MotoGP: British Talent Cup a go for 2018

MotoGP boss Carmelo Ezpeleta has confirmed that their new British Talent Cup, a one-make series designed at bringing young Talent from the UK up through the ranks to the premiere class, will be a go from 2018, with try-outs expected to happen as soon as this season.

The series will closely model the Asia and European talent cup championships that Dorna also run, using one-make standard Honda machinery and aiming to keep costs to a minimum.

And, with the Spanish firm keen to get the class up and running as soon as possible, Ezpeleta confirmed to MCN that the first trials for it will happen in August this year.

“We have the idea to make a British Talent Cup, and we’re going ahead with it. Already in 2017 there’ll be a British Talent Team with John McPhee, and we’re hoping to have a selection for the Cup at Silverstone the week before the Grand Prix, similar to the Asia Talent Cup.

“Making the selection then is for sure, and we’ll invite people to come – and in the UK we think a lot of people will come. We will have a test in Silverstone, and then the idea is to launch it the same as the Asia Talent Cup, with all the equipment coming from us. We’ll shortly announce a new program for promotion and talent within Dorna, and that’ll be under Alberto Puig and a team of people, with Jeremy McWilliams also involved.

“The idea is to try and bring all the ideas we have together and to see what works, from the Red Bull Rookies Cup to the European Talent Cup and to help people come to MotoGP or World Superbikes, to connect with who is good and bring them together.”

One question that remains to be answered is where the series will be run – but Ezpeleta says they’re in talks with multiple partners including the bosses of the MCE British Superbike series.

“We have recently spoken with Jonathan Palmer, and I will have another meeting with him and with Stuart Higgs in Barcelona, to talk about the British Talent Cup. They’ve told us that they’re organising something like it, but I think the philosophy is different – it’s more about competition between brands. What we have is a mono-brand cup. We’re doing it because no one else was, and if they’ve got a similar plan then we will cooperate with them.”