Despite heavy rains at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria that added an extra challenge for the riders, 16-year-old Kristian Daniel Jr., who is the lone American competing in the 2025 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, finished third in race one after winning the battle for the final spot on the podium over Malaysian rider Hakim Danish and Spanish competitor David González.
Following up his P3 result in race one, Daniel Jr. stayed towards the front of the pack in race two, as well. He finished fifth in the second race to wrap up a very good weekend for the Californian, who now lives in Barcelona, Spain and proudly represents the United States on the world stage.
“When I saw the raindrops start, I was like, ‘OK, reset my mind and get back into the zone,’” Daniel Jr. said about race one. “So, yeah, it was a pretty good race, in general. I’m happy about my consistency, for sure. I tried my best to catch Brian (Uriarte, race winner) and Veda (Pratama, second-place finisher), but they were away at the beginning of the race. They had found the feeling pretty quick.
“I waited for my moment. Hakim just out-broke himself, and David basically got sucked into the draft. That gave me the chance to get away, and I took it.”
About his fifth-place result in race two, Daniel Jr. commented, ““I’m super happy with the performance. I felt super strong. To be honest, I feel like me. Veda (P2) and Brian (P4) were probably the strongest of the race.
At the end, I think I should have made the pass on (Argentinean rider Marco) Morelli (P3) into turn 4. He went super defensive, but I think that was the moment where I should have clicked and just gone for it even if it meant a bit of rubbin’.
“It was a super tight race; the track was also super tricky; lots of sliding and stuff because the track was still a bit moist. But the sun came out; super lucky for that. It was a fun weekend; a wet and a dry race. I enjoyed this one a bit more than yesterday, just because there was a lot more battling. I’m ready for Misano.”
The final round of the 2025 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup commences on September 13 through 14 in Misano, Italy. Daniel Jr. is currently ranked 14th in the standings.
