double. The track was quite slippery because in the night there was some damp, what do you call it? Yes, dew, it was a bit slippery at the beginning, but then after the sighting lap, the sun came out and it soon dried. Then at the end of the race, the tyres dropped off, so it was back to being slippery again. I enjoyed it, it was a fun race. In the end, I just went very late on the brakes into that second-to-last corner and made a block pass, that was enough. There’s a damp patch there sometimes, so it can be risky, and I wasn’t sure if someone would be able to get inside at the last corner, but they didn’t.”

Uriarte and Pratama had shot into an early lead, but this time an intense 16-lap battle ensued, and mid-race, it was a huge group snaking their way round the Red Bull Ring with no one able to break away.

Morelli led onto the final lap, but the 18-year-old Argentine was too deep on the brakes into the tight right-hand turn three and lost the drive onto the back straight.

Pratama and Uriarte flashed past and made it their duel for the last half lap. Uriarte took the lead on the run to the penultimate corner, the Spanish 17-year-old gained a bike length’s lead there and held on to win by 0.087 seconds over the 16-year-old Indonesian.

Veda Pratama – P2

“I’m happy. And the track was a bit slippery in the beginning, I remember it being like that last year with the early start on Sunday. I just concentrated on being focused. It was a big group, and a lot of riders were trying to pass, but I concentrated on staying at the front of the group. On the last lap, I tried to close the line where Brian passed me yesterday, but he was able to do it even more and got ahead. Still, it was 2nd again and I have to evaluate the race and prepare for Misano.”

Marco Morelli – P3

“Super tricky conditions. The drive was not good in the first laps, too many moments on the rear. I tried to win as always and tried to stay in the first positions. It worked, but I’m a bit disappointed because in the middle of the race, I made some mistakes and I dropped back some positions, and this can not happen. I have to be more clever in the middle of the race, not be so tense and make mistakes. In the last laps, I managed to get into first position, I tried to stay there. On the last lap, I did one mistake in corner 3. I braked so late, and I went wide and lost everything there. In the corner before the last, I tried to pass, but it was so difficult; also, I had a chatter and almost crashed. But I’m happy for the show. But I want to win. Yeah, winning in Misano, let’s see.”

David González – P4

“A good race, it was difficult,” explained the Spanish 17-year-old. “Slippery in the beginning, and the other riders were pushing to pass everywhere. It was crazy, so much overtaking in the group. I knew that the best place to be was in front, so I pushed and managed to make it to the front of the group. For a couple of laps, I was battling for first but couldn’t stay there. So 4th. That’s not too mad, I will try for more in Misano.”

Kristian Daniel Jr. – P5

“I’m super happy with the performance,” grinned the 16-year-old American. “I felt super strong. To be honest, I feel like me, Vada and Brian were probably the strongest of the race. At the end, I think I should have made the pass on Morelli into turn 4. He went super defensive, but I think that was the moment where I should have clicked and just gone for it even if it meant a bit of rubbin’. It was a super tight race, the track was also super tricky, lots of sliding and stuff because the track was still a bit moist. But the sun came out, super lucky for that. It was a fun weekend, a wet and a dry race. I enjoyed this one a bit more than yesterday, just because there’s a lot more battling. I’m ready for Misano.”

Race two saw better results for Thompson with an eighth-place finish, ending his difficult weekend with some good points in the bag.

Carter Thompson – P8

“Race2 – P8. The Pace was there, just made it a little harder than it needed to be. Lessons learned, positive taken. Now it’s full focus on the next round – we’ll come back stronger and keep pushing.”

Hakim Danish – P13

“I had to push right to the limit in the dry today. I feel that I was doing well, but of course I lost a lot with the long lap penalty,” explained the Malaysian 18-year-old who dropped from 3rd to 16th when making his long lap penalty for exceeding track limits. “Before that, I was in the front and I will keep learning and try to push hard in Misano.”

Race Two Results

Red Bull Rookies Cup Championship Points

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