About

IATC GENERAL INFORMATION

The Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup began in 2014 and has since established itself as one of the most successful paths on the Road to MotoGP™. A series for riders between 13 and 17 years of age, the competitors race on identical, ATC-liveried Honda NSF250R Moto3™ machinery alongside the FIM MotoGP™ World Championship and the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship. Each ATC round comprises two races, with the points system mirroring that of MotoGP™.

The 2022 ATC comprises 20 full-time riders hailing from seven countries across Asia and Oceania: Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. A six-round, 12-race season sees the Cup race in five different countries at five different tracks this season. Five rounds will take place alongside MotoGP™, before the finale alongside WorldSBK in Indonesia.

A preseason test at Losail International Circuit in February gets the grid ready to race, before the first round takes place alongside the Qatar GP in early March. From there, the ATC returns to Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit for Round 2 as the MotoGP™ paddock visits the Indonesian venue for the first time.

After a summer break, the ATC returns to action with back-to-back rounds alongside the Japanese and Thailand Grands Prix, taking on the Twin Ring Motegi and Chang International Circuit. Two weeks later Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia hosts Round 5, before Mandalika beckons once more for the season finale. There, the ATC will round out 2022 alongside WorldSBK.

There are places up for grabs on the next steps on the Road to MotoGP™, with riders from the ATC selected to race in both the FIM JuniorGP™ World Championship and the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup. In 2022, Fadillah Aditama races in both the Rookies and as part of the Junior Talent Team in JuniorGP™, where he is joined by fellow ATC alumnus Danial Sharil. 2021 Champion Taiyo Furusato, who was undefeated in the ATC and also a race winner in the Rookies, moved directly to the Moto3™ World Championship.

They follow in the footsteps of former ATC Champions and winners like Kaito Toba, Ayumu Sasaki, Deniz Öncü and Ai Ogura, all of whom are now Grand Prix finishers, as well as the likes of Somkiat Chantra, the first ATC alumnus to race in Moto2™ where he now lines up alongside Ogura.

THE SERIES

The Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup is run by Dorna, the organiser of the MotoGP™ World Championship, the FIM JuniorGP™ World Championship, the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup, and the Northern Talent Cup, as well as co-organiser of the Honda British Talent Cup and Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup.

The ATC provides an opportunity for the most talented young riders in Asia and Oceania to race and learn on the Road to MotoGP™. Riders compete on identical Honda NSF250R Moto3™ machinery and the organisation provides all-encompassing support to riders including insurance coverage, flight tickets and travel arrangements for each round, as well as managing the logistics involved in running a pan-Asian series.

Renowned talent scout and former premier class racer Alberto Puig is on board to help foster the careers of the young riders from the region, and the ATC has an incredible record on the Road to MotoGP™ already. The likes of Grand Prix finishers Ai Ogura, Ayumu Sasaki and Kaito Toba all began their careers in the ATC, with more stars of the future looking to join them.