RBA BOE Skull Rider have announced the signing of Japanese youngster Kazuki Masaki, who will compete for the squad in the 2018 Moto3™ World Championship alongside Gabriel Rodrigo.
Masaki comes from the Road to MotoGP™ program and first showed his incredible talent in the Asia Talent Cup. 2017 was an impressive year for the Japanese rider as he was proclaimed champion in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup and made a wildcard appearance on the world stage at the season finale in Valencia. Now, he'll race in Moto3™ full time.
“I’m very happy to have signed with RBA BOÉ Skull Rider,” says Masaki. “I will do my best for the team, I can’t wait to start the season. I’d like to give thanks for the help offered by Dorna and Alberto Puig through the Road to MotoGP project, as well as the sponsors that will support the team during this year.”
Jose Angel Gutierrez Boé, the Team Owner, was equally positive ahead of the new challenge for both: “Our team has grown a lot throughout the past three seasons: to welcome Kazuki Masaki motivates us in order to keep improving and maintain a steady progression. His results in the Red Bull Rookies didn’t go unnoticed, now our objective is to support him in his first steps as sportsman in the World Championship. We are looking forwards to the first test to start working with Kazuki and to get ready for the beginning of the 2018 season.”
Valencia hosts the first lightweight class action of the year, with testing beginning on the 6th February.