The twelfth Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup season sees a return to Mugello for the first time since 2014 and we've missed the classic venue and passionate fans. Twenty-five of the world's fastest teenagers will contest this year's twelve race series and they come from seventeen nations, from Wales to Australia, from Japan to Colombia.

The season starts with three days of pre-season testing in Jerez where all the riders get the chance to familiarise or re-familiarise themselves with the KTM RC 250 R and shake off the winter blues.

Racing

The season proper starts at the same venue on May 5th as a key part of the Gran Premio Red Bull de España. Most weekends see two races but the Italian's traditionally invade the track after the MotoGP race so that alters the schedule for the races at Mugello and Misano.

The season ends, as usual, back in Spain at Motorland Aragón in September. By then we will have the twelfth Rookies Cup champion and almost certainly a good number more ex Rookie Grand Prix winners and possibly World Champions.

Winning

Ex Rookies now compete with enormous success in all classes. For the last three seasons the Moto3 World Champion has been an ex Rookie and the 2017 title holder Joan Mir now moves up to the Moto2 category to join 2016 Moto3 World Champion Brad Binder. Johann Zarco, our first Rookies champion and twice Moto2 World Champion, continues his incredible MotoGP campaign.

Calendar

Test

• April 3rd to 6th - Jerez, Spain

Races

• 1&2 - May 5th & 6th - Jerez, Spain
• 3 - June 2nd - Mugello, Italy
• 4&5 - June 30th & July 1st - Assen, Netherlands
• 6&7 - July 14th & 15th - Sachsenring, Germany
• 8&9 - August 11th & 12th - Red Bull Ring, Austria
• 10 - September 8th - Misano, Italy
• 11&12 - September 22nd & 23rd - Aragón, Spain

Provisional Entry List

• 3 Pasquale Alfano ITA
• 5 Simon Jespersen DEN
• 6 Ryusei Yamanaka JPN
• 7 Barry Baltus BEL
• 11 Dan Jones GBR
• 12 Filip Salač CZE
• 19 Sasha De Vits BEL
• 22 Peetu Paavilainen FIN
• 24 Xavier Artigas ESP
• 28 Adrián Carrasco ESP
• 29 Billy Van Eerde AUS
• 30 Max Cook GBR
• 31 Gerry Salim INA
• 40 Sean Kelly USA
• 43 Steward Garcia COL
• 44 Nicolás Hernández COL
• 50 Jason Dupasquier SUI
• 53 Deniz Öncü TUR
• 61 Can Öncü TUR
• 62 Aidan Liebenberg RSA
• 66 Adrián Huertas ESP
• 83 Meikon Kawakami BRA
• 88 Matteo Patacca ITA
• 92 Yuki Kunii JPN
• 99 Carlos Tatay ESP