Geoffrey Emmanuel will make his debut in the FIM JuniorGP World Championship in Portugal later this week. The 18-year-old will be the first Indian to compete in the championship, which is considered a crucial stepping stone to MotoGP.

• Geoffrey Emmanuel to race for Cuna De Campeones
• 2023 season has seven rounds

Geoffrey Emmanuel to make FIM Junior GP debut in Portugal

Geoffrey, son of seven-time National Champion Emmanuel Jebaraj, will race for Cuna De Campeones in his maiden FIM JuniorGP season. Some prominent MotoGP riders have graduated from the same team, including 2020 champion Joan Mir and current Pramac rider Jorge Martin. The first round of the 2023 season is scheduled for May 5-7 at the Circuit de Estoril in Portugal.

After competing in the Honda India Talent Cup, Geoffrey made the move to international racing, participating in the 2022 Hawkers European Talent Cup - a one-make championship by Honda.  “The European Talent Cup was a steep learning curve for me, given the very competitive environment and racing on new circuits. But overall, it did a lot of good for my confidence. I now look forward to the World JuniorGP season which is a big step forward for me as I chase my MotoGP dream,” he said.

To prepare for his FIM JuniorGP outing, he participated in test runs in Estoril and Valencia, astride the 2018 KTM RC 250GP bike earlier this year.

Geoffrey’s younger brother, Johann Reeves Emmanuel, will also be competing in the FIM JuniorGP European Talent Cup, which will run on the same weekends as JuniorGP.

FIM JuniorGP World Championship: What is it?

The FIM JuniorGP World Championship is widely recognised as the final and biggest step on the road to MotoGP. It runs under Moto3 regulations and acts as a feeder class for the Moto3 World Championship.

The championship has played a key role in the development of some of the most renowned MotoGP riders, such as Marc Marquez, Fabio Quartararo and Francesco Bagnaia. In fact, MotoGP organiser Dorna Sports says that over 80 percent of the riders in the Grand Prix paddock have passed through the series on their road to MotoGP.