Carter Thompson a Red Bull Rookie for 2023

Carter Thompson a Red Bull Rookie

14-year-old Carter Thompson has secured himself a berth in the next level of Dorna’s Road to MotoGP program.

Carter successfully made it through a hotly contested process at Autodromo di Modena in Italy to be selected to join the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup for 2023.

Three days of intense track action at the Selection Event, featuring 115 young riders from 29 nations, resulted in eight riders being invited to join the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup for 2023.

This was the first time that the Red Bull Rookies Cup Selection Event has been run at Modena and the first time in three years that there has been a Selection Event as it could not be run in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid.

Carter was the only Australian to make it through after countrymen Angus Grenfell, Jayden Martin, Archie McDonald, Samuel Pezzetta and Marianos Nikolis were gradually removed from the selection process as the battle for a spot in the Red Bull Rookies Cup was waged.

Carter Thompson showing his elbow scrapes after winning an ASBK Supersport 300 race at Winton last year – Image RbMotoLens

After winning the 2019 bLU Oceania Junior Cup Championship and then becoming the 2020 R3 Cup Champion here in Australia, Carter did get a start in the Asia Talent Cup at the young age of 11, but the plague of COVID saw some major interruptions and entire season cancellations.

Carter Thompson seen here as #6 chasing Reykat Fadillah at Mandalika earlier this year

Nevertheless, despite his young years Carter has managed to gain extensive experience competing and training overseas.

Carter has been competing in the Asia Talent Cup this year but has struck some bad luck at times, however he finished sixth in his most recent ATC contest at Indonesia’s Mandalika Circuit.

Carter Thompson in his Asia Talent Cup leathers

Thompson will next race at Motegi later this month, where the Asia Talent Cup plays support act to MotoGP. ATC then moves on to Thailand, Malaysia before returning to Indonesia for the final round alongside World Superbike at Mandalika.