The Marc VDS Racing Team will support Livio Loi this season, as the young Belgian rider makes his debut in both the Red Bull Rookies Cup and the Spanish CEV Buckler Moto3 Championship.

This support will be provided as part of an initiative by the President of the Marc VDS Racing Team, Marc van der Straten, whose long-term aim is to have a Belgian rider competing in the premier MotoGP class.

Loi will only celebrate his 15th birthday on Friday, the same day free practice gets underway at Jerez for the first round of the Red Bull Rookies Cup, but he already has both European and National titles to his name in both the pocketbike and NSF100 classes.

In preparation for his Red Bull Rookies Cup debut at Jerez, the youngster from Hasselt in Belgium contested the GP3 Junior Cup during the Assen World Superbike weekend, qualifying third and finishing second in the race.

“Belgium has a long tradition of producing world class drivers, but the same isn't true of motorcycle racers,” explains Marc van der Straten. “Not since 1991 have we had a competitive Belgian rider competing regularly in the premier class of motorcycle racing, which is far too long in my opinion.”

“We set up our Moto2 team in 2010 with the aim of running at least one Belgian rider in the team, but this proved impossible because there simply wasn't a rider of the required calibre available in Belgium at that time. The situation is no different now, which is why we've decided to take a longer term view.”

“We've realised that if we want to put a Belgian rider on our bike, a rider that has the talent to progress to MotoGP in the future, then we need to be looking at the youngsters coming into the sport and helping them to realise their potential. This is why we have chosen to support Livio Loi this season.”

“I hope that with our support, Livio will be able to focus on developing his obvious talent and that in a few years time, he'll be ready to step up to Moto2 with the Marc VDS Racing Team.”