Copyright 2001, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Newly-crowned 2001 WSMC 125cc Grand Prix Champion Chris Peris took part in a tryout for the Red Bull Honda British 125cc Championship team November 29-30 at Mallory Park in England. Peris, 16, caught wind of the opportunity from Tony Bell, husband/tuner/team owner for 125cc GP racer Vicky Jackson-Bell.

The Red Bull team solicited applications from riders aged 14-18 before a total of 50 were selected to take part. On each day of the two-day test, 25 riders took to the track. After the tryouts, the 50 riders were narrowed down to 10 finalists before the two new riders for the team were to be hand picked in mid-December.

Red Bull Britain’s Mark Forsythe, one of the program’s organizers, said that Peris recorded the second-fastest lap time of the test and that he was “massively impressed by (Chris’) attitude and ability on a bike he’s never ridden, on a track he’d never seen, in conditions which couldn’t have been much worse (or alien). Both Robin (Appleyard, Red Bull Honda Team Manager) and myself were particularly impressed that he attacked the place harder than anyone else.” After the cold, rain-soaked test, Peris was informed the he did not make the cut of 10 finalists.

Forsythe added that “Peter Clifford (Red Bull Yamaha MotoGP Team Manager, on hand for the test) was also suitably impressed”. Forsythe told Peris that he would work on arranging a few “wild card” rides for him in the 2002 British 125cc Series. “I have pushed for him over here and would really like to see him visit us next season, perhaps doing a couple of wild-card rides in the British 125cc Championships. I’m convinced he’s got what it takes,” wrote Forsythe to Peris’ father, Fernando.