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Kristian Daniel Jr. is set to step into Grand Prix racing in 2027 after KTM announced he will race a full season with the Tech3 KTM Moto3 squad. The appointment crowns a long family project that began when they left Los Angeles for Barcelona nearly a decade ago to pursue his dream.
A family relocation built around a single goal
Daniel Jr.’s path to the grand prix paddock started early. He ran a Catalan wildcard at age eight in October 2017, and by 2018 his family had relocated to Barcelona to give him a clearer route into European competition.
Spain’s talent pipeline was part of the attraction: the country has produced the majority of recent world champions. In Europe, Daniel Jr. progressed through the Cuna de Campeones Moto5 series, the European Talent Cup and the Red Bull Rookies Cup.
Performance that opened doors
This season Daniel Jr. finished fourth overall in the Red Bull Rookies Cup. His form strengthened as the year went on: four podiums and six top-four finishes all came in the final eight races.
KTM confirmed his 2027 move as part of a full Moto3 GP Academy programme. Daniel Jr. will race alongside Adrian Fernandez in the Tech3 team.
Nicolas Goyon, team manager for Red Bull KTM Tech3, praised the rider’s character: “The first word that comes to mind is determination,” Goyon said, noting Daniel’s decision to leave California years ago to chase opportunities in Europe. “Now he will be the first American to compete a full season in this championship, and here at Tech3 we are sure that he will bring a lot to the team.”
An early spark and steady ambition
Daniel Jr. first saw MotoGP up close in 2013 at the Grand Prix of the Americas in Austin. He was four years old that weekend and posed for a photo with a young Marc Márquez, who went on to take his first premier-class win at that event.
“The first time I saw a MotoGP bike fly past me at 200 mph, I felt something light up inside of me and I knew this was my passion,” Daniel Jr. said in his Red Bull Rookies Cup profile.
His father initially encouraged other interests — basketball and music — in part because of the cost and the risks. “Aside from the cost, it’s nerve wracking for parents,” Daniel Jr. told ESPN. He persisted, moving from bicycles to kart-track races on a modified Honda CRF50, and then into the South California racing scene.
What he wants next
Daniel Jr. has named Nicky Hayden as a hero and has made clear the scale of his ambition: he wants to be a world champion and has spoken of becoming the first Black rider to win a MotoGP world title. He also expressed gratitude for the chance at Tech3.
“Honestly, I have to say I’m super-grateful for this opportunity,” he said. “I know how hard I work, and to be given such a great chance with such a great team, there isn’t much more I could’ve asked for. I know it won’t be easy…but it never is! And I’m confident me and the team will work hard towards the same goal.”
