Red Bull Rookie chosen

Fourteen-year-old Chris Jones will ride for the Red Bull Rookies British 125GP team in 2005.

A total of 12 aspiring young riders, including one female, attended a selection event at Mallory Park on Tuesday November 16 to be chosen to fill the one rider slot for the team.

The selection included two one-hour track sessions, an interview with representatives from Honda and Red Bull, and a fitness assessment with a personal trainer. Two youngsters shone out from the process, Bradley Smith and Chris Jones, and after a second interview Jones was successful.

The teenager is already the 2004 MRO 125GP Champion and was the fastest rider on the track in both sessions. He’ll join the team for the second season of the Red Bull and Honda Racing partnership, which saw several wins and podiums for Eugene Laverty and Steven Neate in 2004.

“It’s a dream come true,” said Jones. “The team seem really friendly and the Red Bull Rookies Honda RS125 looks amazing. I can’t wait to start testing. I want to wint he championship next year and my long term ambition is to go into MotoGP.”