Yamaha Motor Europe è orgogliosa di confermare l’estensione della line-up ufficiale nella classe regina del Campionato del Mondo FIM Motocross con il team ufficiale Wilvo Yamaha MXGP che entrerà nella mischia con le YZ450Fs guidate da Shaun Simpson ed Arnaud Tonus per i prossimi due anni.
Shaun Simpson: “L’ultima volta che ho guidato una Yamaha è stata abbastanza memorabile per me e continuo a pensare che fosse una delle migliori moto che abbia guidato in termini di sensibilità e comfort”. “Posso solo guardare ai prossimi due anni con ottimismo: sono felice che Louis abbia costruito una buona squadra e struttura di supporto e conosce l’importanza del pilota in tutto il set-up. Arnaud è un ragazzo eccezionale e abbiamo già lavorato insieme prima. Sono sicuro che l’atmosfera della squadra e il modo di lavorare sarà ok. In Yamaha hanno più che dimostrato la loro competitività negli ultimi due anni ed è stato impressionante vedere come sono cresciuti e investito di nuovo in MXGP, sento che è un buon momento per essere ‘Blue’ di nuovo “.
Arnaud Tonus: “E ‘una classe diversa per me e anche un campionato diverso ora con venti gare“, ha detto Tonus. “Sono felice di essere tornato e, naturalmente, ho la mia base qui quindi le cose sono più facili da quel lato. Sarà una stagione lunga, con un sacco di concorrenza sulla 450 e sarà una grande sfida ma sono davvero contento di essere di nuovo con Yamaha e Louis era molto motivato nel far accadere ciò. Spero che potremmo avere una buona preparazione e un inverno decente di lavoro. Sarò di base tra il Belgio e la Svizzera dove ho una bella struttura per allenarmi. Ne stiamo parlando al momento, ma penso che il Ginevra Supercross sarà la mia prima gara con Yamaha quindi pensiamo al futuro e spero di salire sulla moto nelle prossime due settimane “.
Erik Eggens: “Siamo davvero lieti di avere la squadra Wilvo incrementando le nostre fila nella categoria MXGP che si riempie di un’altra parte importante della struttura Yamaha Motor Europe attraverso il livello Top del motocross e per lo sviluppo di tutta la gamma YZ,” ha commentato il Responsabile Yamaha Motor Europe MX Erik Eggens. “La squadra porterà la sua consueta passione e professionalità nella classe regina e la combinazione di esperienza di Shaun ed il suo talento sulla sabbia unito al talento di Arnaud e il suo buon nome in questo sport, significa che abbiamo due grandi aggiunte al roster di atleti Yamaha. Anche se siamo fuori stagione, siamo entusiasti di iniziare a lavorare insieme già nelle prossime settimane e mesi, per il 2017 e oltre “.
DI seguito il comunicato ufficiale in versione integrale.
Wilvo Yamaha set for MXGP class with Simpson and Tonus
Yamaha Motor Europe are proud to confirm an extension to the official line-up in the premier division of the FIM Motocross World Championship MXGP with the Wilvo Yamaha Official MXGP team stepping into the fray with YZ450Fs and riders Shaun Simpson and Arnaud Tonus slated for the next two years.
The Dutch set-up transfers out of the MX2 class after two successful seasons in which they toasted Grand Prix victory with Valentin Guillod, enjoyed podium prominence thanks to the efforts of Julien Lieber and Aleksandr Tonkov (the Russian with two trophies in 2016) and nurture the career path of Swedens Alvin Östlund. After a management reshuffle and under the keen eye and willingness of Louis Vosters, the team will start development on their YZ450F racebikes and with the expertise of 28 year old Simpson (three times British Champion, the top rider from the UK in MXGP in the last five years and three times MXGP winner) and 25 year old Tonus (former MX2 GP victor and back from two years competing in AMA SX & MX250) central to their renewed challenge at the peak of motocross racing.
“I’m really looking forward to us moving up to the MXGP class and I’m very happy with our line-up with Shaun and Arnaud,” said Vosters. “They both have great potential and I hope they will surprise us next year. Regarding Yamaha their strategy and way to work is very professional and positive so it’s nice to be part of the family. Arnaud should be on the bike for the first time at the end of next week and we’re already looking ahead to the Geneva SX and then the opening pre-season races.”
Simpsons first Grand Prix triumph came with a tuned production YZ450F at Lierop for the final round of the 2013 FIM World Championship for what is still regarded as one of the unlikeliest wins in recent memory and the last time a privateer stood atop an MXGP podium. The Scot has previous history with Arnaud Tonus as the friendly duo were part of a British Monster Energy backed Yamaha team in 2012, with Simpson on the YZ450F and Tonus on the YZ250F in MX2. The Swiss was vying for the 2014 MX2 World Championship until suffering a shoulder injury and then chased his American dream before a timely return to the FIM series.
Shaun Simpson: “The last time I rode a Yamaha was pretty memorable for me and I still think it was one of the best bikes Ive ridden in terms of feeling and comfort,” says Simpson, claimer of two MXGPs in the past two seasons and who finished fourth in the world in 2015. “I can only look at the next two years with optimism: I’m happy. Louis has built a good team and support structure and knows the importance of the rider in the whole set-up. Arnaud is a great guy and weve worked together before: Im sure the atmosphere of the team and the way to work will be on-point. Yamaha have more than proved their competitiveness in the last couple of years and it has been impressive to see how they have grown and invested back into MXGP; it feels like a good time to be ‘Blue’ again.”
Arnaud Tonus: “It’s a different class for me and even a different championship now with twenty GPs,” said Tonus. “I’m happy to be back and of course I have my base over here so things are easier from that side. It will be a long season with a lot of competition on the 450 and so a big challenge but I’m really pleased to be with Yamaha again and Louis was very motivated to make this deal happen. I hope we can have good preparation and a decent winter of work. I’ll be based between Belgium and Switzerland where I have a nice facility for practice. We’re talking at the moment but I think the Geneva Supercross will be my first race on the Yamaha so we’ve got that to look forward to and I hope to get on the bike in the next two weeks.”
Erik Eggens: “We’re really pleased to have the Wilvo team boosting our ranks in the MXGP category and it fills another important part of Yamaha Motor Europe’s structure through top level motocross racing and for development of the entire YZ range,” commented Yamaha Motor Europe MX Manager Erik Eggens. “The team will bring their usual passion and professionalism to the premier class and the combination of Shaun’s experience and excellent sand skills plus Arnaud’s talent and positive name in the sport means we have two really great additions to the Yamaha athlete roster. It might be the off-season now but we’re excited to start working together already in the coming weeks and months for 2017 and beyond.”
Article and Photo by http://www.yamaha-racing.com/
