The 2015 FIM Motocross World Championship will kick off this weekend in Qatar. The Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Teams are ready for the 18 round series, which culminates with the US GP in September.
The opening Grand Prix of the season, hosted at the Losail circuit in Qatar for the third consecutive year, always attracts huge interest, but this year there’s even more expectation with US superstar Ryan Villopoto racing the MXGP in the Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team.
It’s the first time in the history of the sport that the current US Supercross champion has moved to the MXGP World Championship, and this challenge has boosted the interest of the series all over the world. With no less than 18 former Grand Prix winners and Ryan, the starting line of this MXGP season looks amazing! With Ryan and long-time friend Tyla Rattray, the Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team lines up this season with two exceptionally fast and talented riders aboard the exceptional Kawasaki KX450F-SR machinery.
Ryan has only previously raced three times outside North America at the Motocross of Nations, but South African Tyla, who raced in the States from 2009 to 2013, has a huge experience of European racing.
Tyla, MX2 World Champion in 2008, is back to the GPs in a factory team and spent most of winter preparing with his team-mate. Both arrived in Europe mid January, and trained mostly in Southern France and Sardinia to prepare their season in good conditions. Qatar will be their first race of the season, and both will enter the action today at 5.45pm local time for the first practice session.
The GP of Qatar will take place under the spotlights as the races are scheduled on Saturday evening. “So far everything we did with Kawasaki and Team KRT to be ready for this season has gone well. I only raced a motocross event in the night once, but I looked at some videos and know that we’ll have good conditions for this event,” enthused Ryan. In the MX2 class reigning World Champion Jordi Tixier has joined the Monster Energy Kawasaki MX2 Racing Team to defend his title with the number one plate on his KX250F.
Jordi is ready for this opening GP. “I’m really exciting for this first race. We had a very good winter and good pre-season races; the bike is going really good and we had time for me to get to know everyone in my new team. I feel confident for this race.
“The season will be long and hopefully be like last year; it will again be important to be consistent. I don’t feel stressed with my number one plate; I chose it because it was a dream to be World Champion and I couldn’t miss this opportunity.
“Racing in the night is different; I will not take a lot of risks here, as everyone will be excited for this first round,” he explained. Both team-mates Dylan Ferrandis and Thomas Covington are confident before this round, as the Frenchman won his first moto last year in Qatar while the American scored his best result of the season on his GP debut. The Monster Energy DRT team of Steve Dixon is now in green with Max Anstie and Mel Pocock. Max is a former GP winner and Mel was the 2012 European MX2 champion so the squad is expected to be a strong force in the MX2 World Championship alongside KRT. Last but not least, Kawasaki will be supporting two of the fastest women as Meghan Rutledge (Monster Bud Racing Kawasaki) and Livia Lancelot (Team 114) will again enter the Women’s series on KX250F Kawasaki.
Both were on the final podium last season and Meg and Livy have six rounds to bring back the title into the Green family with the first two rounds organised in Qatar and next week in Thailand.
