MXGP

Yamaha Motor Europe is pleased to announce that Jeremy Seewer, Maxime Renaux and Glenn Coldenhoff will remain with the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP team in 2023, racing the premier class of the FIM Motocross World Championship, with all three riders targeting the MXGP crown aboard the Factory YZ450FM.

Filling three of the top-five places in the 2022 MXGP World Championship standings, Seewer, Renaux and Coldenhoff put in some outstanding performances this year, with their combined total of 22 podium finishes ensuring that Yamaha secured the manufacturer’s championship title in MXGP for the first time since 2015.

Set to enter his sixth season with Yamaha in MXGP, five-time FIM Motocross World Championship runner-up Seewer will once again chase a maiden FIM Motocross World Title. The Swiss star finished second in the 2022 MXGP World Championship after taking his YZ450FM to five race wins and nine podium finishes, of which three were Grand Prix wins.

Last year’s MX2 World Champion, Renaux, was impressive in his debut season in MXGP. The 22-year-old quickly adapted to the YZ450FM and took the fight to even the most experienced 450cc riders. Finishing the season as the best-placed rookie, the young Frenchman celebrated four qualifying race wins, six championship race wins, seven podium finishes, of which one was a Grand Prix victory, on his way to a creditable fourth in the world ranking. 

Coldenhoff enjoyed a positive second term with Yamaha in which he made encouraging progress. The ‘259’ took his YZ450FM to three race wins, a Grand Prix win and a further five podium finishes to round out the top-five in 2022. 

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP rider, Jeremy Seewer: “It’s great to stay with the same teammates in 2023. I signed my contract for 2023 quite a while ago, so I knew I would be here, but it’s nice to grow together. I started with Yamaha in 2018 and I will be on blue in ’23, so it’s my sixth year. It’s nice to have familiarity, and we have a lot of exciting things ahead of us, so I am looking forward to seeing what we can do.”

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP rider, Maxime Renaux: “It’s good to know we will have a strong team again. I signed a two-year deal in 2021, which was good to have two years to build in MXGP. We already started quite well this season, so I am happy with the progress I have made in my move to the YZ450FM, and thankful that Yamaha has supported me fully in my decision to step up. We will be ready to go in 2023 where the goal will be to keep building in confidence and experience, so I am really looking forward to it.”

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP rider, Glenn Coldenhoff: “I’m really happy. I’ve been with Yamaha for two years, and this season, I feel like we have made some big improvements. I am looking forward to keeping the same group of people around me. We have built such a strong relationship in a short time, and they have always stood behind me, so I really appreciate that. I like the set-up and the people we have around us from the osteopath to the trainer, all these things contribute something, and I think this is important. Here, I have everything I need, and we have some even better things coming, so I look forward to it, and I am ready to go for it again next year.” 

Yamaha Motor Europe Off-Road Racing Manager, Alexandre Kowalski: “We’re really pleased to continue with Jeremy, Glenn and Maxime for at least another season. These three riders have all demonstrated their ability to fight for race wins and the title with the multiple podiums and victories we have had this year. In addition, all three finished inside the top five in the championship this season, which shows great consistency, and this is also important, as consistency is the key to success in any form of motorsport. Jeremy and Maxime have been with Yamaha for many years and have both been fundamental factors in Yamaha’s success. They are key members of the Yamaha Family and we’re extremely happy to continue the story with them along with Glenn, our newest rider and one that has made great progress aboard the YZ450FM this season. We are confident in this line-up, and while we are still fully focused on finishing the 2022 season strong at the Motocross of Nations in the USA, we are proud to know we will have the same strong team in place for 2023.” 

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team Owner, Louis Vosters: “I’m really happy with this strong line up. When we look at the results from this year with these three riders, we were there fighting for the win every weekend. We have had 22 podiums; five GP wins and all three riders finished inside the top five in the championship. I am happy that we can continue building on these results with the three strong riders we have".

Photo Copyright: Yamaha Racing

MONACO (Principality of Monaco) 11 October 2022 – Infront Moto Racing is delighted to share the provisional 2023 FIM Motocross World Championship calendar featuring some new and exciting locations!

21 events are foreseen in 2023, including the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations which is set to take place in Ernée, France, on October the 22^nd. Additional events, such as the FIM Junior Motocross World Championship will head to Romania on the 9^th of July, while the MXoEN will be held on October the 8^th with a TBA venue.

The FIM Motocross World Championship is set to kick off on the 12^th of March at the MXGP of Patagonia Argentina in the stunning Villa la Angostura, followed by two events in locations to be confirmed on the 26^th of March and then 8^th and 10^th of April.

Grand Prix are set to take place in Trentino, Portugal and Spain, before MXGP will return to Villars sous Ecot for the MXGP of France. Then MXGP of Latvia and the Liqui Moly MXGP of Germany are scheduled in early June and will round out the first half of the season in Europe before the trip to Asia for the Indonesian double header in Sumbawa and the brand new Lombok.

Czech Republic, Flanders (Belgium), Finland and Sweden will see the action return to Europe, before we see the much-anticipated return of the MXGP of the Netherlands at a track that is not new to the MXGP Paddock as the Dutch GP will be held at the popular Arnhem on the 20^th of August!

And to finish off the season, Turkiye will once again host MXGP in Afyonkarahisar before the series will make its very first trip to a brand-new venue in Thanh Hoa for the MXGP of Vietnam. A TBA event will follow in early October before the Championship is set to conclude at the MXGP of Great Britain in Matterley Basin for the 2023 Grand Finale.

Infront Moto Racing is delighted to see the series grow and travel to new venues as well as see the return of old favourites and would like to thank the FIM, FIM-Europe, all the organizers and Federations along with teams, partners and all stakeholders for their cooperation to complete this MXGP calendar that will see 20 rounds of the FIM Motocross World Championship in 2023.

Click here to download the 2023 Provisional MXGP Calendar

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One rider who was missed during the 2022 season was the defending MXGP champion, “The Bullet”, Jeffrey Herlings. In what should have been the challenge of winning his sixth Motocross World Championship, the Dutchman had to sit out the whole season with injuries and will arrive at round one of the 2023 MXGP championship having not raced in around 15 months.

Often considered the fastest man on the planet, the Red Bull KTM factory rider always comes back from injuries super motivated and keen on regaining his place at the top of the World. Now, with the 2023 calendar announcement just around the corner, you just know that Herlings will be looking at circuits that are his beloved sand.

When Herlings crashed in early 2022, he knew pretty quickly his season was more than likely done and said so in his social media. Having experienced injury so often in his career, he just couldn’t believe his bad luck.

“I wish the situation was not like this and it’s so frustrating that my career keeps throwing things at me! I’ve been recovering from the injury but the condition of my foot – because of some old injuries – means it is not in the best shape and not enough to think about racing at the highest level this summer.”

Something that really disappointed Herlings was the fact he would run the number one plate in 2022, although I don’t think too many people will be disappointed to see the number 84 back on the start grid next year. Herlings was super excited for the support his beloved fans gave him during his time out.

“It’s a bummer not to run the #1 plate in MXGP but we’ve made our decision and now my only goal is to get my body right, get pain-free and think about preparation for 2023. It feels like a long way away, but I know it will also come quickly. Thanks to all my fans for the messages of support and of course to the best team in the sport. Red Bull KTM have always had my back and I’m really grateful they still do and to all my partners and sponsors involved.”

Back in training for the 2023 season, we now await the return of the five-time Motocross World Champion and hopefully another successful season in the toughest sport in the World. With a full season out, it will be exciting to have him back racing the likes of his fellow five-time Motocross World Champion Tim Gajser and all the other elite MXGP riders.

Photo credits: Ray Archer 

Andrea Barbieri, Chairman of FIM Europe Motocross Commission welcomed everybody in Talavera de la Reina and hosted the Traditional Ballot to define the starting Grids for the 2022 Edition of the MXoEN and WMXoEN.

Here below the complete results:

MXoEN Starting Grid

·       Spain

·       France

·       Finland

·       Sweden

·       Portugal

·       Bulgaria

·       Croatia

·       Italy

·       Slovenia

WMXoEN Starting Grid

·       Norway

·       Croatia

·       Lithuania

·       USA

·       Italy

·       Spain

·       The Netherlands

·       Sweden

·       France

·       Denmark

·       Finland

The Kawasaki Racing Team welcomes Mitch Evans to contest the 2023 FIM Motocross World Championship MXGP alongside Romain Febvre.

The twenty-three-year-old from Cairns in the northern Australian state of Queensland first contested the FIM Motocross World Championships in 2019 after securing his national MX2 title the previous summer.
 
He had already secured international recognition in 2016 when, as under-nineteen champion, he was selected to represent his country in the FIM Motocross of Nations as a seventeen-year-old.
 
In a sensational debut on the world stage, he mounted the podium at his very first GP in Patagonia-Argentina and has displayed stunning speed ever since though serious shoulder and wrist injuries have interrupted his career. Absent for the 2021 season through injury he bounced back spectacularly this summer, rounding out the second-half of the campaign with five top-six moto finishes and a defeat of the entire world elite in Qualifying for the Swedish GP in August and help his country to stand on the podium at the season-ending Motocross of Nations.
 
Mitch will start riding with the team in Europe this week before they fly to Japan for intensive testing with Kawasaki Japan factory technicians.
 
Mitch Evans: “I’m looking forward to the prospect of working with Antti and the Kawasaki Racing Team; already from the initial talks they got me really excited about the faith they have in me and the support they can offer.”
 
I immediately sensed that they believe in my potential and they have the package which can take me to the next level and I want to thank everyone at Kawasaki for that. I made some good progress from my injuries this season just gone and now I’m looking forward to putting in the work during the off-season so that I’m ready to race for wins and podiums for Kawasaki next year. “
 
Antti Pyrhönen - KRT Team Manager: “We are definitely looking forward to working with Mitch. He has shown that he is a great talent, and he has the racing spirit and charisma to succeed. I have been impressed at the way he has fought his way back up the ranks step-by-step to become a real contender after missing more than one year through injury. He has shown the fighting character to race right up at the sharp end on several occasions, even winning the Qualifying race in Sweden.
 
Mitch has proved that he is here to make a statement and succeed and he clearly has the determination which an athlete needs to succeed in any sport and particularly in such a challenging sport as motocross. With his ability, fighting spirit, and hard work we are convinced that he can become a genuinely serious contender with Kawasaki. “
 
Steve Guttridge – Race Planning Manager – Kawasaki Motors Europe: “Moving into season two of the new Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP project and we are delighted that Mitch will join the team alongside Romain while thanking Ben Watson for all his hard work and commitment during the past season.
 
The energy level of the team and Kawasaki’s desire to see both Mitch and Romain regularly on the podium throughout the 2023 season is infectious!  We see this appointment of Mitch as part of a positive and logical evolutionary process of our factory-lead MXGP project. “

Photo Copyright: Kawasaki Racing

The book of the 2022 FIM Motocross World Championship is now ready! Please note that two versions are available: standard and limited edition.

For its 14^th year of publishing, the MXGP Album offers a look back on the MXGP season as well as the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations. Through its pages MXGP Album strives to make you re-liv all the best actions, moments and emotions of the latest 2022 season!

Pre-order your copy now to receive it on early December.

You can order your copy HERE!

MONACO (Principality of Monaco) 4 October 2022 – Infront Moto Racing is delighted to release the entry lists for the 2022 FIM Europe Motocross of European Nations and the Women’s Motocross of European Nations taking place in Talavera de la Reina, Spain on the 8^th and 9^th of October.

This will be the first time since 2019 that the Motocross of European Nations will make its return. Last time, the event was hosted in Gdansk, Poland, where Team Italy ended up on the top step once again, while in the women’s division it was Team Netherlands who ended up on top.

The competition will be fierce this year with 10 teams in the men’s and 12 in the women’s, it will be interesting to see if the reigning champions can defend their crowns this time around in Spain.

Who will win this weekend? There’s only one way to find out, so make sure you follow us on our social media channels to keep up to date with all the latest.

The full entry lists can be found below:

MXoEN Entry List

WMXoEN Entry List

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FIM Europe

Talavera de La Reina

KRT Team Manager, Antti Pyrhonen:
 
“It was a very long season, especially as the previous one had only ended mid-November so the off-season was very short, even more for us as we were moving to a new manufacturer. It was a highly intense winter and since then we never stopped as the 2022 season started early.

The year passed so fast, faster than any other, but we are happy and proud of this first season with Kawasaki and from here we can really advance even further to be ready for the battles ahead of us next season,” explained Antti Pyrhonen, who has a long experience as both a rider and as a team manager in the MXGP world yet no one will take a long break as next season will kick off already in February as Antti explains.

“We really started working hard soon after the final GP in order to prepare for next season as we have some new things coming up, which is great; that will give us some extra work and that’s why we didn’t stop working after Turkey. But it was good to end the season as usual in September; the season has not been affected by Covid so we can really start to work to bring the team to the next level.”
 
A new challenge
For Antti and his staff 2022 was different to all previous seasons as they collaborated with a Japanese company for the first time and needed to discover a new way of working. “To work for the Kawasaki factory is a big responsibility; I was really looking forward to it, and I was ready for it, but there are always new things - new people, new ways of working - for us so for sure there were many things to learn and control.

I am very proud of our team, our riders and our technicians who put in this enormous amount of work; everyone stayed focused and positive and kept working all season long. Without all this hard work it would have been difficult, and I am very proud of what they achieved in such a short time” reflected Antti on his staff before talking about his riders Ben Watson and Romain Febvre.

“For sure it was not easy for Ben to carry the flag for the Kawasaki Factory team alone during the first half of season; he kept working and working, he had some ups-and-downs but when there were some downs he never gave up during the week and keep working hard. He was able to show his potential and, even if the results were not what he was expecting, there were many positives to take if you consider the circumstances of a young rider who was a rookie the previous season in the MXGP class. Romain was out of action for six months but when he came back he showed once again what a fighter he is, a true warrior! After several operations he spent many weeks without being able to do anything apart from rest; it is the worst situation for a rider but then, after many hours of rehabilitation, he could ride again. I was surprised when, after less than ten hours on the bike, he told me that he wanted to race Teutschenthal so he could know how his leg was before going to Indonesia. I was quite surprised, but I trusted him and his experience, and he finished fourth; it was such an amazing achievement! Then again a fourth in Indonesia, and finally a podium in Turkey to end the season on a positive note.”
 
More to come
Antti knows that hard work pays off. “I’m optimistic for next season as we now have a full year of experience together with Kawasaki and we have a great racer in Romain. If he has a good off-season and stays healthy everybody knows that he will be a title contender; that’s the reality. Of course we still keep our feet on the ground and will continue working hard but I firmly believe we will be successful.
 We have developed a great relationship with the Kawasaki factory staff; the relationship is really open and easy. It’s a great pleasure to work with the Japanese technicians and engineers as we share everything; we have a similar mentality regarding not only the bike and technology but also how to execute the work with professionalism. The respect between each party is great and this is unique in my opinion so I’m very happy that we have been selected to carry out this task for Kawasaki. Let’s go for it; let the good time roll!” concluded the always smiling and enthusiastic KRT leader.

Ben Watson, KRT Rider:
 
Kawasaki Racing Team’s Ben Watson took time out to reflect on the 2022 season in which he finished twelfth in the FIM MXGP Motocross World Championship.

“Overall twelfth in the world is not what I was expecting from myself and I feel I under-achieved but I can only point to myself on that. Sometimes things didn’t work how we wanted but that’s how it is. Everything was new for both me and for the team; they wanted to do the best for me and they treated me so well all season; they looked after me as much as if I was leading the world. It was a new bike not only for me but for everyone around me, and it adds an extra dimension when you don’t know the people so well over years and they don’t know you.

Regrouping

We’re still in one piece at the end of the season and have learned for the future. I didn’t handle it as well as I should have, but it’s an experience I will never forget. The Kawasaki Racing Team is one of the biggest set-ups around and everyone’s eyes are on you.

l felt I was coming off a solid first season in MXGP and was looking to build on that, developing and improving. Looking at the big picture, in the end, I finished twelfth in the world which is something to be proud of but I wanted more so in retrospect I am disappointed with what I achieved. I felt big pressure, but I put myself in that position.
For me to be the leading rider while Romain was out during the first half of the season was difficult, but that’s how it is and at this level, you have to take it. The short winter between the 2021 and 2022 seasons didn’t make it easy for anyone and it started off on the wrong foot through no fault of any of us“.
 
Reflecting
 
I had gone home after the last race of 2021 and was really sick; I was in bed for a week and almost ended up in hospital. Then two weeks later I traveled to Belgium, riding, and training, and it was full throttle from day one to be ready for the new season. Now I’m just drained physically and mentally. It’s just been a really tough year and now I need to go home and  get back to normality; I need to shut down, see my family and girlfriend and regroup.“
 

Romain Febvre, KRT Rider:

After a podium at the final round of the FIM MXGP World Championship in Turkey, Romain Febvre reflected on 2022 and, more importantly, 2023. With the injury, unfortunately, part of a GP motocrosser’s career, Romain had to deal with a serious one last winter; after missing the first half of the season he could return to action in mid-June in Germany. For both the Frenchman - as well as for the team - it was a tough period as he recalls.
 
“I was not yet at 100% but as I had a good feeling on the bike and as we had some good training sessions It was time to go racing even if I still felt some pain at times “.
 
Comeback
His comeback was amazingly successful as he only missed the podium by two points. Fourth in Indonesia, Belgium, Sweden – where he missed the podium by a single point – and France Romain was surprised to finally get on the box in Turkey after his performance during the first moto at Afyonkarahisar.
 “The MXGP class is so tight that normally you can’t expect a podium result with the eighth position in one of the races. I was really mad with myself after the first race in Turkey as I crashed alone when I was in third position and missed the opportunity to get a good result,” he admitted.

Podiums
Aided by another great start in the final race of the season he finally clinched a podium and, even more exciting, a race win. “Between Saturday and Sunday, we changed some settings on the bike and I was feeling more confident, not only at the start but also during the races.
Getting a podium was important for me to conclude the race season, but even more important for the team who had put in so much effort all year long for Ben and me. It was a tough season for us but I had time to bind with the team and for sure that will help us to be even more competitive next season.”
 
Optimism for 2023
Last year the MXGP season ended late in November due to the pandemic measures but this year was a more normal season with the first GP in February and the final round in the first week of September.

“It’s great to end the season earlier than during the last two seasons as it will allow us to take a decent break before we prepare for 2023. I’m personally relieved to end the season now as I need some surgery to clean up my knee and leg; I raced this season with pain in my leg so I wasn’t able to train as hard as usual between the races and during the race weekends I also felt some pain. That’s how it is; we all know that this is also part of the life of many motocross riders and it was a year to forget in some ways.”

In conclusion he looked forward optimistically to 2023.

“To end the season on the podium is good for everyone, and now I can focus on having a strong winter training after a recovery period. We have good reason to look forward to next year as Kawasaki Japan will be more deeply involved and I’m sure that after a good winter we’ll be stronger than ever. The team is strong and motivated and I’m really enthusiastic about the future.”

Yamaha celebrates the success of an incredible 2022 Motocross season, in which the Japanese brand won the Manufacturer’s World Championship in all three FIM Motocross World Championship classes, MXGP, MX2 and WMX.  

Thanks to the excellence of the YZ450F and YZ250F, both production and Factory versions of the bike, and the skill and determination of riders Jeremy Seewer, Maxime Renaux, Glenn Coldenhoff, Jago Geerts, Thibault Benistant, Calvin Vlaanderen, Nancy van de Ven and Lynn Valk, all of whom stood on the top step of the podium this year, Yamaha dominated the 2022 FIM Manufacturer’s World Championships. 

In 2022, the premier class was spearheaded by the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP team with its riders Seewer, Renaux and Coldenhoff, and strengthened by Gebben van Venrooy Yamaha Supported team’s Vlaanderen. Between the four MXGP stars, Yamaha celebrated 16 race wins, 24 podium finishes and six Grand Prix victories on its way to celebrating the MXGP Manufacturer’s World Championship title for the first time since 2015.  

In MX2, Yamaha successfully defended the crown for a third consecutive season thanks to the efforts of Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2’s Geerts and Benistant, who celebrated a combined total of 16 race wins and 22 podium finishes, culminating in seven Grand Prix victories. The achievement marks Yamaha's fifth Manufacturer's crown since the class was reinvented as MX2 in 2004, taking its first two titles in 2005 and 2007.

Proving the dominance of the YZ250F across the board and adding to a memorable off-road campaign for those dressed in blue, Yamaha also won its seventh WMX Manufacturer’s title with Van de Ven, Valk and Larissa Papenmeier awarded the top-three championship medals.

Throughout the five rounds of the FIM Women’s World Championship in 2022, Van de Ven won three races and mounted the podium four times on the way to her first-ever world title. She was joined on the podium by Dutch compatriot Valk, who scored three race victories and two Grands Prix to end the season as the silver medalist. 

Increasing Yamaha’s presence and adding to its success in WMX, Yamaha Germany’s Papenmeier collected one piece of podium silverware and secured her fifth championship bronze medal, making it a “blue-wash” of the top-three positions for Yamaha.

Alexandre Kowalski, Yamaha Motor Europe Off-Road Racing Manger:

“We have enjoyed an incredible season this year in all classes. To win the Manufacturer’s World Championship in all three FIM Motocross World Championship classes is proof of our efforts and our strength as a manufacturer competing at such a high level. I believe this year was Yamaha’s best in MXGP in terms of race wins and podiums across the board, and it is something we are very proud of. We have a strong strategy for success, evidenced by the podiums we celebrated with all our riders in all classes. I would like to congratulate Nancy van de Ven on the world title in WMX and Lynn Valk and Larissa Papenmeier on their fantastic seasons. To have Yamaha riders on all three steps of the podium in any of the championships is always something special, so congratulations to them. And also to both of our Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP and MX2 teams. MXGP was brilliant with all of our riders, Jeremy Seewer, Maxime Renaux and Glenn Coldenhoff showing they have what it takes to win, along with the incredible race wins we celebrated with Gebben Van Venrooy’s Calvin Vlaanderen. At the same time, MX2 produced one of the most memorable seasons in history, with the title fight between Jago Geerts taking the title fight right down to the wire and with Thibault Benistant celebrating his first Grand Prix win. Although we won the manufacturer’s crown in all classes, it was not without some ups and downs, but we always pushed forward and focused on the positives. This is something that I, and Yamaha, are very proud of, and it excites us for the future.”