He was two years old when he rode a motorcycle for the first time. It was a small white pocket bike. Now, 16 years later, the Czech rider is aiming for the podium in the IDM Supersport . His goals are ambitious, but Kocourek has good reasons for them.
By the age of five, a child can walk, run, hop, and jump with confidence. They can balance. They can throw and catch objects. At the age of five, Jonáš Kocourek also competed in his first motorcycle race in his hometown of Brno. And he finished fifth. Later, the ADAC Junior Cup and the Northern Talent Cup were on the agenda. Kocourek made his IDM debut two years ago on a Triumph and immediately secured seven top-ten finishes. In 2024, he made a low-key guest appearance on a Ducati at Most, but now he’ll be competing in a full season on the Panigale V2 as well.
Kocourek is extremely optimistic about his future and explains why: “We started the season in March with tests in Spain—more specifically, in Almería, Cartagena, and Valencia. Then we’ll head to Rijeka, and in April to Misano and Most.” The motorcycle is the same as last year’s, just with a few new and improved parts. What attracts the 18-year-old and the SP Race Project team—which was founded three years ago—to the IDM Supersport is the strong competition and the World Championship tracks like Most and Assen. Together, they’ve already won the Alpe-Adria Cup.
Kocourek has the starting number “56,” which is no coincidence. He explains: “The first time I drove on a racetrack, there were cars there, including two formula cars. One of them had the number 56. I liked it so much that I’ve had the 56 ever since.” The Czech driver can’t say yet where he stands or who his strongest competitors are this year. “That will become clear as the season progresses.” If it were up to him, there wouldn’t be many.