Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team will come out fighting in 2015 with a three rider lineup in MXGP, including new KTM signing Tommy Searle…

The factory team that has dominated the competition in recent years will field eight-times World Champion Antonio Cairoli of Italy, Ken de Dycker of Belgium and Britain’s Tommy Searle in MXGP. Cairoli, one of the most successful riders in FIM World Championship competition will continue his bid for another title. Teammate Ken de Dycker will return to the competition after a 2014 plagued with injuries but Ken will be ready to race for the 2015 season. Newcomer to the MXGP lineup but no stranger to the KTM factory team is Tommy Searle of the UK. Searle finished second in MX2 in 2008 riding a KTM 250 SX-F.

Jeffrey Herlings of the Netherlands was the stand out rider in 2014, winning 12 of the first 13 GPs but then broke his leg. The Dutch rider showed enormous courage to return in the final round in Mexico in an attempt to win his third consecutive title and returns in 2015 with this goal firmly on his radar screen.

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Continuing KTM’s policy of nurturing the most promising young talents, Herlings will be in the MX2 factory team with Pauls Jonass, 17, of Latvia. He won the FIM 85cc Junior World Title in 2011 and captured the Junior Motocross World Championship title in 125cc. In 2014 he rode for Italy’s Marchetti Racing KTM. Herlings and Jonass will be riding the KTM 250 SX-F.

KTM has also signed young Dutch teenager Davy Pootjes to compete in the European Championship. He will also compete in selected MX2 GPs next season.

“We are pleased to announce the factory team lineup for 2015, which I believe is a strong balance of both experience and talent,” said Pit Beirer, Head of KTM Motorsports. “We already know we can expect great commitment from Tony Cairoli, Ken de Dycker and Jeffrey Herlings. We’re pleased to welcome Tommy Searle back into the factory team and with Pauls Jonass and Davy Pootjes we have two talented young riders under contract to secure our future. The competition continues to be very tough but we will be doing our best to keep KTM firmly in the forefront of these challenging championships.”