Red Bull Rookie Lukas Trautmann

Flying the Austrian flag in the Red Bull Rookies Cup.

Please introduce yourself…

I am 17 years old from Salzburg in Austria. I attend a trade school for sports and this is now my third year in the Red Bull Rookies Cup.

What’s your take on the rookies cup?

A very good one because it’s a cool and affordable way to race. We only need to pay for the travel. The bikes and everything related are supplied and taken care of and the races take place in Motologe framework, which is totally unique. The Red Bull Rookies Cup is a great opportunity and, as a racer, you should make every effort to take advantage of it.

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What do you think about the four-stroke Moto3 bikes from KTM?

As a two-stroke fan I loved those bikes but the general conversion to four-stroke engines in the world championship has also come over to the Rookies Cup, which is understandable. The characteristics of the Moto3 motor make the bike easier to ride and with my weight that suits me better because more torque is available.

What’s your ultimate goal?

Of course to be in the world championship, which doesn’t have to be necessarily Moto3 because I am relatively tall. Moto2 would also fit. I have already tested a bike, which was nice and worked well. Therefore Moto 2 is currently the most appropriate for the future.

Any role model?

Marquez is currently the star…and he tears down everything! Also what Valentino has shown in Assen, was cool. Actually, all the MotoGP riders are really doing very well.

You have a friend instead of a relative as your mechanic. Why?

I think a father-son basis is not the best way to go. I’d rather have a buddy. My mechanic Stefan Meixner is a little crazy, but we’re super-friends.

After the race in Jerez you were penalized for 3 races. What was going on?

In Jerez there was an incident at the start. I moved to the right in a relatively steep angle and somebody caught me. Due to this ‘unnecessary move’ I was punished. You have to accept what things can happen in racing and learn from them and now I’m back and ready to give my best.

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