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With the rumors beeing that Wilvo takes over the official Yamaha factory effort for next year, thus cutting the number of factory (or factory supported) Yamahas from 4 to two, what do they do?
Romain Febvre: 2015 World Champion. Also has been the best placing Yamaha in the championship ever since, even through injuries. Started season strong, got injured, now back and racking up podiums again.
Jeremy Seewer. 3rd in points right now and has been very consistent and improving each round, culimating in hitting moto podiums the last two rounds.
Gautier Paulin: 4th in points. Veteran, solid as always. Maybe not the blazing speed he had a few years ago but the guy has already hit the overall podium once, and 3 moto podiums this year.
Arnaud Tonus: Arguably the guy that was planned for the cut but with 7 (!) moto podiums in the last 8 races (with the 8th one beeing a 4th) and overall podiums for 4 rounds in a row. Arguably the hottest rider right now alongside Gajser. Also 5th in points.
I wouldnt want to be the one making these decisions for next year. I´m sure they´d like to keep all of them.
Is anyone of these under contract for 2020?
What choices do they have if they wanna make another team a "factory supported" effort like Wilvo has been. Is the Swedish team of JWR up to the task?
Can someone else come in to take over the reigns?
Romain Febvre: 2015 World Champion. Also has been the best placing Yamaha in the championship ever since, even through injuries. Started season strong, got injured, now back and racking up podiums again.
Jeremy Seewer. 3rd in points right now and has been very consistent and improving each round, culimating in hitting moto podiums the last two rounds.
Gautier Paulin: 4th in points. Veteran, solid as always. Maybe not the blazing speed he had a few years ago but the guy has already hit the overall podium once, and 3 moto podiums this year.
Arnaud Tonus: Arguably the guy that was planned for the cut but with 7 (!) moto podiums in the last 8 races (with the 8th one beeing a 4th) and overall podiums for 4 rounds in a row. Arguably the hottest rider right now alongside Gajser. Also 5th in points.
I wouldnt want to be the one making these decisions for next year. I´m sure they´d like to keep all of them.
Is anyone of these under contract for 2020?
What choices do they have if they wanna make another team a "factory supported" effort like Wilvo has been. Is the Swedish team of JWR up to the task?
Can someone else come in to take over the reigns?
That being said....Tonus has impressed me so freakin' much this season! God dang that guy can ride the wheels off a bike! Such a cool and humble dude , that I think surprised a lot of his fans on just what that guy is capable of.
Anyways , no matter what happens next year with Yamaha , i hope the two guy's that lose their ride , find another home to be comfortable in.
Exactly the same with Lieber. Payed his way in.
As long as they bring in the $$$, I sadly don't see they going anywhere.
The Shop
- In the US, they have the 250 team that works perfectly, but in the GP it is not often the case (except this year where they have like 2 riders in the top 6). Without Star racing, most people wouldn't be so convinced by their 250.
- In 450, it is the same, but in GP. Right now they are showing their 450 is working awesome, which is not really the case in the US (8th and 9th in the championship? + Webb didn't help last years). With this pressure, all the 4 riders are currently performing well, but this has not always been the case too. Maybe they should keep this pressure if that is how you make riders perform better, but as it is they should postpone the decision and keep these 4 riders for at least another year. Right now their image is really improving in 450, it is not sure it will be the case next year especially when as you said some injuries can also comes into play (i.e. no Desalle = no kawi in the top 8)
Ok.....if he does in fact bring big money , then why the hell doesn't Honda have enough money to support a 3rd rider ( I'm talking just 450 class ) that can be a top 7th - 10th place guy? I don't get it.
And with two Yamaha rides going away , Suzuki already gone , and slower riders buying their rides.....it sure as hell leaves a lot of fast dudes with no ride. It sucks!
From what I´ve heard, JM Racing isnt ready to shut down after they got shafted by Husky, so maybe thats where Suzuki sees its way back in. The question is if they´d do both 450 and 250.
It would be awesome to see more manufacturers bring back the full factory teams in MX2. KTM and Husky are full factory and I guess Vlaanderen is on a true HRC bike but I dont think either Kawi or Yamaha teams has that level of support.
- Yamaha Rinaldi seems to quit indeed. For shame, one of the most prominent teams of the paddock since... seems like forever. If this rumour turns out to be true, a big loss for the GP-scene.
- Yamaha Wilvo will probably inherit the full-factory status. Well earned for Louis Vosters and his team.
- Jacky Martens loses the support from Husqvarna in 2020, this was revealed before the start of this season. I don't know what he's up to, but if he gets Suzuki back in, and that's a big if, will he run and MXGP and an MX2-team? I believe he hasn't lead a premierclass team since around 2005.
- I get it's difficult for Bogers to come back after missing almost the entire season of 2018. But Tonus managed, and how. He always seems to fight between places 12-22, except for the mudrace in Mantova. He's battling for 18th places in the standings with Tanel Leok, a guy who races under his own awning and who's 12 years older. Bringing a lot of cash or not, Japan can't stay satisfied with those results from a full-factory rider.
Having said that, it wasn't that strange of a thought to expect Bogers to fight for a top 10 position in MXGP.
Bogers didnt age out of mx2 he moved up to mxgp early after 6th and 8th in points in mx2 and probably 5-6 podium finishes.He was also considered to be a gu y who would likely be better on a 450 due to his weight and build.
Unfortunately (or better said fortunately) sponsorship isnt going to make up for these results so Bogers won't be the #2 factory rider next season. Maybe if HSF pays he can be a 3rd rider.
Imo he'll have to hope for a rider at a Dutch team like Hutten or maybe Gebben (with Lupino having a bad crash)
The best available non-factory rider is probably van Horebeek.
Jeremy van Horebeek currently has 200 points. Julien Lieber has 186.
If i'm looking for a #2 rider those 186 points plus $500k look quite interesting compared to 200 points minus $150k salary. Seems quite worthy of a shot to be honest.
Pit Row
I cant recall a single time where a single team fielded 4 riders in the same class. Even 3 riders is a stretch, only Husky and KTM have done it in recent years.
What is somewhat a disaster in modern mx is that no team bring 3 or 4 riders yet they still have 15 people on the payroll.
13 people = :
1 manager
1 secretary
1 trainer
4 mechanics
4 riders
and then there still 2 people for as PR/sponsorship salesman, and 1 motorist or suspension specialist...
In the 90's we have seen riders with their dad winning GPs. 2 people = GP wins. And now suddently 30 people are really needed ?
If Tonus takes that next step and starts winning, then what? We very well could see Yamaha keep him and Seewer. Febvre is amazing but I “think” Febvre has missed races every year since 2015? He needs to start staying healthy.
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