Swan Emprin: The “Swan” dreaming of MotoGP

In the Moto4 Northern Cup, since 2024 there has been room also for a young French rider, who has grown more and more over the last couple of seasons: Swan Emprin, a 16-year-old who continues to improve and is getting closer and closer to fighting for podium positions.

Palmen in Motorradsport had the opportunity to interview Emprin to learn more about him and his story.

Swan, how was the start of the 2026 season? And what goals have you set for this year?

The start was quite complicated because at Assen I was fast, but I received a disqualification in Race 1 (for ignoring a penalty, editor’s note) and a Long Lap Penalty in Race 2 (he still finished 7th, ed). That compromised my start to the season a bit. At Sachsenring, however, things went fairly well, always finishing in the top 10 even though I had to retire in Race 2. This year I want to win the Moto4 Northern Cup, so I need to make up ground and fight for even more important results.

Are you also planning to race in the Moto4 European Cup, where you already competed in two races in 2025 (Barcelona and Valencia, ed)?

Maybe. It will depend on the budget.

This year you have made a good step forward compared to 2025. What have you worked on?

I worked mainly on the mental aspect. In this category there are often group battles and you must not let yourself be intimidated. On the contrary, it's important to know that you can attack and defend yourself in the fight as well. Group battles also help you improve even faster as a rider. It's a great way to train and grow.

There was a race in 2025, which was very important for you.

Exactly, and it was my debut in the European Talent Cup (former name of the Moto4 European Cup, ed) in Barcelona. I saw that, in the ETC, racing was even tougher than what I was used to. It gave me a kind of wake up call, which is very useful for my future. During the winter I trained a lot on minibikes together with other riders. We pushed each other and that helped me make enormous progress.

Can you share more about how your racing career started?

I rode a motorcycle for the first time when I was two and a half or three years old. Then, when I was around seven or eight, I joined the ZF Grand Prix school run by Johann Zarco and Laurent Fellon. At first it was my father who introduced me to motorcycles and then, thanks to that school, I realized that I had some talent and could be fast, something many people told me as well. We started with small championships and then we made our way to where we are now.

Can you describe your journey up to today?

At the age of 9, I competed in my first race in the French 25 Power Championship, and in 2020 I raced the full season there and finished second. The following year I moved to the French MiniGP and the MiniGP Conference Cup, finishing fifth in the first and winning the title in the latter. After that I moved to the Objectif Grand Prix category in the FSBK (the national French championship, ed), finishing seventh in my first season. I raced with a BeOn 250 and the following year, in 2023, I switched to a Honda NSF250R, and finished fifth.

In 2024 I joined the Northern Talent Cup (now Moto4 Northern Cup, ed). At the beginning I was quite far back, around twentieth position, but in 2025 I finished tenth and this year, as I said, I feel I can fight for the title.

What's your goal for the future?

I would like to win this year so that I can move on to the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup. From there, the goal would be to achieve the best possible results in order to reach the Moto3 World Championship. In the long term, of course, my target is MotoGP.

Who is your favorite rider?

Jorge Lorenzo.

You mentioned Johann Zarco earlier. Have you met him personally?

Not much, because when I joined his school he had just arrived in MotoGP, between 2017 and 2018. In theory he was supposed to be our coach, but he was very busy in those years, so we did not see him often.

As a rider, what is your strength and where do you think you need to improve the most?

My strong point is often the race itself, because I can always find something extra in the most critical moments. Sometimes, even if I am behind in the other sessions, in the race I can ride one or two seconds faster and fight with the best riders. My weak point, on the other hand, is the qualifying: I still cannot immediately set a good lap time to start from a strong position. I think I need to improve my qualifying strategy. Today it's already better than last year, because back then I made many mistakes, and I have gained experience in how to better manage unexpected situations, such as rain or red flags. However, I still need to grow.

Your name is Swan. In English it means “swan.” Are you called that for that reason or is there another explanation?

No. My parents once told me that they had met a child named Swan and really liked the name. I think that is why I am called Swan.

Do you have any other interests or hobbies outside of motorcycles?

I really enjoy training with balance and body control exercises, especially stability and core training. In addition, I do a lot of running and cycling.

To conclude, would you like to thank anyone in particular for your career so far and for the future?

First of all, my parents: they are the ones who brought me this far, making many sacrifices and giving up a lot of things for me. Then I would like to thank all my sponsors, because it is not easy to find financial support and the help we receive, even if small, is already very important. I would also like to thank the Moto4 Northern Cup, for the opportunities and the visibility that brings to me and the other riders.

Palmen in Motorradsport thanks Swan Emprin for his availability and wishes him all the best for the upcoming races and seasons.