After the Asian Talent Cup, British Talent Cup, Northern Talent Cup and North American Talent Cup, the Latin American Talent Cup will also be organized in 2023. In addition, a Latin American version of the FIM MiniGP World Series will also be prepared, as was the case in Europe for a number of seasons.
The road to MotoGP extends in Latin America, with two new competitions joining the programme, expanding its reach around the world.
Dorna Sports is pleased to announce two additions to Road to MotoGP: the FIM MiniGP Latin America Series and the Latin America Talent Cup. The two series usher in a new era for motorcycle racing talent across the South American continent and beyond, providing young riders with invaluable opportunities to compete on the road to MotoGP.
Riders from 20 countries are eligible to compete in both the FIM MiniGP Latin America Series and the Latin America Talent Cup: Mexico, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Puerto Rico, El Salvador, Panama, Costa Rica, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay Chile and Argentina. 20 federations from across Latin America will be responsible for selecting the riders to participate in each race.
Latin American Talent Cup
The Latin American Talent Cup’s standard calendar includes six rounds with 12 matches. The riders range in age from 14 to 21, with a starting grid of 25 riders.
The competition kicks off at the end of 2023 with the first round taking place alongside the expected WorldSBK return to Argentina, San Juan Filicom. The calendar follows the forward schedule in 2024, with the first round of the season scheduled for March at the Autodromo Internacional de Codegua in Chile.
The trophy then heads to Termas de Rio Hondo in Argentina over the MotoGP race weekend and then travels to Brazil for two rounds at Autódromo Internacional Ayrton Senna in Goiânia and Circuito dos Cristais in Curvelo.
The top three riders of the Latin American Talent Cup will have the opportunity to participate in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup selection event. The Latin American Talent Cup champion will also be promoted to the SSP300 class at the CIV (Italian National Championship) as part of the GP3 AD11 team.
FIM MiniGP Series Latin America
The FIM MiniGP Latin America Series will begin in 2023, and depending on the requirements for participation in the FIM MiniGP World Series, 15 riders between the ages of 10 and 14 will compete in equal Ohvale GP-0160 machines. The calendar runs from March to October, with five events in three countries: Argentina, Brazil, and Chile.
Launched in 2025, the 190cc FIM MiniGP Latin America series is the next step on the ladder for those entering the first year of the 160cc series and the link between the entry level and the next steps on the road to MotoGP. The best riders of the 160cc FIM MiniGP Latin American Series of 2023 will be promoted to the 190cc Series and the best riders of the 190cc Series will be promoted to the Latin American Talent Cup.
GP3 Sport will lead both the Latin American Talent Cup and the FIM MiniGP Latin American Series as promoter, in partnership with FIM Latin America and as part of Dorna’s Road to MotoGP. They can also count on the support of driver coach Leandro “Tati” Mercado, the current WorldSBK driver.
Pedro Venturo, President of FIM Latin America: “FIM Latin America is always looking for the best motorcycle development projects in the region. Seeing these projects come alive in Latin America fills us with pride and satisfaction, and we are confident that they will benefit riders across the region.”
Antonio D’Angelo, GB3 Sports: “We couldn’t be happier with this project. This is something we’ve been working on for a while – bringing together 20 different countries from across Latin America, giving riders the opportunity to compete on an equal footing and offering different options to get to the top of motorcycle racing. It’s something Unique. With the help of Dorna and FIM Latin America, we can provide all the tools needed to develop and grow the Latin American riders.”
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