Team GSM has become the latest squad to announce its WSX class rider lineup for the 2024 FIM World Supercross Championship (WSX), confirming the return of Greg Aranda and the arrival of Lucas Imbert for the coming season. Words: WSX
With Aranda and Imbert, GSM will pair youth with experience to form a highly exciting rider pairing which could emerge as breakout names in WSX in 2024 following a promising performance together in the French Elite Motocross Championship earlier this year.
Aranda joined Team GSM’s WSX program in 2023 and emerged as one of the championship’s most consistent competitors as one of only six 450cc riders to secure overall top 10 finishes in each WSX round last season.
The three-time German Supercross champion’s best result of 2023 came at the WSX Boost Mobile Australian GP, which saw Aranda finish inside the top five after going 16-2-6 over the course of the evening. Aranda was also the fourth fastest qualifier going into the evening’s racing.
For his third season in WSX, the Frenchman is hoping to match the highs of his debut campaign, while also leading Team GSM to new heights after tasting immense success in Europe.
Greg Aranda, Rider, Team GSM, said: “I’m excited to be returning to the WSX grid for 2024. Last year we were able to piece together a very consistent season, and finishing inside the top 10 every round was vital to our championship performance. Consistency is going to play a massive role again this year, and if we can settle into a good run, we should be able to push for even better results. I’ve achieved a lot with Team GSM already in 2024, and with Lucas [Imbert] alongside me, I think we’ll be able to surprise a lot of people.”
Having joined the French outfit earlier in 2024, Lucas Imbert is a familiar face to everyone at Team GSM already but will be a rookie in WSX this season when he makes his series debut on 26 October at BC Place in Vancouver.
Aged 26, Imbert has already proven his raw talent and speed on two wheels as the 2022 ADAC Supercross SX2 vice-champion, while also placing third in the 2021 French National MX2 Championship and the 2022 French Supercross SX Tour SX2 series.
Imbert enters WSX off the back of an encouraging performance in the French Elite Motocross Championship in 2024 where, as a team-mate to Aranda and despite running part-time, he finished ninth in points, claiming a best result of fourth in Race 2 at Ernée.
Lucas Imbert, Rider, Team GSM, said: “Joining WSX for 2024 marks a big step forward for me in my career, and I’d be naïve if I said that my rookie season won’t be without its challenges. But I’m ready to give it everything I’ve got, and racing alongside Greg [Aranda] in a super competitive field will give me an opportunity to learn, grow, and race against some of the biggest and best names in Supercross. Team GSM has been incredibly supportive since I joined earlier this year, and I’d like to thank them for giving me this chance. I can’t wait to show what I can do when we start racing in Vancouver.”
Following the WSX Canadian GP on 26 October, the 2024 season will continue on 23-24 November at HBF Park in Perth for the double-header WSX Australian GP. The season will come to an end at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on 4 December.
Serge Guidetty, Team Principal, Team GSM, added: “I’m delighted to have Greg Aranda and Lucas Imbert in my 2024 WSX team. We’ve been working hard for over a year with Gregory and it’s paying off – he’ll be rapid in this championship! Lucas is benefiting from our experience and expertise to continue to progress (he hasn’t been spared by injuries recently, but he has potential). WSX is an extraordinary Supercross championship for the European and world riders, because it gives them a chance to shine. GSM has shown potential to put itself on par with the best, achieving overall podiums and individual race podiums in WSX in 2022 and 2023, and there’s more to come… 2024 will be great. We are all in.”
Image: WSX
