Rico's father, Tero Salmela, was himself a successful supermoto and motocross racer and infected his son with his passion for racing from an early age. Rico, born on February 13, 2008 in Finland, was enthusiastic about motorcycles from an early age. He started with motocross at the age of two and discovered his passion for road racing at the age of five. 

Rapid progress and international success

Rico quickly showed his talent and attracted attention in the national classes. In 2021, he ventured onto the international stage and competed in the European Talent Cup, where he immediately achieved a respectable 13th place overall.

In 2022, Rico switched to the Red Bull Rookies Cup, a prestigious series that serves as a springboard for future MotoGP stars. There he once again showed his skills and finished 7th overall.

In 2023, Rico was able to further improve his performance and achieved an outstanding 4th place overall in the Red Bull Rookies Cup. With his consistently strong performances and unbridled determination, he has established himself as one of the most promising young riders in motorcycle racing.

Driving style and strengths

Rico is characterized by his fluid and precise driving style. His mental strength and irrepressible will to win make him a serious competitor on the race track.

Future prospects and his big dream

With his young age and immense talent, Rico has all the prerequisites to make a great career in the world of motorcycle racing.

His declared goal is to ride in MotoGP, the highest class of motorcycle racing. With his continuous development and unbridled ambition, it is quite possible that we will see Rico Salmela on the winners' podium in the coming years. It will be exciting to see how the young Finn develops over the next few years and what other successes he will achieve.

Race history of Rico Salmela