FACTORY TEAMS IN MXGP

For years the MXGP championship has travelled afar, from its early steps decades ago, into countries like Brazil, Indonesia, Argentina, Mexico, America and Australia, international travel remains an important part of the sports growth. China, Qatar and Thailand have in recent years joined the long list of countries who are involved in Motocross Grand Prix and no doubt, in the future new countries will join in on the party.

Hans Corvers can see why the MXGP championship travels all around the World, from Argentina, Indonesia, China, Australia and USA and he feels that the Japanese companies involved in the sport see that as big value. As the team owner of the Monster Energy Yamaha effort in MXGP, the Belgian businessman is excited for the future with Japan involved in the series. Yamaha are also investing more into the MXGP and MX2 factory teams because of the model Infront Moto Racing developed over the years.

“I think because it is more global,” Covers said. “That is a fact, it is definitely Japan who want this (more factory riders). It was the Japanese so many years ago with Honda who made the bigger program and then Yamaha and then in 2022 we had the MX2 class for Yamaha, with Kemea and then Gariboldi with HRC started their MX2 program and now Kawasaki have an MX2 team and also Triumph. This winter for the first time, we had some Japanese guys coming over to our workshop and they really pushed hard on technical decisions, and they are more and more involved, with Kawasaki, HRC and Yamaha. You see it with Kawasaki, there are more and more Japanese in the paddock, their technical guys.”

Dutchman, Kay Henekkens, the owner of the Nestaan Husqvarna factory team feels that negative comments will be around forever, but he is a believer that the MXGP Championship is a well-run championship and is keen to see the sport continue to grow and the Motocross World Championship remain as strong as it is right now.

“You know,” Henekkens said. “There will always be a group of people who want to complain that the old days was always better, they will complain that there are only 25 riders on the gate, but even in the USA, where there are 40 riders, they still lap up to 10th place or 15th place, so for me, at the end of the day, just to get 15 more riders on the gate, to fill it up and have more lapped riders getting in the way of the fast guys, doesn’t make for me any sense. In general, I think Infront, do a very good, decent job. Can they do better, sometimes maybe, I don’t know. It is a big job.”

So, with huge support from Japan, Austria, the UK and Italy and the MXGP championship continuing to grow and produce Grand Prix racing in important parts of the World, the sport can continue to see a light at the end of the tunnel. While Europe remains a little unstable with their economy, travelling to countries like Australia, Indonesia and China will only make the value of our sport bigger and for now, that is a very important direction.

Photo Credit: Bavo Swijgers / Fullspectrum Media