Valentino Knezovic bound for R3 Asia-Pacific Championship
Reigning ShopYamaha R3 Cup champion Valentino Knezovic will compete in the 2025 Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Asia-Pacific Championship, combining his international campaign with ASBK commitments.
The 15-year-old will join an ever-expanding Australian presence in the 2025 Asia-Pacific Championship, with Nikolas Lazos, Jed Louis and Hunter Corney also confirmed starters.
“It’s a pretty surreal feeling knowing that I’ll be racing on international circuits this year. Even more so, getting to race overseas at such a young age and early in my road racing career is incredible,” Knezovic said.
“You see it with a lot of riders – once they race overseas, they gain so much knowledge and race craft. Everyone always says it’s important to gain international experience when you’re young, so I can’t thank my sponsors such as Yamaha Motor Australia enough for giving me the chance to represent my country this year.
“One good thing is that I’ll be racing the R3 in both championships (Asia Pacific and ASBK), with just a few minor adjustments to the bike, like swapping between Pirellis and Bridgestones and slightly different suspension setups. But again, I think it will be a positive learning experience to adapt to the unknown.”
Launched in 2024 by Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. and Thai Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd., the Asia-Pacific Championship aims to discover and support young, talented riders across the region, helping those with the potential to race at a world-class level in the future.
The rider who wins the 2025 Asia-Pacific title will receive full support to compete in the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU FIM World Cup in 2026 and 2027, which will be held alongside the FIM Superbike World Championship.
Australian Ryan Larkin finished second in the 2024 Asia-Pacific Championship, keeping the pressure on eventual champion Kakeru Okunuki until the final round at The Bend.
The 2025 Asia-Pacific calendar will announced soon, while Knezovic will next be in action locally at the ASBK Sydney Night Race on March 28-29, competing in the Race and Road Supersport 300 Championship and expanded ShopYamaha R3 Cup.
