Julian Correa: Coming to Europe at 13, living his dream in World Sportbike

The inaugural season of the FIM Sportbike World Championship is also the first season on the world stage of Julian Correa, 17-year-old racer who came to Europe from Florida at a very young age. He was only 13 when he started his first season in the British Talent Cup, back in 2022, and now he is making progress in the WorldSPB, where he has scored two top-10 finishes (Race 2 at Aragon and race 1 at Cremona) with the Pons Motorsport Italika Racing team.

Palmen in Motorradsport had the chance to interview "Juju" Correa to get to know him and his story so far. And the result was a long, amazing chat with a young kid who has made big sacrifice to be where he is, but at the same time it's just started...

Julian, how is your 2026 season going?

I think it's going really good. It's a really big difference from where I came from, which are a national Championship and the British Talent Cup. The Sportbike class has been a really good stepping stone in the right direction, not only for stepping into the World Championship, but also for trying to grow in the WorldSBK paddock. It's been a big learning curve for me: going from a GP chassis to a production chassis, moving from Dunlop tyres to Pirelli, from a bunch of tracks that I knew to all tracks I don't know apart from Jerez....It's been a progressive year with the team, making good steps every weekend.

How does it feel to live your first year in a world championship, being one of the few American riders at such level?

It feels surreal to be here. As a kid, you dream of it and you have so many idols and people ahead that you look up to. Once you get to this level, it's a dream come true. This paddock is very professional and there's a lot of new things that come with the new environment, but at the same time it's important not only to learn, but also to have fun. Being one of the few Americans here, not only in Europe but on the world stage, is a big milestone, a big accomplishment for me. 

Let's now step back to the beginning of your racing career.

I started when I was four years old. My dad took me to a race out at the New Jersey MiniGP (same place where Joshua Raymond Jr. started as well, ed). They had a little camp going on and I automatically fell in love with it once I saw the little kids going around. From there, we did a couple of years with New Jersey MiniGP, and then I moved to SFL MiniGP, where I still race even today. I continued with the minibikes until I turned 12, when i moved up to the big bikes and the national championship over just a little club racing championship in the USA.

I raced there for less than a year, before my suit sponsor picked me up to do a couple of wildcards with the British Talent Cup. There, my European pathway started: I did three wildcards and was invited back by the team to do a full season in 2022, where I actually moved to the UK just by myself with DRC Race Leathers. I moved there and left home for seven, eight months with only 13 years of age.

How was your time in the British Talent Cup?

The first year was really good, improving all the time. In 2023, I finished fifth in the championship and also got the chance to participate in the Red Bull Rookies Cup Selection Event. After this, I came back to the BTC in 2024, knowing that if I could do it right, hopefully I could get in the Rookies Cup. Unfortunately, my team boss (John Cresswell, Microlise Cresswell Team Owner, ed) passed away after only two rounds, and that was a rough point in my career. He had been nurturing me and kind of showing me the way since I came to the series.

The team stopped after his passing, so I had to change teams and try and finish off the year. In 2024, I finished fourth, but only 18 points to first place. Moreover, I returned to the Red Bull Rookies Cup selection even. Once again I didn't get selected, so in 2025 I stayed in the British Talent Cup again. But about halfway through the year, I decided to depart from the team.

And that's when you moved to Supersport 300.

I came to race in the Spanish ESBK Championship, after Arnau Pons (owner of the Pons Motorsport Italika Racing team, ed) invited me to replace an injured rider. I got a podium in my second race weekend with them, and I eventually ended up getting two or three more podiums in the ESBK Supersport 300 class. That was the final step before finally being a Sportbike World Championship rider.

How was it moving to Europe at such a young age?

That was a real big maturing stage for me in my career. A real big sacrifice that I had to make. I went from going to school with all my friends to online school on my laptop. Being only 12 or 13, I had to leave everyone, leave my bed, leave everything from home and go move to the UK. It was definitely a really big change for not only me, but also for my mom, my dad and my whole family. Definitely there were some rough patches, but at the end of the day, I don't think I would have changed anything, because it got me to where I'm at now.

What are your best memories from the time spent in the British Talent Cup?

Definitely my first podium, at the first race weekend of 2022. I had just started my first full season in the series...and I ended up snagging a podium immediately, at Silverstone. That was definitely a big core memory I had. Then, I have a few memories from 2024. One of them is my first victory in Navarra, then I loved the last race weekend with my team boss, before he passed away: I topped every single session, got pole position and came second in the race. Moreover, again in 2024, I had a great weekend at Oulton Park: I had a highside in qualifying, qualified on the front row despite that, got second place in the dry and won the race in the wet.

Another big one that I want to shout out here is to the family of George Bowes, a rider who is still racing there. I ended up staying with them from 2023 onwards throughout the season. His family is super nice and George is my best friend still to this day.

In 2024, how did you approach the following races after the passing of John Cresswell?

It was actually the toughest moment in my career so far. Moreover, I got a really bad injury on that same weekend at Donington Park: I had a really big crash on my right knee, and I ended up slightly tearing my ACL with a partial tear on my MCL as well. That was a really tough point in my career, where I also had to figure out a team to get back on. The team that I went to (Mortimer Racing, ed) gave me a decent package to work with, but it wasn't quite to the step or quite to the point where the Microlise Cresswell Team was. On my side, I tried to extract the most out of myself, stay calm and try to be the best Juju possible.

Even if now you are in the WorldSBK paddock, are you still dreaming of MotoGP?

From a kid, going to MotoGP is always the dream. I don't think that road is gone, also because Manuel González and Nicolò Bulega proved that it's possible to go there from Supersport 300, Supersport or Superbike. I stayed in BTC for so long, three and a half years, because I tried to get into the Road in MotoGP with the Rookies Cup. I think the dream is still possible, if I put myself in the right places.

Do you have other passions outside of motorcycle racing?

I guess it's kind of part of motorcycle racing, but I love cycling. Moreover, my brother is a really good basketball player, so I've kind of grown that passion as well, playing with him all the time.

Where do you live now?

I stay with Riders Formation in Tarragona for the majority of the season. Apart from that, I go back to the USA on the summer break, during winter and for Thanksgiving.

How are your parents living your career as a rider?

That's probably a question you have to ask my mom. My dad is a big fan of motorcycles and the one who's brought me into this sport, so he loves that I'm able to travel. It wouldn't be possible to do all this without him. On the other hand, my mom suffers the most and misses me so much, but I make sure to call her two, three times a day. At least she feels loved. Anyway, my parents both know that at the end of the day, they have sacrificed just as much as I have to make this dream possible.

Who's your favorite rider?

My biggest idol is probably Sean Dylan Kelly. He is a big brother to me, since I grew with him from when I moved to Florida, and he is a great training partner and a great guy. My favorite MotoGP rider is instead Marc Márquez: he's been my idol ever since I started watching him back in the day. To me, he's the greatest of all time. Finally, I also love Pedro Acosta for his character.

If you had to compose the ideal rider to you, what characteristics would you take and from which riders?

Probably the aggressive side of things. I think you can't look farther than Marc Márquez. His aggression is really good and his riding style is great as well. Then I pick Jorge Martin for how he trains and brings himself around the paddock. I really like how he's just super chill and laid back, but he also shows you that he's there to win. Finally, I love the funny, outgoing personality of Pedro Acosta, who always tries his best even in the darkest days.

Would you like to share one fun fact about you?

I like to put jewelry on every once in a while. Nothing flashy though, but a silver ring I got from my dad and some bracelets I wear for my mom. A bunch of bracelets and things I have on are all related to people in my life, especially those I don't get to see every day. It's a way to carry those people with me.

In conclusion, do you want to thank anyone for your journey in motorcycle racing?

I can't go without saying first and foremost to my parents. We have sacrificed so much for my career, with a lot of blood, sweat and tears. For every sacrifice we have done, there's a meaning behind it. My dad is the one who makes this whole thing possible, and my mom is the backbone I can rely on whenever I need to talk to someone. I also want to mention my brother: he's only 13 and he goes half the year without seeing his brother, so that's another big sacrifice in my family.

Furthermore, I can't thank the whole Pons Motorsport Team enough. They're such a great environment to be around in my first year in the Sportbike World Championship. They've been so welcoming and they don't put pressure on me, but just let me enjoy and work on what I need to work on. They definitely are my favorite team to work with so far in my career.

I also thank all the supporters and all my sponsors. Everyone says that motorcycle racing is a lone sport, because it's only you on the bike, but it takes a whole village to really make racing work. I really appreciate everyone that chips in their 1% every day, to make sure we get to go racing.

Palmen in Motorradsport thanks Julian Correa for his time and Astrid Madrigal for organizing the interview. Best wishes to both "Juju" and the Pons Motorsport Italika Racing Team for the upcoming races and seasons.