Yamaha Motor Europe is pleased to confirm that Jago Geerts will remain with the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 team through 2022. It is also with great pleasure that Yamaha Motor Europe can confirm the young Belgian will be joined on the gate of the 2021 and 2022 MX2 World Championships by young Frenchman Maxime Renaux.
Geerts made his MX2 debut with the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 team back in 2018. The combination of the young Belgian and the Yamaha YZ250F has been fruitful with the ‘193’ scoring his first-ever Grand Prix podium on his way to eighth overall in his rookie season.
After one-year of learning and improvement at an elite level, Geerts was able secure the MX2 bronze medal with six more podium finishes in his second season.
Starting 2020 strong, the 19-year-old won his first ever Grand Prix at the opening round of the MX2 series in Matterley Basin, Great Britain. He has since turned 20-years-old and has gone on to win two more rounds, in Kegums, Latvia, and has extended his career podium count to 13.
As a long-time Yamaha rider, Renaux has already raced on the Hans Corvers led ‘Kemea Yamaha’ team in the past. It was back in 2015 where he celebrated three EMX125 wins onboard a GYTR kitted YZ125 and was crowned Junior 125cc World Champion in that same year. Since then, the team has taken on Factory status as the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Team and is solely focused on the FIM MX2 World Championship.
Renaux, now 20-years-old, has shown great promise since his MX2 debut in 2018 where he raced five rounds of the FIM MX2 World Championship as a wildcard rider. He completed his first full-term in MX2 in 2019 where he managed to steer his YZ250F to a maiden podium finish on his way to seventh overall in the final classification.
Nine rounds into the 2020 series, the ‘959’ has quickly established himself as a title threat. He is currently third in the MX2 World Championship standings and has already celebrated his first ever Grand Prix race and overall win, at the MXGP of Italy in Faenza one month ago.
Producing many notable performances since his MX2 debut, which includes four podium celebrations and eight top-three race finishes, Renaux shows signs of great promise and will be a strong challenger for the 2021 and 2022 MX2 crowns.
Alex Kowalski – Yamaha Motor Europe Off-Road Manager
“Yamaha is excited to continue the journey with Jago, he is doing a great job and has already proven he is one of the fastest riders in MX2. There is already some great history with Jago and the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 team where together with Hans Corvers and Team Manager Marnicq Bervoets, and the YZ250FM they have already achieved a lot. It’s very positive. Our goal at Yamaha is to build future champions, Jago has already shown great progression and we hope to go on to win many more races and championships with him. We are also proud to welcome Maxime to the Factory team. Maxime is a pure Yamaha rider; he has been on Yamaha since he was little and has grown with the brand. I am really happy for him, I’ve watched him climb all the steps from Junior classes on a YZ85 to the EMX championship on the YZ125 and YZ250F, where he has challenged titles and was Junior 125cc World Champion on a GYTR kitted YZ125. He is an exciting example of what can be achieved within the Yamaha Family, and we are super proud to have him onboard as a Factory rider for the next two years.”
Jago Geerts – Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 Rider
“I’m really happy to sign with Yamaha for another two years. The last three years were really nice, and it’s really cool I have extended my contract. Everything works nicely within our team and we have had some really good races this year. I’m really happy with my bike, the Yamaha YZ250FM, so it’s good for me to stay with Yamaha for another two-years.”
Maxime Renaux – Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 Rider
“I’m really looking forward to moving up to the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory team for 2021 and 2022. It will be a new beginning for me and I’m ready to fight for the title during those next years. The team looks really motivated and so am I. I am already really looking forward to starting our winter program and to start testing and training ahead of 2021.”
Words & Photos by Yamaha Racing
