Teams Preview World MX Season opener

Teams Preview World MX Season opener

Husqvarna Preview

With the opening round of the FIM Motocross World Championship taking place in Losail, Qatar this Saturday, February 28, Husqvarna Motorcycles’ official teams are ready to begin their 2015 MXGP and MX2 championship assaults.

Marking the long-awaited start of what will be a seven-month world tour, Husqvarna’s teams Red Bull IceOne Husqvarna Factory Racing and Wilvo Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing will together enter four MXGP and one MX2 rider into the 18 round series.

Fielding three riders in the MXGP class, Red Bull IceOne Husqvarna Factory Racing head to Qatar fresh from very encouraging pre-season performances in the Italian Motocross Championship. Using the three-round series as a shakedown ahead of the 2015 MXGP season, the team’s three riders – Max Nagl, Todd Waters and Nathan Watson – all scored promising results. Firing on all cylinders, the trio will look to get their MXGP campaigns off to the best possible start on Saturday.

Ending 2014 in impressive style, experienced German Nagl is known to have the speed to win and is focused on establishing himself as an MXGP championship contender. Competing aboard Husqvarna’s powerful FC450, Nagl is expected to play a decisive role in the highly anticipated MXGP championship.

Competing alongside Nagl in the Red Bull IceOne Husqvarna Factory Racing team, both Todd Waters and youngster Nathan Watson enter the 2015 MXGP season opener determined to show what they’re capable of. With Todd starting his second season of GP competition, and Nathan now set to compete in all 2015 MXGP races, together they complete the highly motivated MXGP squad.

Representing Husqvarna in both MX2 and MXGP, Wilvo Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing will field Aleksandr Tonkov and Dean Ferris. Ending his 2014 season eighth overall in the MX2 class, Tonkov enters Losail ready to improve and having shown impressive speed towards the end of last season. A little older and a little more experienced, Tonkov delivered solid results in his pre-season races and is determined to battle it out at the sharp end of the MX2 class.

Back to competitive action following an end-of-season leg injury last year, Dean Ferris is hoping to make a memorable first MXGP showing for his new Wilvo Nestaan team. Fit, healthy and feeling strong, the Australian is certain to be a rider to watch in MXGP.

Robert Jonas – Head of Husqvarna Motorsports: “The start of a new MXGP season is always an exciting time, everyone at Husqvarna Motorcycles is looking forward to a successful year ahead. The 2015 MXGP and MX2 championships will bring many challenges, but both the Red Bull IceOne Husqvarna Factory Racing and Wilvo Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing teams are ready for the first GP in Qatar. All five riders have been training hard during the winter, visible in their results at the recent pre-season races. With 18 rounds to contest there’s no doubt that it will be a very long and demanding series. We wish them luck.”

Antti Pyrhönen – Red Bull IceOne Husqvarna Factory Racing: “Everything has gone to plan during our pre-season preparations with three solid outings in the Italian championship. Max, Todd and Nathan are all healthy and motivated to make a strong start to the championship, and looking forward to the 2015 MXGP series. Max has been getting great starts in his pre-season races and has worked extremely hard to be in the best shape possible for the opening GP in Qatar. Todd has continued to work hard and I’m confident that his dedication will start to pay off and show in his results. Nathan faces an exciting year. He will now also compete in the overseas GPs after promising winter preparations, which will give him valuable experience. Everyone in the team is excited about getting the championship started.”

Jacky Martens – Wilvo Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing: “This is an exciting moment for the Wilvo Nestaan Husqvarna team. With one rider in each class we will have a very full programme at each GP, starting this weekend in Qatar. Both classes are extremely competitive but with Aleksandr Tonkov and Dean Ferris we are looking forward to strong results. Both riders have been training hard and both have the speed to challenge for the podium.”

KTM Preview

The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team goes into the MXGP/MX2 season with a very strong lineup of factory riders who are fit, motivated and ‘Ready to Race’ in the 2015 season.

The factory team has been a powerful force in the paddock in past seasons and has taken successive word titles in MX1/MXGP since 2010, and in MX2 since 2008. This makes them natural targets as other teams and riders turn up the heat, hoping to be able to put the brakes on the ‘Orange Army’.

Heading the MXGP lineup is eight-times world champion Antonio Cairoli, World Champion in the senior class since 2009 (and with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing since 2010). Cairoli, who is known and admired for his riding style, race craft, tactics and consistency has kicked off his season well by securing both the MX1 and Elite class title at Internazionale d’Italia Motocross, the popular and very competitive 3-race pre-season series.

In 2015, Cairoli, a Red Bull athlete, is again on the light and nimble KTM 350 SX-F and naturally has his sights set on securing another title. “I will try to do as good as I can and to be on the podium every weekend. I love my KTM 350 SX-F and I am looking forward to the Qatar race. I like the conditions there under lights. As always there are a lot of guys that are going to fight for the title this season but I am very motivated. Riding my bike is my life. The fun I have when riding keeps me motivated,” Cairoli said heading into the 2015 season.

Meanwhile the talk around the track in the pre-season has been about the upcoming battle between Cairoli and the American Ryan Villopoto, who is racing MXGP this season after being the dominant rider in the US in recent years. The faceoff between these two great riders is not only highly anticipated; it will also certainly inject more thrills and excitement into the 2015 season.

Returning to racing MXGP after a 2014 that was marred by injury is Belgium’s Ken de Dycker who was looking powerful and very confident, especially at the final round of the Internazionale d’Italia in Ottobiano. Following corrective surgery at the end of 2014, Ken, also a Red Bull athlete has had a successful preparation for the 2015 season and is happy to be putting his injury problems behind him. He is committed to go for top MXGP results and will continue to rider the KTM 450 SX0-F.

Britain’s Tommy Searle completes the MXGP factory lineup. He raced in the MX2 factory team in 2007-08, finishing second in the championship each time, so his return is a welcome ‘homecoming’. Searle has been impressive in pre-season preparation according to MXGP factory team boss Claudio de Carli who says he has ‘matured as a rider and as a person’. He finished second to Cairoli in the Elite class of the Internazionale d’Italia and is very excited about riding with KTM and on the 350 SX-F. “I have made a few good races and I have a good feeling with the team and the bike,” Searle said. “With this bike I have now it gives me everything I need to be upfront.”

De Carli says he has good expectations for all of his three MXGP riders. Cairoli’s long time personal manager is confident that he will be fighting for his ninth world title in 2015. “Every year we must fight against many riders, especially this year there is a big starting gate with many good riders. But ours are among the best and we have a very good and very competitive bike,” De Carli said.

While team expectations for Cairoli are a given, De Carli said Searle has done a great job with the team so far. “For sure he can be top five this season and we can already see how much he has improved. In Italy he was able to stay with Tony. He got the best out of all of his races and he was fighting all the way. Of course he can be even better than top five. The more he develops the better he is.”

De Carli said he also expected de Dycker to be up front this season. “Ken can do a lot if he is in the right condition. The last race in Italy he was very reactive and very focused. He could have easily won if he didn’t have a technical problem. We will see Ken in the podium many times this year.”

Herlings and Jonass contesting MX2 World Championship

Competing for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing in MX2 in 2015 are double World Champion Jeffrey Herlings and the talented young Latvian rider Pauls Jonass, who moves up from the junior squad. Both ride the KTM 250 SX-F factory bike.

The headline news in MX2 is about Herlings’ return to the track after a broken leg cut short his spectacular 2014 season. Jeffrey has had recent surgery to remove the metal from his leg and will have only had several weeks on the bike before the opening MX2 GP.

The Dutch rider’s skill on the track and his bravery are already well documented and he has been looking good in training. Speaking ahead of the season Herlings said: “After the surgery they gave me the green light for riding. I feels good to be back on the bike and we are just working on progressing every day. For sure at the start of the season I won’t be as strong as I have been in past years but I will try to improve from the first GP and every one after that, and I will try to get better results.”

Jonass has already attracted attention in pre-season races with some spectacular riding on the 2015 KTM 250-SX-F. The young Latvian is taking a cautious approach saying his main goal for 2015 is to just “get experience and build up speed for the next years.” Jonas: “I’m feeling really good now. I am on the best bike in the paddock and I am very thankful for this opportunity. I am satisfied with my pre season and I’ve been working hard in the winter with my trainers.”

MX2 Team Manager Dirk Groebel is confident that his two riders will be delivering the required results. Groebel: “Our goal is clearly to defend the title that we won last year with Jordi Tixier. Hopefully we can get it back again with Jeffrey Herlings this year. He lost by only a couple of points due to injury last season, so yes, our main goal is to secure the MX2 title.”

Speaking of the new team member Pauls Jonass, Groebel said at the beginning of the season he is hoping for a top eight position for the Latvian rider. “Maybe even top five, so let’s say by half way through the season he should be a solid top five finisher and if everything goes really well, maybe he will even be on the podium.”

This year the KTM Juniors being developed and trained by 10-times world champion Stefan Everts to be the next generation of KTM factory riders are Davy Pootjes (NLD), Jorge Prado (ESP), Conrad Mewes (GBR) and Josiah Natzke (NZL). Pootjes, who will race selected MX2 GPs this season, went with Pauls Jonass and Mewes to the pre-season LaCapella Marival International MX in France last weekend and all impressed Everts. “I did not expect them all to be in such good shape so early in the season,” Everts said. Natzke, at present still competing at home in the New Zealand Nationals will join Evert’s KTM Juniors group in early spring to prepare for the European Championships.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing MXGP Team

Manager: Claudia de Carli

Tony Cairoli, ITA, KTM 350 SX-F

Ken de Dycker, BEL, KTM 450 SX-F

Tommy Searle, GBR, KTM 350 SX-F

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing MX2 Team

Manager Dirk Groebel

Jeffrey Herlings, NED, KTM 250 SX-F

Pauls Jonass, LAT, KRM 250 SX-F

Note: KTM Junior Davy Pootjes, NED (Will ride in selected MX2 GPs)

KTM Juniors (EMX – European Championship riders)

Manager Stefan Everts

Jorge Prado, ESP

Conrad Mewes, GBR

Josiah Natzke NZL

KTM World Championship titles since 2008

2008: MX2 World Champion Tyla Rattray (KTM)

2009 & 2010: MX2 World Champion Marvin Musquin (KTM)

2010 – 2014: MX1/MXGP World Champion Antonio Cairoli (on KTM)

2011: MX2 World Champion Ken Roczen (KTM)

2012-2013: MX2 World Champion Jeffrey Herlings (KTM)

2014: MX2 World Champion Jordi Tixier (KTM)

HRC Preview

The 2015 MXGP season kicks off this weekend with the now regular season-opener at the floodlit track of Losail, Qatar. Team HRC riders Evgeny Bobryshev and Gautier Paulin will be looking to build on the Honda CRF450RW’s success in Qatar from last year, where it took a moto victory.

Qatar will signal Bobby’s return to GP racing after a 2014 season hampered by injury. The popular Russian rider has not competed in a GP since Maggiora in June of last year so, after an off-season spent getting back to optimal fitness, he is hungry to make a strong return in the season opener.

New signing Gautier Paulin will be making his Honda GP debut this weekend with Team HRC. The Frenchman will be looking to maintain his momentum from the French domination of last year’s Motocross of Nations in Latvia and the moto victory from last month at Riola Sardo, the first round of the Italian International Championship.

The off-season testing programme has seen comprehensive development of the CRF450RW and, along with rider-based input from new Sporting Manager Jean Michel Bayle, has ensured that the race-winning machine is even better than last year. Alongside the signings of Paulin and Bayle, Team HRC has also welcomed new sponsor Motul to the racing family.

The Losail track in Doha, Qatar, is situated next to the road race circuit used by MotoGP and World Superbike championships. Since its inception two years ago, the circuit has firmly cemented its place as season opener for the MXGP championship. Action gets underway at 1900hrs local time on Saturday night with the first MX2 race.

Roger Harvey – HRC General Manager – MXGP – “It will be interesting to see how the results fall in this first round, with all the rider changes in the paddock. I think the year has started well for us with Gautier’s success in Riola and Bobby fully fit again. We’ve worked hard over the winter to further improve the bike and the testing has been extremely positive. Bobby and Gautier both like the bike and are confident for the season ahead. I’m very happy with how things have gone and I think we have an exceptionally strong team this year.”

Evgeny Bobryshev 777 – “I’m really looking forward to Qatar and racing the GPs again. Since Maggiora I’ve only really been training so it’s been really a long time since my last race, and that’s why it was so important to do the Italian championship. Ok the results were not so good but my preparation was good and I feel good on the bike and that’s why we did it – to get the race feeling back.

“Now I feel good with the bike and with my physical condition – I feel better than last year at this point in the season. I’m really looking forward to Qatar because I just want to get there and race again. I feel a bit crazy about not racing for so long so I feel really motivated for this season. Everyone in the team has done such a good job and has been working so hard so all the guys are also so motivated to go racing again.”

Gautier Paulin 21 – “We are happy to come out from the winter and to get to Qatar and start racing again. It’s what we work for so I’m really looking forward to my first race back with Honda and HRC. It was pretty comfortable to be riding the Honda right from the start as it’s a really good bike and HRC are great to work with, and together we’ve been working really hard.

“I’ve been testing and training a lot and everything has been going well, especially because in France we’ve had good weather so it helps to get the job done. I’m pretty happy with the bike since I started riding it and it’s going the way I want. Every time I get on that bike I really enjoy what I do which is the most important thing in life and in the career.

“Looking to Qatar, it’s always good to go back to a place that you’ve been winning at before. It’s one of the tracks I ride well on, and of course it’s better knowing that the bike has won there too last year.”

Yamaha Preview

After forming part of the slick and high profile 2015 official teams launch in Italy two weeks ago Yamaha’s motocross arm of their comprehensive competitive line-up this season is set for action this weekend with the Grand Prix of Qatar opening the eighteen-round FIM Motocross World Championship. Yamaha Factory Racing Yamalube – with Jeremy Van Horebeek and Romain Febvre steering the new YZ450FMs – will attack the premier MXGP category around the sweeping Losail International Circuit and under a shining blanket of artificial light. In the MX2 division – and with the formidable YZ250F – Standing Construct Yamaha (Valentin Guillod and Julien Lieber) and Kemea Yamaha (Benoit Paturel and Damon Graulus) will lead the charge. Also in the MXGP ‘mix’ will be Yamaha’s last World Championship winner, David Philippaerts, with his own DP19 Racing squad and a second year of campaigning YZ450F machinery from the confines of an impressively-run team structure.

Many eyes will be on the ‘89’ machine of Van Horebeek in Qatar this weekend. The Belgian’s achievements of twelve podium finishes from seventeen rounds (eleven in a row, including a first MXGP win in the Czech Republic) delivered a memorable runner-up standing in the 2014 contest and elevated JVH to the rank of ‘contender’ for this coming season. Jeremy opened the Yamaha chapter of his career in Qatar last year with fifth position overall and then celebrated his maiden trophy with third place in Thailand the following week. Now his name is being mentioned in the same group as favourites such as Tony Cairoli, Gautier Paulin, Clement Desalle and new star attraction Ryan Villopoto for 2015 spoils. “2014 was an awesome year but I still made some mistakes, stupid mistakes, rookie mistakes,” Van Horebeek says. “It was only my second year in MXGP. It is a new season now and I don’t know what to expect. Was I lucky? I don’t know but I don’t think so, and I feel really good. The goal is to fight for the title this year and we’ll see how it goes after a few rounds.”

Tests in Italy and a sustained period of riding on the Island of Sardinia in January helped Van Horebeek chisel the YZ450FM further to his smooth and rapidly efficient riding style. He won the final round of the three round Italian Championship with aplomb. “Last year [the bike] was good already but I still had some details that I wanted to change about the character of the engine,” he explains. “The team have done a great job with that and the bike is complete; totally how I would like it to be. If I built it myself then it would be exactly like I have now. From the outside you will not notice much difference from last season but the small adjustments just make it better for my style.”

While Van Horebeek will be coping with the extra layer of expectation and attention, his new team-mate Romain Febvre will be making his first laps in MXGP and also with the YZ. Third in the 2014 MX2 series and winner of the State of Goias Grand Prix last September, Febvre has had to deal with small injuries to his arm and back during the winter but still showed quick adaptation to his motorcycle and followed Van Horebeek onto the podium at Ottobiano three weeks ago. After 2014 with just one rider in MXGP and MX2, Yamaha Factory Racing Yamalube are now back to double representation in the premier category. “It is a new class, new team, new bike for me so I cannot say whether I’ll be top ten or top five or top twenty,” the Frenchman offered. “I don’t know, and it is a big challenge for me but I know how much everybody has been working for 2015 so I hope for the best. I’m really happy with the team and how they have prepared the Yamaha for me. I was injured during the winter and this meant I lost a lot of hours on the track but through the tests I feel that we are on-point with the bike.”

Philippaerts led the first round of the Internazionali D’Italia in Sardinia and also posted a race victory from the swift three meeting championship. With onlookers reporting that the thirty year old Italian is back to the fitness and confidence of his 2009-2010 pomp then ‘DP’ adds a potent third asset to Yamaha’s focus on MXGP for 2015.

Both Standing Construct and Kemea Yamaha will have their own goals for this season. Thanks to their development scheme and a rider in Guillod who clinched two podium results in 2014 and convincingly won the European Championship in 2013 they have a programme honed into possible MX2 moto victories and rostrum champagne. The possibilities for Belgian Lieber were clear from the final two rounds of 2014 where he made strong starts and ran in the leading sect. Kemea – with solid YZ250F engineering support from Michele Rinaldi’s YRRD organisation (the technical force at the base of the MXGP works effort) – will look for further evolution from promising Belgian Graulus while rookie Paturel is expected to bounce the ropes fast and could soon have designs on the top ten of the division.

Qatar is not only about MXGP and MX2. For the second year in a row the Losail hard-pack will entertain the initial race of seven for the FIM Women’s World Championship. Yamaha will have triple world champ Kiara Fontanesi aiming for a record four titles in a row on her YZ250F and is slated to renew her duel with Australian Meghan Rutledge; a fight that went down to a tense and exciting finale in the Czech Republic last year.

Losail has opened MXGP for the last three seasons and the exceptional permanent facility located a short distance outside of the principal city of Doha will light up again this Friday and Saturday. Round one of eighteen is expected to generate huge interest thanks to the increased depth in the MXGP field and with multi AMA Champion Villopoto drawing the curiosity of the industry and motorcycle racing fans around the globe.

Suzuki

For the third year in a row the Grand Prix of Qatar will open the FIM Motocross World Championship and seven factory teams and some of the fastest and best off-road motorcycle racers in the world will gather under the lights at the Losail circuit for the first of 18 rounds this Friday and Saturday.

Among the elite will be the Rockstar Energy Suzuki MXGP and Rockstar Energy Suzuki Europe teams for a renewed assault on the premier MXGP class and the MX2 division. Clement Desalle, Kevin Strijbos (fourth and third in the 2014 standings respectively) are joined by MXGP rookie Glenn Coldenhoff on the works RM-Z450s while Jeremy Seewer enters just his second MX2 term (and first as a full Pro) on the factory RM-Z250.

In 2014 the MXGP crew celebrated four GP wins, eight moto chequered flags and 14 podiums overall as Desalle and Strijbos forged a consistent and formidable partnership at the front of the blue ribbon category; it is expected that the Belgian duo will again be firm contenders for trophies as well as the MXGP crown that has been held by Sicilian Antonio Cairoli since 2009. Armed with new support from Blackbird and MBA solutions as well as revised back-up from Rockstar Energy, the proficient Lommel-based squad is primed for racing.

Strijbos (29) comes into 2015 in better condition compared to the build-up to Qatar 12 months ago when the former championship runner-up was fighting for fitness and form in the wake of a cracked pelvis. After a sustained period training and riding in California in January, Strijbos returned home to win the Hawkstone Park International in the UK (ahead of Desalle and Coldenhoff) and then also competed in the mud of Valence in France. The ‘#22’ has been resting over the past week after a bout of tendinitis in his right wrist was proving troublesome. “I had an injection before Hawkstone and it was OK for riding but a bit sore afterwards,” Strijbos explained. “I went to get it checked-out after Valence where it still bothered me and the doctor said there was still some inflammation and I should take it easy for a while. Otherwise I feel good and very happy with all the riding we did in the U.S.”

Losail’s remarkable lighting system is just one characteristic of this special showcase event and the sweeping course of tacky and hard-packed mud also boasts some spectacular jumps and aerial sections. Strijbos believes his wrist and ability to wring the maximum possible speed from his RM-Z will not be affected. “I think Losail will be OK,” he confides. “It is fast and although there are some big jumps the landings are pretty good and soft. For sure I’m in better shape than 2014 and it will be interesting to see where we all are.”

Desalle has had an excellent stint of pre-season ‘warm-up’ after finishing as runner-up to Strijbos at Hawkstone and then winning Internationals at Valence and Mantova (in Italy last weekend). The 25 year old has not entered a Grand Prix since the Czech Republic round where he needed to withdraw from the final three meetings of 2014 with a broken scaphoid. The ‘#25’ is back on the boil.

Clement, you spent most of January riding in the USA and in southern California. You did that in 2010 and won three of the first five GPs. Did you want to try this formula of preparation again with a view to this championship?

“Yes, but I also went there in 2011 and I had bad luck because I arrived in California and was sick! This time I stayed with a friend, was healthy and it was great. I was riding for three-and-a-half weeks and it was so good. It was then a shock to come back to Belgium and the winter! You realise just how positive it is for the body being out in good weather…for dealing with the aches and the demands.”

The pre-season Internationals for you were run in the fog, rain and the cold. You won two from three so did you get some decent benefit from these races?

“It was good in a way. Hawkstone started foggy but then it was fine for the motos and it became good training because Kevin is strong in the sand. It was a good reference for me because I was riding within myself and he didn’t disappear at the front. Valence was more like Enduro! It was difficult to see and it wasn’t great for training or getting a look at the other guys but is was still a ‘gate’ and some race starts. Then Mantova was good also.”

You look slim, fit and ready…

“I said to my Dad the other day, actually, ‘I feel fit and happy.’ I am not generally fatigued through my work and I’m looking forward to racing again.”

MXGP should be difficult this year with a lot of good riders involved…

“I think it will be difficult to get through those guys if you have a bad start…but I don’t care. I will do my best and see where it takes me. For sure the usual goal is to aim for good starts, and some race wins!”

What did you change on the ’15 version of the RM-Z450?

“We changed just a couple of small things on the engine but only minor details…I am also using the air forks now. I tried them two or three years ago and didn’t like them so much but we made some tests at the end of 2014 and I saw that we could find a good setting and progress with it. It has made a difference to the front end, saving nearly a kilo of weight I think…it makes it easier to scrub!”

Also armed with a RM-Z450 is Glenn Coldenhoff. The Dutchman is making his debut in the MXGP class for 2015 after shining with Suzuki in MX2 last year. Coldenhoff joined Strijbos and the rest of the Suzuki elite for a training camp in Portugal in December and then for the Californian riding trip in January and his very first race on the larger 450cc motorcycle went well with a podium finish in the Hawkstone Park sand. Sadly, Coldenhoff has been forced to the sidelines in the last week due to a practice spill that led to two broken toes on both feet as well as other aches and pains. It means that ‘#259’ will head to Qatar looking for damage limitation and until he recovers to full strength to really start getting a grasp on the demands of the competition. “I did not think the injury would affect me for this long,” he said. “My back and toes are still painful, especially the foot with which I need to shift gears but my mechanic made a small aluminium plate for my boot that is working pretty good and makes it more bearable!” Coldenhoff was planning to ride on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week to get the feel of the motorcycle again before having to lap Losail.

His Rockstar Energy Suzuki team-mate, Jeremy Seewer, is on the cusp of a memorable year. “For sure this time I feel different,” he explains ahead of his second MX2 campaign. “I could not imagine how much better I would be able to prepare physically and mentally and simply through having much more time to ride the bike. This time last year I was still studying a lot and it was busy having to balance everything. Now I have been able to make a big step forward.

“I know I am by myself in MX2 now but I have some excellent support from the guys in the team and we have worked hard on the bike in the last couple of weeks. One area we have changed is the suspension, I am now on Kayaba, and it meant some work to get that set-up right for me but it has been a good process.”

Heading the team will be Suzuki International Europe’s Thomas Hannecke, who will also oversee the EMX250 European Championship effort with Brian Hsu and Bas Vaessen on RM-Z250s.

“The structure of our Rockstar Energy Suzuki Europe team is a bit different in comparison to the past years,” he says. “Although Glenn has to start the season in Qatar with a small injury he has practiced hard and already showed his potential on the big bike. The results from pre-season make us confident that he will provide some positive surprises in his first MXGP year! Jeremy made great progress during the winter period and will start in his best physical condition ever since he doesn’t have to combine training and school anymore.

“Brian showed amazing results since switching to RM-Z250; he feels really great with the bike already. Brian and Bas will join the team at the first European GP in Italy to start the EMX250 season. We are all now well prepared and we are eagerly awaiting the first GP in Qatar this weekend.”

Practice and qualification takes place on Friday at Losail with the MXGP and MX2 races on Saturday evening. Both Suzuki camps will then re-load the freight cases as the FIM Motocross World Championship then heads to Nakhonchaisri for the third ever Grand Prix of Thailand the following weekend.

The 2015 MXGP Calendar

28.2.2015 – Round 1: GP of Qatar at Losail

08.3.2015 – Round 2: GP of Thailand at Nakhonchaisri

29.3.2015 – Round 3: GP of Argentina at Neuquen

19.4.2015 – Round 4: GP of Trentino at Arco di Trentino

06.4.2015 – Round 5: GP of Europe at Valkenswaard

10.5.2015 – Round 6: GP of Spain at Talavera de la Reina

24.5.2015 – Round 7: GP of Great Britain at Matterley Basin

31.5.2015 – Round 8: GP of France at Villars sous Ecot

14.6.2015 – Round 9: GP of Italy at Maggiora

21.6.2015 – Round 10: GP of Germany at Teutschenthal

05.7.2015 – Round 11: GP of Sweden at Uddevalla