Rico Lucas Alexander Salmela (born 14 February 2008) is a Finnish Grand Prix motorcycle racer who competes in the Moto3 World Championship for Tech3 Racing. He is a race winner of the FIM JuniorGP World Championship and Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup.
Career Early career Salmela was born in Nokia, Finland. Influenced by his father, Tero, who was a successful supermoto and motocross racer, he started riding motocross minibikes at the age of two and later switched to road racing at the age of five. He excelled in national and later international classes in the Netherlands and Spain, and was selected by the Estrella Galicia program to compete in the 2021 European Talent Cup season, at the age of 13."13-vuotiaalle tulevaisuudenlupaus Rico Salmelalle uusi kuljettajasopimus – ajot ensi kaudella European Talent Cup -luokassa" motouutiset.fi (in Finnish), 12 March 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2025."El Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 se estrena ambicioso en el FIM CEV Repsol" europapress.es (in Spanish), 23 April 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2025. He scored top-ten finishes from the opening race of the season and went on to finish 13th overall in the standings.
After his performances in 2021, Salmela was selected to compete in the 2022 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, as he entered his second European Talent Cup season."Suomalaiskuski mukaan Red Bull Rookies Cupiin – ”Ricolla on kyllä kova talentti”" bike.fi (in Finnish), 15 September 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2025. His Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup season was very competitive, clinching two podiums in total, one of them being his maiden win at MotorLand Aragón."Suomalaisvoitto Red Bull Rookies Cupissa: ”tänään oli se päivä!”" bike.fi (in Finnish), 17 September 2022. Retrieved 31 August 2025. He finished seventh in the final standings. Meanwhile, in the European Talent Cup, Salmela earned his first podium at Estoril, with a third-place finish, followed by another third in the next round at Valencia. He ended the season eighth overall.
Salmela continued in both series for 2023. In the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup he showed consistency by earning four podiums in total, with one second and three third places. He was on pole position at the Austrian and Misano rounds. His final position in the standings was fourth. In the European Talent Cup, he also placed fourth overall, after a season with two podiums and consistent top-ten finishes."European Talent Cup Portimao: Rico Salmela 0,082 sekunnin päässä voitosta" bike.fi (in Finnish), 5 July 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
For 2024, Salmela participated in his last Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup season, while also stepping up to the FIM JuniorGP World Championship with Intact GP, on a Husqvarna."Rico Salmela jatkaa Red Bull MotoGP Rookie Cupissa kaudella 2024!" motorsportal.fi (in Finnish), 13 September 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2025."Nuori nokialainen Rico Salmela ajaa nyt junnujen MM-luokassa" nokianuutiset.fi (in Finnish), 23 January 2024. Retrieved 1 September 2025. He finished his Rookies Cup season in fourth place overall, claiming four podiums, one pole position and no victories."Rico Salmela jännittävän taistelun jälkeen podiumille Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup:in Aragonin osakilpailussa" motouutiset.fi (in Finnish), 1 September 2024. 1 September 2025. At the same time, Salmela earned his maiden win in the JuniorGP in the second round at Estoril. He claimed several top-ten finishes through the remainder of the season but also suffered retirements, and finished 13th overall in the standings.
Salmela returned to the Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 to race in the 2025 FIM JuniorGP World Championship, making the switch to a Honda NSF250R."Junior GP: Rico Salmela palaa yllättäen Team Estrella Galicia 0.0 tallin suojiin" motouutiset.fi (in Finnish), 27 February 2025. Retrieved 1 September 2025. He finished on the podium in the opening five races of the calendar."Rico Salmela vältti kärkikuljettajien virheet sateisella Magny-Coursin radalla ja ajoi JuniorGP:n osakilpailussa jälleen podiumille" motouutiset.fi (in Finnish), 8 July 2025. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
Moto3 World Championship Red Bull KTM Tech3 (2026) On 22 September 2025, Tech3 announced Salmela would be joining their lineup for the 2026 Moto3 World Championship season, alongside Valentín Perrone.
Red Bull KTM Ajo (2027) For , Salmela will move to Red Bull KTM Ajo on a two-year deal, partnering Brian Uriarte.
Career statistics
European Talent Cup
Races by year
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Bike 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Pos Pts 2021 Honda EST EST VAL VAL BAR ALG ARA ARA JER JER VAL VAL 13th 41 2022 Honda EST EST VAL VAL BAR JER JER ALG ARA ARA VAL 8th 78 2023 Honda EST EST VAL VAL JER JER ALG BAR ARA ARA VAL 4th 109
Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup
Races by year (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Bike 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Pos Pts R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 2022 KTM ALG ALG JER JER MUG MUG SAC SAC RBR RBR ARA ARA VAL VAL 7th 122 2023 KTM ALG ALG JER JER LMS LMS MUG MUG ASS ASS RBR RBR MIS MIS 4th 136 2024 KTM JER JER LMS LMS MUG MUG ASS ASS RBR RBR ARA ARA MIS MIS 4th 162
FIM JuniorGP World Championship
Races by year
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Bike 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Pos Pts 2024 Husqvarna MIS1 MIS2 EST CAT1 CAT2 ALG1 ALG2 JER1 JER2 ARA EST1 EST2 13th 61 2025 Honda EST JER1 JER2 MAG ARA1 ARA2 MIS1 MIS2 CAT1 CAT2 VAL1 VAL2 5th 135
Grand Prix motorcycle racing By season Season Class Motorcycle Team Race Win Podium Pole FLap Pts Plcd Moto3 KTM Red Bull KTM Tech3 16 0 0 0 0 81* 10th* Total 16 0 0 0 0 81
By class Class Seasons 1st GP 1st pod 1st win Race Win Podiums Pole FLap Pts WChmp Moto3 2026–present 2026 Thailand 16 0 0 0 0 81 0 Total 2026–present 16 0 0 0 0 81 0
Races by year (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Class Bike 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Pos Pts Moto3 KTM THA BRA USA SPA FRA CAT ITA HUN CZE NED GER GBR ARA RSM AUT JPN INA AUS MAL QAT POR VAL 10th* 81* Season still in progress.
References