2014 was the year in which Jascha Berg made a career breakthrough. It was the season in which the then 13-year-old became German champion in the 85cc class, gaining recognition at national level after a string of successes in various regional series. It was a title win which continues to fill the teenager with pride and marked a step change in his development. "During that German championship campaign, my attention was drawn to the ADAC MX Masters race series. It has since considerably advanced my career: in the ADAC MX Youngster Cup, I'm competing against the superstars of Europe, which is a really cool feeling. Especially as I'm also able to measure my own abilities against theirs and in this way constantly raise my standard." Now 16 years old, Jascha has recently completed his school-leaving exams and will be starting at a vocational college after the summer holidays.

Jascha has been contesting the ADAC MX Youngster Cup since 2015, and although injuries have prevented him from completing a full season so far, this has in no way diminished his motivation in the events where he was competing. "When I first entered the Youngster Cup, I felt quite small compared to the others, but I don't feel that way anymore. I know that I don't have to hide, and I do a lot of training so that I get faster and better. It's obviously a big challenge, especially in the ADAC MX Masters race series, because the opposition are very strong." He sees Leon Ast, Pit Rickert and Nico Koch as his major rivals.

The Kiedrowski Racing Team rider has had the unstinting support of his father right from the start. As an amateur contestant himself, Berg senior from Felde near Bremen took his son to several race events - the experience of motocross was an inspiration for the four-year-old. "My dad bought me a small motorbike which I used to ride across the fields all the time. At the age of eight, I competed in my first regional championships and won them all at the first attempt. That instilled the ambition in me to keep on developing."

Jascha is working hard to realise his dream of one day competing in the European or World Championship. When he gets home from school, he does power exercises five times a week, goes running three times and also spends the race-free weekends training on the track. "Trying to combine full-time education with motocross has so far worked quite well. Sure, it's always a balancing act, but I often do my homework in the car when we are travelling to an event. Also, my teachers and the head at my school are supportive of my sporting ambitions, so at the end of the day, I manage to reconcile all the competing claims on my time."

His extracurricular activity goes down particularly well with his classmates. "They generally think that motocross is totally cool and watch videos of me on social media. That makes me proud. My brother Jerome also gives me good support, but he has no interest in getting on a motorbike himself." Jascha gives a wry smile. "Motocross is very much a world of its own. You don't have much time left for anything else. But that's what attracts me to the sport. The rush of adrenaline just before the start - I wouldn't miss that for anything in the world. It's just a lot of fun, and that's the greatest motivation for me."