MXGP

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing have made several strategic changes to their FIM MXGP World Championship structure that will funnel into their bids for success in 2023 Grand Prix. Chief among those is a fresh role for MXGP and KTM legend Tony Cairoli, who will front the squad as Team Manager.

For 2023 KTM are pleased to announce that nine-times world champion Tony Cairoli will become Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager. The 37-year-old, who was still competing at the highest level with AMA Pro National appearances this summer, won six of his championships with KTM SX-F technology and has been a Red Bull KTM factory rider since 2010. Tony boasts exceptional knowledge of not only the sport but also KTM’s racing culture and philosophy. He will sync with fellow former multi world champion Joel Smets who will train and coach a selection of Red Bull KTM Factory racing riders and other athletes in the group.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing recently celebrated their fourteenth title in the MX2 division since 2004 and with the KTM 250 SX-F thanks to Tom Vialle’s thrilling last round victory of the 2022 campaign in Turkey. Except for the 2015 season, the crew have claimed at least one MXGP or MX2 crown each year since 2010. Smets has been instrumental in Vialle’s development and two crowns since 2020.

On the technical side Vialle’s well respected and experienced mechanic Harry Norton – who helped refine two versions of the title-winning KTM 250SX-F, the 2020 edition and the brand new 2023 model - will take over the role of Team Technical Co-ordinator while long-standing leader Dirk Gruebel will assume the position of Project Manager for Motocross Development.

Claudio De Carli, the man who guided Cairoli to the six championships between 2010 and 2017, will now oversee KTM racing efforts as the new Motocross Race Director. The Italian forged an incredibly strong bond with KTM at the start of the last decade when he helped deliver the factory’s first premier class distinction in MXGP.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing will launch into 2023 with Jeffrey Herlings (MXGP, KTM 450SX-F) and Andrea Adamo and Liam Everts (MX2, KTM 250SX-F).

Tony Cairoli, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “2022 was a change for me and now this is another chapter! It was great to race again this year but it was also positive to take a small step back from racing and see things in a different way. I really hope I can bring as much knowledge and passion as possible to this new role. I will have some learning to do but I also worked with some amazing people in my career, so I expect to use this experience. We are already thinking about our goals for 2023.”

Robert Jonas, Head of Motorsports Offroad: “It is very satisfying to see how we were able to reorganise and clarify the positions of important people for Red Bull KTM and other projects. I think there is some exciting potential because there is so much priceless experience; both on the ground at the track and back in the workshops. If Tony can bring the same enthusiasm for motocross and learning as he did when he was a rider then this next challenge should go very well for him and be of a big benefit for the team. I want to thank all of the staff involved for getting behind the plan and how we will head into the world championship in the coming years.”

Pit Beirer, KTM Motorsports Director: “This is the next step in our race department vision for motocross and for the way we want to keep the brands and organise the best potential in the paddock. It was clear that Tony’s experience and never-ending passion for the sport was something we could count on, just like we did in 2009 when we first started talking. The De Carli connection has been one of the big success stories for us and I’m pleased that it can progress and continue. It’s great to have Joel in his development role still and Harry and Dirk taking on different tasks. We have some great riders and some excellent staff for 2023 so I’m sure we’ll have plenty more exciting times.”

Claudio De Carli, KTM Motocross Race Director: “It feels very special to have this new position and to continue my story with Pit, Robert and the whole KTM group. As many people know we started our partnership well over ten years ago now and it was strong mutual trust that allowed us all to succeed right away and then to carry on winning in MXGP. We are now in transition to the next generation but we have the best possible foundations. I hope we can keep the motocross division as one of the most prolific for KTM and the race department. We’ll push to the maximum to make it happen across the categories.”

Copyright photo: KTM Racing

MONACO (Principality of Monaco) 18 October 2022 – Infront Moto Racing is pleased to share the October issue of the MXGP Magazine!

The 110^th edition of the monthly magazine features the winners of the 75^th Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations, Team USA, as the cover story, as we take a closer look at the history of Team USA at the Monster Energy FIM MXoN and their journey back to the top step after an 11-year wait!

The rest of the magazine includes our monthly Racing Catch-Up which takes a look at the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations action from RedBud, along with the winners of the Fox Holeshot Award.

This month’s special feature takes a look at the Motocross of European Nations which took place in Talavera de la Reina.

You’ll also find the Vintage Bike section, which includes Greg Albertijn’s 1993 Honda CR250

while in this month’s Hall of Fame we learn more about the career of Fred Vialle.

You can find all this plus more in the 110^th issue of MXGP Mag, which you can download for FREE on the Apple Store or Google Play. Read it HERE!

Users who have already downloaded other issues on their iOS device can automatically download the new issue by opening the News Stand and clicking on the cover of the MXGP Mag. Whereas those readers using an Android device will be able to download the magazine for free thanks to this app: http://bit.ly/IssuuOnAndroid.

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

MXGP Mag 110

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

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

FIM Europe

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

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM Europe

Talavera de La Reina