Reigning MXGP World Champion Romain Febvre heads into this weekend’s GP of Qatar with a big target on his back.
FIM World Champion and 2015 MXGP Rookie of the Year Romain Febvre had an amazing 2015, claiming not only Rookie of the Year honors but ascending to the pinnacle of the international scene by winning the FIM MXGP World Championship.
The Frenchman kicks off his title defense at the GP of Qatar this weekend, where he hopes to get off to a good start in his quest for back-to-back world titles. Febvre readies his title defense after a crash-shortened Italian Championship campaign that required five stitches in his elbow.
Febvre is not Yamaha’s only hope for a repeat title, as Monster Energy Yamaha teammate Jeremy Van Horebeek is back, looking to improve upon the fifth-place finish that he earned in last year’s series. Van Horebeek won the MX1 Italian Championship in the pre-season, and his team says that he is entering the GP of Qatar at Losail, north of Doha, in prime physical condition.
The Kemea Yamaha Official MX Team returns in 2016 with Swiss rider Valentin Guillod making his move from MX2 to MXGP aboard a Kemea Yamaha YZ450F. Kemea is also set to field a strong MX2 effort with Benoit Paturel and Brent Van doninck, the latter entering his first full season of MX2 after a mid-year promotion in 2015.
The Wilvo Standing Construct Yamaha will field Aleksandr Tonkov, the Russian looking strong after earning pre-season podiums, and Alvin Östlund joins as a late replacement for the injured Julien Lieber after the young Swede’s impressive top-10 finishes in the three-race Italian Championship.
Eric De Seines, CEO Yamaha Motor Europe N.V., said that Yamaha is optimistic of its prospects as it starts the season with the return of Monster Energy Drink as title sponsor, and it is ready for an exciting championship battle.
“Febvre’s 2015 World Championship title in his rookie season fills all of us here at the Yamaha family with the pride of accomplishment, of a job well done, and sets a very high goal in the new year for everyone who is dedicated to impeccable professional achievement in motocross,” De Seines said. “This dedication is evident as our young and talented riders continue to grow and develop. With support from two of the best teams on the world circuit, Valentin, Benoit, Brent, Aleksandr, Alvin and Julien all have the motivation and capability to achieve top results at Kemea and Wilvo Standing Construct.
“The 2016 FIM World Championship will reveal its drama before us in 19 MXGP races around the globe, from Qatar this weekend to September’s Motocross of Nations at Maggiora in Italy,” De Seines added. “Along the way each event promises an episode of entertaining and compelling off-road motorcycle racing against the best riders in the world, ending in October at a new race this year with the Manufacturer’s Cup at the Veltins Arena. As a matter of pride we place our most talented off-road riders on our very best off-road motorcycles. In its showrooms and dealerships around the world, the YZ450F and the YZ250F are all excellent examples of what Yamaha has to offer, and our victory in the 2015 MXGP Manufacturer’s Classification is a direct result of what Yamaha is working for every day.”
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