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.
Junior series and promotion to the Moto3 World Championship
In 2024, Rico Salmela impressed in both the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup and the JuniorGP World Championship with strong performances and a steep learning curve. In his first full season, he finished 4th overall in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup and 11th overall in the JuniorGP World Championship, attracting attention early on.
In 2025, Rico Salmela continued his consistent development and finally established himself at the top of the junior series. In the Junior GP World Championship, he achieved his best result to date with 5th place overall and underlined his ambitions for the next step in his career.
This will be followed in 2026 with the promotion to the Moto3 World Championship: Salmela will start for the Red Bull KTM Tech3 Team, giving him the chance to prove himself on the biggest stage in motorcycle racing. The aim is to quickly adapt to the high level, continuously improve and establish himself at the front of the Moto3 field in the medium term.
