Promising French youngster Marc-Antoine Rossi will wear Red Bull KTM Factory Racing colors in 2025 and is set to steer a KTM 250 SX-F in the FIM MX2 World Championship.
The 18-year-old comes into the works outfit for what will be his second attempt at the MX2 series. He has spent much of his fledgling racing career on KTM SX machinery as he ascended through EMX European Championship competition.
Rossi made his Grand Prix debut at his home round in 2023 and impressed with 7th position overall at Villars sous Ecot. That same season Rossi confirmed 7th place in the EMX250 Championship despite missing three rounds. He shone with three moto wins among a total of six top three finishes. That form, style, speed and determination took him into MX2 for 2024 where he posted a sequence of top ten results in the first four Grands Prix of 2024 until a knee injury halted his progress.
#28 will come under the guidance of Joel Smets and the rest of the Red Bull KTM structure for the next step in his career path. He will follow in the footsteps of countrymen like Marvin Musquin, Jordi Tixier and Tom Vialle to try and excel in the orange.
The full Red Bull KTM Factory Racing line-up for 2025 in both MXGP and MX2 classes will consist of Jeffrey Herlings and Lucas Coenen riding the KTM 450 SX-F and then Andrea Adamo, Sacha Coenen, Simon Lägenfelder and Marc-Antoine Rossi with the KTM 250 SX-F.
Marc-Antoine Rossi: “I’m really happy to be back in orange and to join this crew. I’m already excited for 2025 and will be back on a bike soon and working with Joel. I’ll give everything I have for what will be a long year. I hope I can make the podium at some point next season.”
Joel Smets, Red Bull KTM Team Manager: “For many years France has had this reputation of bringing up young, skilled riders and Marc Antoine Rossi can be added to this list. He’s only 18 but has already shown great potential in EMX125 and EMX250. He then displayed bright flashes of speed and strength this year. Marc-Antoine is still so young and reminds me a lot of Tom Vialle. He not only has the same number but he has that same laidback attitude which camouflages a real ambition to work and to achieve. He is a good listener and is very keen to learn. He has time to grow and we don’t want to rush things. We believe he has a great future.”
Posted on Wednesday, November 13th, 2024 by Michael Le Pard
