Xarly Méndez: A dream on two wheels for the Dominican Republic

Born and raised in Spain, but with Latin American roots and ready to take the Dominican Republic to the highest levels of motorcycle racing. This is Xarly Méndez, rising star born in 2010 that fought for the FIM R3 BLU CRU World Cup title in an outstanding season with the DPR Team. Even if a mistake in Race 2 at Estoril prevented him from bringing the fight until the last lap (the title finally went to Riichi Takahira), the young Dominican proved his speed and talent during the whole season.

The 2026 campaign, his story and his ambitions for the future. You will find this and more in the interview that Méndez gave to Palmen in Motorradsport, recorded during the second-last round of the season at Cremona.

Xarly, what can you say about 2026?

It's going very well. We started with a podium and a win in the first race, and from there we have achieved further podium finishes and wins and have fought for the title.

Did you expect to have such a strong season?

Yes, because even though I didn't achieve any major results, I was already very competitive in 2025 (he finished the year with a podium at Estoril, ed). I trained a lot over the winter with only one goal: to win. Another source of motivation is the fact that the winner of the R3 BLU CRU World Cup moves on to the Sportbike World Championship with Yamaha, without having to pay a single cent.

Xarly Méndez also took part in the 2027 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Selection Event, but he finally didn't make it. At Cremona, he explained that if he had been selected, he would have competed in both Rookies Cup and WorldSPB, as Beñat Fernández did in 2026.

Let's now talk about your career in motorcycle racing. How did it start?

One day, I went to a karting track with my parents and a couple of friends. There, I saw some children riding minibikes and immediately realised that I wanted to try it too. I stepped on a minibike for the first time, and since then I never stopped. I started racing in the Catalan Championship when I was six, eventually finishing third.

Can you share the steps that brought you to the R3 Cup?

2018 was my first year on a motorbike with gears. From there, I moved up to the Moto5 class in the Copa de España de Minivelocidad, where I finished third in 2019 (behind David Almansa and Natalia Rivera, now respectively in the Moto3 World Championship and WorldWCR, ed). I spent three seasons in that category, competing in the Spanish Championship and in the Cuna de Campeones. Then, after a year off, in 2023 I raced in the ESBK Moto4, (now known as PreMoto4, ed).

Finally, in 2024, I had my first season on a Yamaha R3. I initially competed in the Latin American Championship, which was held in Brazil, and since 2025 I have been racing the same bike in the World Cup.

Why did you move from Moto4 to Supersport 300, instead of continuing on the path towards Moto3?

I did it because it's much cheaper. Racing in Moto3 or in the various Moto4 Cups (back then known as Talent Cups, ed) required too much money, and my year in Moto4 had not been particularly good. From there, we decided to give the R3 a try and see how I would go on it. The beginning was difficult, but by mid-2024 I was already quite fast.

At this stage of your career, are you dreaming more of MotoGP or Superbike?

My dream is still to get to MotoGP. Even if I race in the World Sportbike Championship in 2027, my long-term goal is to compete in MotoGP.

If you got an offer to race in World Sportbike Championship and one from the Moto3 Junior World Championship, which one would you pick?

It depends on the contracts and how much funding I would need to bring, but if the conditions were the same, I would choose to race in the Moto3 Junior World Championship. You learn a lot there, and many riders have gone on to reach the Grand Prix paddock.

You have both the Spanish and the Dominican citizenship. Can you share more about your origins?

I was born in Spain and have always lived here, but both of my parents are Dominican. I decided to race under the Dominican flag, because I identify more with it and because it could help me a lot in the future.

Do you go often to the Dominican Republic?

Yes, I have a lot of relatives there, especially on my father's side. I was there last summer, in July. I spent a few days there and then returned to Spain to keep training.

Have you had any particularly difficult moment in your career so far? If so, how did you deal with it?

It happened when I started racing in Supersport 300 in the Latin American Championship. After the third race, I nearly quit: I knew I had the potential to run at the front, but I kept finishing far behind. However, by training hard, I managed to make a big step forward, which has brought me to where I am today.

Who is your favourite rider?

For me, the greatest rider of all time is Valentino Rossi. Among the riders currently competing in MotoGP, I really like Fabio Quartararo.

As far as Valentino is concerned, I grew up watching him with my family, as they have always been fans of his. I have always loved his riding style, and he has always been the best of all time in my eyes. As for Quartararo, I think he is an extremely fast rider, even if he cannot show it at the moment with Yamaha. I will never forget the 2019 Thai Grand Prix, when Quartararo fought for the win against Marc Márquez, being a rookie and riding a non-factory Yamaha (he was racing for Petronas Yamaha SRT, ed). That's when I started to follow him.

Are you focusing 100% on motorcycle racing, or are you still studying?

I am still studying at the moment. Motorcycle racing is a sport where you never know what might happen, so I am continuing my studies to have a plan B.

Finally, it's time for the "Thank You Moment".

I especially want to thank my parents, who have always been there for me. Since I started racing, they have paid for everything and spent many hours travelling, both to take me to training sessions and to attend races. I would also like to thank my mechanic, David, because he always dedicates many hours to finding the best solutions and help me be competitive. Recently, he has been unable to attend the races, so another guy named Javi has stepped in. I would like to thank him very much as well, for his help and advice.

I would also like to thank Sergio Mora and Dani Valle from Riders Formation, as well as Víctor, who is my sports psychologist. They help me a lot mentally and with my training. Finally, I want to thank the mechanic I had in 2025, with whom I also do flat track to prepare even better. I am extremely grateful to everyone who has always helped me.

Palmen in Motorradsport thanks Xarly Méndez for his time, and wishes him all the best for the upcoming races and seasons.