Brian Uriarte gears up for Moto3 WC: "Title contender as a rookie? Not impossible!"

2025 is marking a turning tide in the career of Brian Uriarte. The young Spanish rider won the title in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, is shining as well in the JuniorGP World Championship (where he currently leads the championship), and he recently secured a seat in the Moto3 World Championship for 2026 with the Red Bull KTM Ajo team.

For most people, Uriarte’s name might still sound unfamiliar, but over the years he has proven many times that he can do great things as a motorcycle racer. Born in Santander in 2008, Uriarte immediately impressed in the junior and off-road categories and quickly attracted the attention of Emilio Alzamora, who brought him into the Monlau team. Uriarte then went on to win Spanish titles, claimed victories and podiums in his first year in the European Talent Cup at just 12 years old, and began a strong climb with excellent results in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, where in 2024 he finished second in his debut season.

Also in 2024, the Spanish rider joined SeventyTwo Motorsports, Alzamora’s new project aimed at developing young talents and taking them to the World Championship (one example being Guido Pini). Uriarte made his JuniorGP debut with the UAX SeventyTwo Artbox Racing Team once he reached the minimum age. The result? Victory in his debut race and podiums in the following rounds. All of this led to the current season, where Uriarte has definitely established himself as potential "Next Big Thing" in this sport.

Palmen in Motorradsport had the chance and honour to interview Brian Uriarte and chat with him on the 2025 season, his career so far and his upcoming step onto the Moto3 World Championship. 

Brian, you won the title in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup. How does it feel?

It was a complicated season, because weight played an important role. I’m growing, and with these bikes, every extra kilo makes a difference. Still, I managed to handle it quite well, because this year I made a big step forward in terms of discipline and mentality: I better managed myself and improved both my training and my diet. That also helped me to stay calmer and use my head a bit more while racing, and so I won the title against very strong opponents, who made it very tough for me. This experience in the Rookies Cup has also been very useful for JuniorGP, because what you learn in the Rookies Cup applies there as well. I had fun, and winning the title was a dream come true. Already in 2024 I came close to it, but this year I finally did it, and I’m very happy.

What was the decisive moment of the season in the Rookies Cup?

After Mugello. It wasn’t a bad weekend, but it didn’t go very well either. That’s when I realized something wasn’t working, and then I made a step forward that also helped me in Austria. I learned that you need to race more calmly and think more about the end of the race than about the first stages. That was a key moment, which helped me a lot in the final part of the season.  

You come from Cantabria, a Spanish autonomous community very few riders come from.

In Cantabria there are no circuits to train on, and it’s difficult to emerge, but I’m working very hard. I moved to Barcelona to train, and that’s helping me grow. The 2025 season is giving me many opportunities, even though there are still races left and I still have things to learn. I’m happy to know that next year I’ll be in the Moto3 World Championship. There’s still work to do, but I feel ready for the step.

In the World Championship, do you expect to be able to fight for big results right away, like other riders who came through the Rookies Cup and JuniorGP?

Many of the riders currently competing in Moto3 have been my rivals since I was a kid. They’re very strong, but I also feel strong. However, I can’t compare myself to them yet, because they already have experience and I haven’t even ridden a World Championship bike. Once I do, I’ll see my real level compared to them. In any case, I believe in myself, I feel strong support and I know I’ll be in a great team. Fighting for the title immediately will be very difficult, but it's not impossible: others have made it, so I don’t see why I shouldn’t.

You won the Rookies Cup and you’re also having a great season in JuniorGP, where you’re leading the championship. What are your thoughts about it?

In JuniorGP we have a very solid structure. Emilio Alzamora has created a great team, and you can feel it when you work in a positive environment. In the Rookies Cup, the setup is the same for everyone and you’re there only with your father and a mechanic, whereas here I have a full team supporting me and working together with me. It’s the perfect mix. I’m very attached to the people close to me, and I like to take care of my closest ones, just as I like them to take care of me. That reflects on the bike too: I feel calmer, more relaxed and under lower pressure. You can see it on track, because we’re showing that we’re the fastest almost all the time, even though I have strong rivals here as well.

You’re also supported by someone very experienced and important in this world, as Emilio Alzamora. What are the main things you have learnt from him?

Emilio has a lot of experience and he’s helping me a lot both on and off the track, but especially off the track, so I can apply those lessons in race weekends. He has his own methods, he’s strict, and for me that’s very important. I don’t need to know how good I am: I prefer working with someone who tells me what I don’t want to hear, because that’s the only way to really grow. Many riders only want to be told they’re strong, I don’t. Emilio has taught me to be receptive, to listen to those around me, and to distinguish who’s right and who isn’t. He knows a lot and he’s almost always right. Not by chance many champions have worked with him, such as Marc Márquez, Álex Márquez, Pecco Bagnaia and Fabio Quartararo.  

How did your career in motorcycling begin?

My father used to be a motorcycle racer. I fell in love with this sport by going to the circuit with him, and at some point he told me he wouldn’t give me a bike unless I asked for it myself. In the end, he didn’t have to wait long, so I started racing very early. As a child I was extremely enthusiastic about riding, and he managed my enthusiasm in the best way, without pushing me. My father has always been a reference point: he’s the first person I listen to, even when he criticises me, and he’s always chosen the right championships and the right moments to take steps in this sport.

Without him I wouldn’t have met Emilio, who saw potential in me while I was training in dirt track and suggested me to switch to road racing. With him, when he was at the Monlau team, I raced two years in Moto4 and three years in the European Talent Cup. When he stopped working with the Márquez brothers, my father was the first person to text him and ask if he would work with me. And it was the right choice, because thanks to him I have a solid foundation to prepare for the World Championship.

Can you summarize your achievements so far?

I’ve been Spanish champion in 110cc and Moto4, and I’ve also won races and titles in dirt track and motocross. In road racing, in addition to two national titles I finished third in the European Talent Cup, and in 2024 I did great races in the JuniorGP and finished second in the Rookies Cup. On my JuniorGP debut I immediately won a race and took pole position, with lap times close to World Championship level. This year I won the Rookies Cup title and several times set lap times very close to those of the World Championship, even with a lower-spec bike. I already have a nice "résumé", but I want to enrich it even more, even though it won’t be easy since I’ll be competing against very strong rivals, as it's been so far.

You moved to Barcelona at a very young age. What was it like at the beginning?

I grew up in Santander with my family. But there I didn’t have the facilities or the right climate to train, and the most I could do was motocross. That’s why we decided I had to move to Barcelona and so I did in 2024. I’m far from home, in a different environment and without my family by my side, but this has helped me grow a lot, and I still maintain a great relationship with my parents, who I feel close to despite the distance. Emilio is there with me and helps me manage travel and training. I also live near Gerard Riu, who follows me as a sports consultant and whom I trust a lot, and Sergi, who takes care of my physical preparation. I live and train at a High Performance Center with my personal coach Daniel Carrión. All this is taking me higher and higher.

I imagine your ultimate goal is to become World Champion.

I’m very ambitious: I want to become MotoGP World Champion as many times as possible, and also become World Champion in the feeder classes. It takes a lot of work, but I have everything I need to succeed. There’s no limit to dreams, because nothing is impossible.

Your cousin Marcos Uriarte is also already in the World Championship. What can you say on your relationship with him?

We really get along with each other, and he’s also been by my side this year when I was racing in the Rookies Cup. He left Cantabria as well and now lives between Alicante and Barcelona, mainly to recover from the injury he suffered at the start of the season. Despite that, he’s had some good races in the World Championship. Next year we’ll be racing together, and that’s exactly the dream we had as kids. He’s a reference point for me, I almost consider him a brother.  

But in Cantabria you’re not very famous, are you?

I know it’s surprising, but we’re better known outside Santander than in our own city, where cycling is much more popular. That’s normal though: Marcos and I haven’t done anything extraordinary yet, and motorcycling isn’t as followed as football, basketball or Formula 1. Hardly anyone knows about series like the Rookies Cup or JuniorGP, since everyone only watches Moto3, Moto2 and MotoGP. Hopefully next year we’ll become more popular, because that will mean we’re doing well.

What do you like to do away from the track?

Lately I’ve been getting very passionate about cycling. I’m competitive, I like winning and I often challenge my father. It’s great training, especially in Santander. I also love motocross: in the past I got injured doing it, but I want to get back to it because it’s an excellent way to train. I really like dirt track and flat track as well: they’re not very popular sports, but they’re also excellent for training.

What are your strengths and weaknesses, as a rider and as a person?

I consider myself a complete rider. My strongest point is my mentality: the mental side is very important and if you’re not focused, you’re not fast. Weaknesses… I don’t think I have any, maybe Emilio would know better (laughs, ed). In any case, if someone points out something I need to improve, I quickly take action on it. As a person, I like to take care of those around me.

Finally, would you like to thank anyone in particular for what you’re experiencing?

I especially thank my parents: it’s not easy to let a child chase a dream that could cost him his life. They’ve been brave and given me a strong mentality. I also thank the team, which is doing an exceptional job. My teammate Carlos Cano, competing in the European Talent Cup, is also growing a lot: I see him improving significantly, and I believe he’ll make a big name for himself in the future.

Palmen in Motorradsport thanks Brian Uriarte for his time, and Emilio Alzamora and Andrea Urigüen of SeventyTwo Motorsports for making this interview possible. Best wishes to the rider and team for the upcoming races and seasons, especially for Brian’s debut in the World Championship.