Jeremy Seewer has stepped up to full factory as he switches to the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team for 2019, which almost certainly means Jeremy van Horebeek will lose his spot on the team.
Yamaha Motor Europe N.V announced this morning that Seewer will be drafted into to the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team alongside incumbent Romain Febvre for the 2019 FIM Motocross World Championship.
With the former MXGP World Champion keeping his place in the factory Yamaha team Van Horebeek will move on at the end of the current season.
Seewer, a former two-time MX2 vice world champion, has made a successful transition into the premier class and with 15 rounds under his belt, he is now the best-placed rookie in the points standings ā currently holding down eighth place.
The Swiss national will finish the season with full support from the Wilvo Yamaha Official MXGP Team, wrapping the year up as captain of Team Switzerland at the Motocross of Nations at RedBud, USA, on October 6/7.
“It’s really cool to have this opportunity, it feels amazing that after one year since moving to Yamaha I have already made it into the Factory Team, especially after what happened to me before I moved to Yamaha, so when I had no deal, Yamaha were the ones that took me and gave me a chance,” said Seewer in a press release.
“I got to join the Wilvo Yamaha Official MXGP Team and I am very grateful for that, and now one year later I am able to move to the Factory Team and that is awesome. At the same time, I am a little bit sad to leave the Wilvo Yamaha boys already, it’s a great team with good people around me. They’re like family to me, but still we need to move on and I am really looking forward to working with the Factory Team and on the Factory YZ450FM.”
Yamaha Motor Europe MX Racing Manager, Erik Eggens: “Jeremy Seewer is an exciting rider to have onboard the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team. He joined Yamaha this year, after many years on another brand, and he had to move up into the premier class, MXGP, with a completely new bike and new team. That is not an easy transition for any rider, but Jeremy has done an amazing job and we feel that he is deserving of a place on the Factory Team in 2019.
“His season has been great so far, especially in terms of his progress and how he is racing. We feel that inside the Factory Team Jeremy will receive the support he needs to make that next step up onto the podium and this is something we are really looking forward to it.”
Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team Manager, Massimo Raspanti: “It is good news to have confirmation from Yamaha Motor Europe to have Jeremy Seewer join the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team. He has been getting stronger at every round this year and he is still improving.
“I think he is a good rider with a bright future and for us it’s nice to have a young rider join the team, and one that already has experience on the YZ450F as it makes the development in the winter a bit easier than what it would if you have to start from scratch. We are really looking forward to seeing what we can achieve together.”
Although we’ve heard pit talk that Van Horebeek will switch brand, we’ve nothing concrete to report on at this time.
