Recapping all the Red Bull Rookies action from Austria

2024 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup

Round Five – Red Bull Ring

Qualifying

Rico Salmela took pole position for the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup home races in Austria. Alongside the 16-year-old Finn, second fastest, was 17-year-old Alvaro Carpe. Fellow Spaniard, 16-year-old Màximo Quiles completed the Spielberg front row.

The sole Aussie competitor in the Red Bull Rookies class of 2024 is Carter Thompson and the 16-year-old got his weekend off to a pretty good start by qualifying seventh.

Cup points leader Brian Uriarte had work to do, starting from Row 3 after qualifying ninth.

Race One

It was then non-stop action for the entire 16 laps of Spielberg in race one, ending with Alvaro Carpe wringing the perfect drive from his Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup KTM. That win was by the narrowest of margins – just 0.024 seconds ahead of Marco Morelli.

Just as awesome was Màximo Quiles who recovered from a Long Lap Penalty where he rejoined in 10th place with just four laps to go, over five seconds behind leader Carpe.

The 16-year-old Spaniard blasted his way back into contention and finished a very close third.

Carpe’s second victory of the year gives the Spanish 17-year-old a two-point advantage at the head of the Cup table as arch-rival Brian Uriarte, the 16-year-old Spaniard who led coming into the weekend, finished sixth.

Australia’s Carter Thompson claimed 10th, less than a tenth of a second off Kristian Daniel in ninth.

Alvaro Carpe – P1

“An incredible race,” he enthused having matched his Race 1 victory in 2023. “Maximo did a fantastic job, he set a great pace riding alone. Also, mine when he did his Long Lap. I saw that on the TV and thought it was time to push because he would be in the back. I think I did a good job, I was leading on the last lap but I also knew there was a good chance someone would try to pass me into the second to last corner. Marco did, but I also knew that in the exit of the last corner, I am very fast. I tried to pass him on the run down to the last corner but he was too late on the brakes and then I knew it was about getting the perfect exit and I did.”

Marco Morelli – P2

“It was a very hard race, so much overtaking,” stated the 17-year-old Argentine who won the first race of the season in Jerez and the most recent race in Assen. “I made a good start and was running up front. I decided to relax a bit with about 8 laps to go. I saved the tyres a bit because I felt on the long lefts I was sliding a bit. In the last laps I pushed, I passed 3 or 4 and on the last lap Carpe, to lead. At the last corner I defended on the brakes but I went a little too wide, I almost touched the green and Carpe took the win. I am happy though because at the beginning of the weekend, I didn’t think I could do this.”

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Màximo Quiles – P3

“It was so crazy. After the Long Lap, I saw the group so far away but I said to myself, ‘OK, I’m not going to give up, I was quite a bit stronger than the others as I had done so much work on my own in FP 1 and 2 that I had a great rhythm I was focussing on not having problems in the corner and catching them. In the last lap, they were still a second ahead and I did the first corner and the chicane the fastest I have ever done in my life. Corner by corner I overtook and in Turn 6 I think, Brian overtook me and this spoilt a bit my chance of taking the win. Because I think that in the last two corners, I was really strong and could overtake easily. So I decided to go for the podium. At Turn 9 I saw three guys going so hard on the brakes I thought, let them go and I passed them as they went wide on the exit and took 3rd.”

Valentin Perrone – P4

“An incredible race, such a big group, so many overtakes,” grinned the 16-year-old Argentine. “On the last lap, it was completely crazy, Marco, Carpe, Maximo. They were riding super crazy, also me, we all wanted to be on the podium. In the second to last corner I went to the inside but then a little bit wide on the way out, almost touching the green and Maximo overtook me. But I managed to overtake Rico before the line so it is not so bad for the championship. Tomorrow I will try again and try to be a little bit stronger overtaking the guys.”

Rico Salmela – P5

“It was a very difficult race,” explained the 16-year-old Finn who had set off from pole. “I just tried to stay with the guys in front. The pace was really good, I was thinking at one moment that it was time to push but I started to lose a bit of engine power, the temperature was high and I just didn’t have the push to do it. I just tried my best to do as much as possible. In the end, it wasn’t what I wanted but tomorrow… just send it.”

Veda Pratama – P6

“I felt in this race much better than before in Rookies Cup,” stated the 15-year-old Indonesian. “But I was not lucky today in the last lap, I tried to fight for the podium. But I crashed in the second to last corner. We were all pushing very hard, I got squeezed a bit but it was also my mistake because I slid too much in the rear. I tried to control the slide but it went too far and I crashed. Still, I feel very good and will do my best in Race 2.”

Race One Results

Race Two

Álvaro Carpe put on another perfect demonstration of race craft and pace to win the second Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup race at Spielberg.

The 17-year-old Spaniard’s second victory of the weekend was by a greater margin but only because his closest challenger Brian Uriarte slid off on the last lap.

That left a little gap to Màximo Quiles and though the 16-year-old Spaniard pushed to close it, he crossed the line second, 0.245 seconds behind Carpe.

Indonesian 15-year-old Veda Pratama took an excellent third for his first Rookies Cup podium.

A mechanical issue saw Carter Thompson retire after a brake failure.

Carter Thompson – P10/DNF

“Austrian Grand Prix all done. Race 1 finished p10, didn’t get off to a good start losing a number of positions. I was struggling a bit in the braking areas not having great feeling in the heavy breaking zones but made some changes which worked great. Race 2 didn’t finish the way I wanted. I had to retire due to a mechanical losing all front brakes, but I got off to a good start sitting in P5 in the front group feeling comfortable so still some positives to bring out of it. Huge thanks to Guillie, Dani and all thanks Rookies staff for all their help and support. Now I’ll get ready to come back stronger at the next round in Aragon. See you there.”

Alvaro Carpe – P1

“50 points this weekend. I’m very happy because I did a very good job, through the weekend, improving through the 3 sessions on Friday step by step. The race today was crazy, very hard, not as hot as yesterday but fast. In the second to last lap, there was a slippery patch but I managed it. In the last lap, I saw on the TV screen that Brian had crashed and I had a gap. I saw Maximo was then second so I pushed really hard to keep this gap and I made it, The Rookies Team did an incredible job this weekend, they helped me so much.”

Maximo Quiles – P2

“It was a great race, really tricky conditions, in some corners, like in turn 9 we had a bit of wet, so it was a bit more difficult. In the beginning, I didn’t have a lot of confidence. In the last 4 laps, I tried to push to open a gap and I made an error, I went wide so I decided to wait until the last laps. In the last lap, Brian was in front of me, he crashed and this made a bit of a gap between Alvaro and me. I was a bit angry because I wanted the win, I pushed and made an error with the gears and lost a bit more so I couldn’t catch him. A bit angry but still, great points for the championship.”

Veda Pratama – P3

“I am very happy with today’s race, finally I have got on the podium. It was a very difficult race, I was not with the leading group in the beginning and I had to work hard to catch up. I pushed hard and managed to catch up. Then I relaxed a bit, took it a little easier than yesterday and just pushed at the end, it worked.”

Guido Pini – P4

“From the first Free Practice I improved a lot so I am very happy for this,” enthused the 16-year-old Italian after his first 2 Rookies Cup races of the year. “Today I made a good race, I worked very hard to catch the front group and I am happy with 4th, it is so great to be back racing again and I am going to enjoy the rest of the season.”

Valentin Perrone – P5

“It was difficult this one,” explained the 16-year-old Argentine. “The group was not as big but with so many riders going fast. At the beginning I was calm, riding behind Carpe and Uriarte to try and break from the group. But then Maximo and other riders caught us, I started to push again to try and stay at the front. In the last lap, I tried to overtake Maximo in the second to last corner but I went wide and I lost out to Maximo and Veda, I didn’t exit so well, P4.” His reaction to being penalised. “No I don’t think I touched the green, that’s a mistake.”

Ruche Moodley – P6

“The race didn’t start well, I got a false neutral and lost about 5 places,” explained the 17-year-old South African. “I had a lot of work to do. I thought I could catch the leaders, I did but it was late in the race when I got them so I wasn’t able to get through to the front. I’m glad we went for the short gearing because I needed it to catch up, starting from 10th.”

Rico Salmela – P7

“I was pushing at the front really hard,” stated the 16-year-old Finn. “I don’t know what happened but I couldn’t follow anyone in the slipstream. In the last 5 laps I kept getting neutral. The second to last lap in the chicane it went to neutral and the guys behind passed me and it was difficult to get back in front.”

Brian Uriarte – P8

“I was pushing and I think there was a damp patch in the tarmac and I think I touched it, I tucked the front,” explained the 16-year-old Spaniard. “That’s racing. For today’s race, I changed from the long to the short gearing, it helped a lot, especially at the start. Yesterday I struggled.”

Race Two Results

Red Bull Rookies Cup Standings

2024 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Calendar

1. April 27-28 Jerez – Spain
2. May 11-12 Le Mans – France
3. June 1-2 Mugello – Italy
4. June 29-30 Assen – Netherlands
5. August 17-18 Spielberg – Austria
6. Aug 31-Sep 1 Aragon – Spain
7. September 7-8 Misano – Italy