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february 27, 2020 - Yamaha Racing

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP & MX2 Teams Fit & Fired Up for the Opening Round of the FIM Motocross World Championships

After a successful off-season and winter period, the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory #mxgp and #mx2 teams are all set for the FIM #motocross World Championships to commence at the #mxgp of Great Britain, Matterley Basin, England, this weekend.

2020 marks the first time since 2014 that Yamaha will field two Factory teams inside the FIM #motocross World Championships. One team will contest the #mxgp World Championship while the other will compete in #mx2. Both championships coincide with each other and will be held over 20 rounds. Each round takes place throughout the weekend, Saturday and Sunday, with the riders #racing a Qualifying Race on Saturday which determines the order in which the riders will go to the gate for the championship races. Each class will race two championship races on Sunday. The duration of each championship race is 30-minutes plus two-laps.

Spearheading the effort will be the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory #mxgp Team with firm #mxgp podium threats Jeremy Seewer, Gautier Paulin and Arnaud Tonus. Over the course of 11-years, there have been around 104 pieces of Grand Prix silverware accumulated between the three riders as a result of more than 35 Grand Prix race wins and 19 Grand Prix victories throughout their careers. 

12 of the aforementioned Grand Prix wins and 56 of the podium finishes belong to 29-year-old Frenchman Paulin, a rider who is extremely familiar with the podium in Great Britain after celebrating from the third step in Matterley Basin at the British Grand Prix last year. 

Bolstering those figures with five Grand Prix victories and 32 podium appearances throughout his career is last year’s #mxgp runner-up Seewer. Going into the new season, the 25-year-old Swiss rider is determined to maintain his astonishing record of consistency. Over the past seven years, the ‘91’ has not missed a single Grand Prix, which means the 2020 season opener will mark his 111th consecutive Grand Prix attendance.

Coming off of his most successful #mxgp season ever where he took his YZ450F to six podium finishes in 2019 and boosted his overall podium tally in #mx2 and #mxgp to 16, Tonus is confident the small thumb injury he sustained earlier this month has healed and is looking forward to getting back behind the gate.

All three Monster Energy Yamaha Factory #mxgp riders will be campaigning the works version of Yamaha’s proven YZ450F, the YZ450FM, while the YZ450F will still be well represented by three exciting young rookies, Calvin Vlaanderen, Thomas Covington and Henry Jacobi who are excited to enter their first season inside the premier class. Vlaanderen and Covington will be joined on the YZ450F by MXGP veteran Alessandro Lupino. The trio will make up the Gebben Van Venrooy Yamaha Supported #mxgp team, while Jacobi will joinYamaha’s #mx2 title threat and YZ250F ace Maxime Renaux under the SM Action M.C. Migliori Yamaha Supported MX team awning.

Building on a fruitful 23-year relationship, the previously named Monster Energy Kemea Yamaha #mx2 team has been renamed the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory #mx2 team for the 2020 season and has retained its strong contingent of #mx2 protagonists Jago Geerts and Ben Watson for a third season.

Both riders will campaign the works version of Yamaha’s popular YZ250F, the YZ250FM. 

After finishing third in the 2019 #mx2 World Championship where he proved his promise as one of only three race winners, 19-year-old Belgian sensation Geerts is a hot favourite for the title. Unlike Geerts who has four years left in #mx2, Watson will turn 23-years-old in June and due to the class’ age restriction will be forced up into the premier class at the end of the year. 

Both riders feel fit and ready for the season to start, although Watson has encountered a minor mishap with an old injury flaring up earlier this month. After taking three-weeks off the bike with a fractured right hand, the Brit has tested his strength last weekend and has confirmed he will be lining up at the opening round in Matterley Basin, Winchester, where he hopes to do his home crowd proud. 

Joining the #mxgp and #mx2 paddock for the opening round of the EMX125 Championship this weekend is the MJC Yamaha Official EMX125 team. The team will line up two of their three riders, new recruit Ivano van Erp and the winner of the 2019 YZ125 bLU cRU FIM Europe Cup Mairus Pumpurs. The third of the MJC Yamaha trio, Kay Karssemakers, is still recovering from the broken wrist he sustained while training in Spain, an update on his return to #racing will be shared when available. 

Last but by no means least, the fastest ladies in the world will also line up for the first round of the FIM Women’s #motocross World Championship. Last years WMX silver and bronze medalists Nancy van de Ven and Larissa Papenmeier are both using Yamaha's cutting-edge YZ250F in hopes of clinching a maiden world title.

Jeremy Seewer

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory #mxgp #91

I am feeling well going into round one. It has been the best winter I have had in a while, so I am feeling good, but at the same time, I know that everyone is super ready at this time of the year and there is a lot of competition in #mxgp. I know this, but I am not stressed about it. I love Matterley Basin, it is one of my favourite places but at this time of the year the weather is 50/50 whether it is bad, or it is good. I’m ready to get the ball rolling, to be consistent and not make silly mistakes. I hope to get to the top after a few races and will keep pushing after that.

Gautier Paulin

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory #mxgp #21

I’m excited to get the season started. Matterley Basin is always a track that I love #racing at, it’s a great venue, a nice track with nice dirt. The biggest game-changer on the day will be whether if it is muddy and like a lottery or if it stays dry and is decent. Either way, I want to perform at my best.

Arnaud Tonus

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory #mxgp #4

I’m still recovering with my thumb but I had a good winter preparation and I feel ready. I really like Matterley, it’s a very fun track and good for #racing too. My game plan is to give it all and stay in the moment.

Jago Geerts

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory #mx2 #193

I’m feeling good and I’m ready to start the season this weekend. I had a fun winter with a lot of good training and the pre-season races went pretty well so I’m excited to start the GP season. I think that the track in Matterley Basin is one of the nicest tracks of the calendar. The layout is really good and there are a lot of nice jumps. So, I’m looking forward to riding the track. My plan is just to go out there and have fun. It’s the first round so everyone is really motivated. I just want to get good starts and not make too many mistakes and hopefully go home with a lot of points.

Ben Watson

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory #mx2 #919

Heading in to round one I am just really excited to get the new season underway. We have all been working really hard during the offseason and we can finally see where we are and what we need to work on still with me and also the bike. I had a small hiccup a few weeks ago and missed a couple of weeks off the bike but I am still feeling very positive heading to Matterley and will go for a solid result to start 2020 off. I love Matterley basin. It is one of the greatest tracks on the calendar. The weather might play a huge part this weekend but we are all so excited with it being round one that I am sure everyone is going to stay enthusiastic and enjoy the weekend no matter what. The whole layout with the track being in the valley makes it one of the most natural on the calendar and sometimes I feel like we are missing that nowadays, it has great jumps, a nice long lap time, and it is great for spectators which is why I believe it is one of the greatest on the calendar.

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