Spain’s Jorge Zaragoza joins the Gariboldi Honda team to contest the MX2 World Championship in 2015.
Eighteen-year-old Spanish star Jorge Zaragoza has been tapped to be the next rider alongside established FIM MX2 contender Tim Gajser on the factory-backed Honda Gariboldi Racing Team, which contests the FIM World Motocross Championship.
Zaragoza, who has competed in the European 250cc Championship for the past two years, will make the leap to the MX2 class in the World Championship in 2015.
With the strong line-up of Gajser and Zaragoza, the commitment by Honda and the team to the MX2 Championship and to nurturing new talent is clear.
Zaragoza tested his new Honda CRF250R for the first time at Mantova, Italy, last week. Inclement weather the day before the test left the track a quagmire, but the team viewed Zaragosa’s “baptism” aboard the bike as a success. A more rigorous testing program is already being planned for the winter. For his part, Zaragoza said he found the CRF250r to be very easy to ride.
“In the little testing I’ve done, I already feel that the bike is very good,” Zaragoza said. “I’m very happy with it. I think that being with Honda Gariboldi is really good because I can improve a lot with that team. It is really professional, and I think that is the best way to make the jump to the World Championship. The European Championship is good, but the World Championship is completely different. It’s a big step so I hope to be in the top ten next year, but I also want to gain all the experience I can for a second year in MX2 where I hope to be in the top five.
“When I was on the track testing it was a little bit different for me with all the engineers watching and talking after each run but it’s good because I feel that they are looking to help find the best bike for me and for the World Championship,” Zaragoza added. “I have confidence that they will listen to my feedback. I’m just really excited for the start of the MX2 season.”
Team owner Giacomo Gariboldi said that the team is very excited to add Zaragoza to the team.
“He has shown good speed this year in the EMX250 series with a win at the first round in Bulgaria, second overall in Great Britain and three moto top-three finishes, and already he’s got a good feeling on the Honda CRF250R,” Gariboldi said. “With Honda we work hard to nurture and develop new talent, as we can see with what Tim is doing this season, so the Honda Gariboldi team is the perfect place for Jorge to make the step into the World Championship.”
2015 FIM World Motocross Championship Schedule
February 28-Losail, Qatar
March 8-Nakhonchaisri, Thailand
March 29-Neuquen, Argentina
April 19-Arco di Trento, Trentino (Italy)
April 26-Valkenswaard, Europe (Netherlands)
May 10-Talavera de la Reina, Spain
May 24-Matterly Basin, Great Britain
May 31-Villars sous Ecot, France
June 14-Maggiora, Italy
June 21-Teutschenthal, Germany
July 5-Uddevalla, Sweden
July 12-Kegums, Latvia
July 26-Loket, Czech Republic
August 2-Lommel, Belgium
August 16-Trindade, Brazil
August 30-Assen, Netherlands
September 13-Leon, Mexico
September 20-San Bernardino, California
Your Privacy Choices