Sensational Moto3 debut: who is Veda Pratama, the biggest surprise of the Thai GP

Who is Veda Pratama, the Indonesian rookie who surprised everyone on his absolute Moto3 debut at the Thailand GP.

Stepping into the Moto3 World Championship and nearly landing on the podium in your very first race. Indonesian rider Veda Pratama, one of two rookies fielded by Honda Team Asia, delivered a masterful weekend in Thailand. Immediately among the front-runners, straight into Q2 without trouble, 5th in qualifying, a leading fighter in the podium group and ultimately 5th at the finish. What more could you ask for? Had the young Casey Stoner fan made the podium, it would’ve been an incredible story, but even so he’s already written a small piece of history in Grand Prix racing. Not an absolute first—remember that in production-based racing Indonesia has its first and only world champion in Aldi Mahendra (Supersport 300 2024)—but among prototypes, the search for an Indonesian star is still on. No need to pile on the pressure, but he’ll certainly be one to watch in the coming rounds, also because his story already tells us a lot...

Veda Ega Pratama arrived in the World Championship at 17 years old: he is the reigning Rookies Cup runner-up, which allowed him to debut despite turning 18 only next November. An exceptional result already, achieved thanks to three wins, three podiums and consistently solid top-5 results that offset two DNFs and a missed round: no rider of his nationality had ever climbed that high in the KTM single-make series. But that’s 2025; before that, the young Indonesian had already made quite an impression. Influenced by his father, an entrepreneur and former rider in the national Super Sport 600, he started riding minibikes at 5 and was racing the following year.

He emerged at continental level in 2022, when he finished 3rd in the Asia Talent Cup, and shone even brighter in 2023, becoming the first Indonesian rider to take the title in this Talent series (from this year the Moto4 Asia Cup) created specifically to help young Asian prospects emerge. He then moved to Europe, splitting time between Moto3 JuniorGP and the Rookies Cup: he was 10th in the former, and really stood out in the latter with 2nd overall behind champion Brian Uriarte. No wild cards or replacement rides to his name in those years, so he had never debuted on the international stage, unlike some of his fellow rookies. He had seen the World Championship up close, but only from the outside, as a parallel event to the Rookies Cup.

This preface matters to explain where Veda Pratama comes from. Compared to Europe, or to countries on other continents, Indonesia in Asia is certainly much younger when it comes to programs that foster the growth of young motorcycle talents. He is not the first Indonesian in Grand Prix racing: the very first, albeit in the intermediate class, was Doni Tata Pradita, the first Indonesian rider in the then-250cc. Rafid Topan Sucipto contested his only Moto2 World Championship season in 2013. The year 2019 was the only one—though marred by a heavy injury—for Dimas Ekky Pratama (this year competing in the new H-D Bagger World Cup); then there’s Gerry Salim, who has one substitute appearance in Moto3 and one in Moto2, both due to injuries to others. There was also Andi Farid Izdihar, also known as Andi Gilang, who raced in Moto2 in 2020 and in Moto3 in 2021, collecting two points finishes only in the smaller class.

It’s also worth recalling Fadli Immammuddin’s lone Moto2 GP in 2013, currently a Paralympic champion following a very serious 2019 accident in ARRC Supersport 600 at Sentul, which led to the amputation of his left leg. Mario Suryo Aji, a recent predecessor in Moto3, raced two years with three points finishes and a best of 12th, before moving to Moto2 in 2024, where he recorded six points finishes and a best of 9th, prior to a major injury that shaped his 2025 season. Let’s not forget a lost young talent, Afridza Munandar, who lost his life in the final ATC round at Sepang in 2019: during the GP, the World Championship riders of all three classes dedicated tributes and final results to him. Beyond the predecessors, the future: keep an eye also on another young Indonesian, 16-year-old Kiandra Ramadhipa, who in his debut ETC season last year finished 5th in the championship with two wins and three total podiums.

Now to the here and now, since we’re talking about the past few days. Veda Pratama knows Buriram from his Asia Talent Cup past, but racing there alongside World Championship riders is something else. So in theory, it’s anything but easy... But here’s what the young Indonesian actually did: first free practice, 6th place at six tenths from leader Fernandez; Practice, 8th at half a second from leader Almansa and straight into Q2 without much sweat; second free practice, 13th at eight tenths from Almansa on top; Q2, he earns a stunning 5th on the grid, 0.789 off the record poleman Almansa. Then comes Sunday’s race: Veda Pratama has already surprised everyone with these results on his absolute Moto3 World Championship debut, but he’s not done yet.

The race gets underway, he’s firmly among the leaders and lap after lap here’s the picture: while Almansa and Quiles break away, a combative quartet forms to fight for the third step of the podium. Pratama is among them, holding a huge opportunity in his hands and ready to give it everything. He has no qualms mixing it with Perrone, Carpe and Fernandez, putting all his grit and determination on track. He proves a tough nut for the Argentine and the two Spaniards, at times dreaming of that third place he momentarily grabs, but in the end he yields to Perrone and Carpe, finishing 5th. A memorable start—who knows, maybe Indonesia has found its little star in Grand Prix racing too.