The Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP and MX2 teams have arrived in Cozar, Spain, ready to give their all at the second round of the FIM Motocross World Championship this weekend.
The Cozar circuit, hosting just its second Grand Prix, has undergone some significant changes to create a more open and flowing layout compared to its debut last year.
Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s Maxime Renaux powered his YZ450FM to an impressive victory at the season opener in Argentina two weeks ago, delivering a milestone achievement for the Hans Corvers-led team. The win marked the team’s first triumph in the premier class since stepping up to MXGP in 2024, and ended Renaux’s 692-day GP win drought, confirming his speed and strength after recovering from a complex injury.
The Frenchman now carries championship momentum and the championship leader’s red plate to Cozar. Although the compact and rocky Cozar circuit is not his favourite, the Frenchman is fired up and eager to capitalize on the circuit’s new, more open layout as he aims to extend his early championship lead. He narrowly leads by 1-point over Romain Febvre.
At the same time, Jago Geerts approaches his Cozar debut with optimism after logging more hours on his YZ450FM. Though absent from the circuit’s inaugural appearance last season, the Belgian rider enters with growing confidence following a solid start to his first full premier class campaign, where he secured eighth overall at round one. Geerts aims to build on this momentum as the series continues in Spain.
Meanwhile, Calvin Vlaanderen heads to Spain eager to bounce back from his Argentine setbacks, determined to convert his impressive speed into tangible results. Despite battling illness since returning from South America, the South African ace remains focused on improving his starts—putting himself in position to avoid trouble and challenge the front runners.
In MX2, Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2’s Karlis Reisulis arrives at Cozar feeling confident about his prospects on the recently revamped track. The young Latvian delivered a stunning performance in Argentina, powering to eighth overall. In what marks his first full season in the professional ranks, the determined 18-year-old is hungry to maintain his momentum and continue making his mark.
Thibault Benistant knows Cozar well, having celebrated on the third step of the podium when the venue made its debut at last season’s MXGP of Castilla la Mancha. After a challenging start to his 2025 title-run, the talented Frenchman aims to bounce back in spectacular fashion—with his sights set on podium champagne this weekend.
At the same time, Rick Elzinga—who was absent from Cozar last year—used the break after Argentina to gain valuable seat time by competing in the Dutch Championship. Making his debut at the Spanish venue, the Dutch star enters with a strengthened mental approach and growing confidence as he steadily builds momentum toward full race fitness.
The MXGP of Castilla la Mancha will also host the season openers for both the EMX250 and EMX125 European Championships.
The restructured VHR VRT Yamaha Official EMX250 team makes its official debut with an impressive duo of young Yamaha stars. Former Junior Motocross World Champion Ivano van Erp will be joined by 2023’s EMX125 champion Janis Reisulis, who returns to the MX2-feeder class after his promising start last season was cut short by an ACL tear. This powerful combination of rising stars positions VHR VRT Yamaha as serious contenders from the very first gate drop of the 2025 campaign.
In the EMX125 ranks, MJC Yamaha Official EMX125 enters the season with a strengthened line-up ready to battle at the front. The proven trio of Mano Faure, Dani Heitink, and Jarne Bervoets—who each fought for podium positions at various races in 2024—now welcome New Zealand’s Levi Townley, the reigning 85cc Junior Motocross World Champion. This powerful combination establishes MJC Yamaha as one of the strongest squads in the category. With their complementary riding styles and shared determination, the team is well-equipped to challenge for race wins and the overall championship title.
Rounding out Yamaha’s impressive EMX125 line-up, Jamie Keith, as the winner of the 2024 Yamaha YZ125 bLU cRU FIM Europe Cup steps up for his first full EMX125 campaign. The rising talent, from Lancashire, Great Britain, will compete aboard a GYTR-kitted YZ125 with support from the JK Yamaha Supported MX team, adding further depth to Yamaha’s hugely successful youth development program.
Maxime Renaux
MXGP Championship Leader, 57-points
“I feel good after Argentina. It was nice to start the season with a win! Cozar is not my favourite track, but they made some changes to make it a bit more open than last year, so I am looking forward to it. I haven’t worked on anything particular since round one, I have just been working consistently like I did during the off season. The goal is to score good points and let the race come to me once again. I will focus on my starts and again, I will be looking for strong, consistent results in the motos.”
Jago Geerts
10th MXGP Championship Standings, 22-points
“I’m happy with how Argentina went. We made some changes to the bike this week and improved some things, so that was good. I have never been to Cozar before, so I don’t have any thoughts on the track. I’ll see how it is when I ride it on Saturday. Over the past week, we’ve been working on the bike, and I keep working on myself to get better every time I line up. The goal is to finish in the top 10 again like last week.”
Calvin Vlaanderen
14th MXGP Championship Standings, 15-points
“I didn’t have the start to the season that I wanted, but I was happy with my speed and fight in the races at round one. Unfortunately, I got sick on the weekend off so I’ve been in bed for three days, but hopefully I’ll be fine come race day. It’ll be my first time at this track, I didn’t watch the GP last year, so I’ll do a bit of homework before I arrive there on Friday. At the moment I’m just trying to get better from the sickness I have. My goal is to ride like I did at round one but this time with some good starts.”
Karlis Reisulis
8th MX2 Championship Standings, 27-points
“I’m feeling good and excited for the upcoming round. Cozar is not the biggest track in the calendar, but I saw they made some changes, so I think it will be another good GP. I’m working on everything that I can improve right now – I’m fully invested into becoming a better rider overall. The goal is to do my best no matter what situation I’m in.”
Thibault Benistant
9th MX2 Championship Standings, 26-points
“I had a really disappointing start to the season. These type of results are not what I train for. So, back to work. I liked the track in Cozar. I thought it had good speed and nice jumps, so it was fun. This weekend, I am fully expecting to do much better than I did in Argentina. We’re not making any big changes right now, we will just keep working and we will bounce back. My goal for this weekend is to be fighting up front.”
Rick Elzinga
14th MX2 Championship Standings, 18-points
“I am feeling good after my first race weekend this year. I have clear goals to work on, so I’ve been busy making progress. I did a Dutch national race on Sunday to gain more feeling and to get more racing under my belt. No expectation. I wasn’t in Cozar last year, so I will see the track Friday and go from there. At the moment I am focused on getting comfortable on the bike. It takes time but we definitely made some good progress over the last couple of days. The goal is to continue my upward trajectory by being focused on myself and enjoy the racing.”
