The countdown to the 2025 FIM Motocross World Championship is on, with both Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP and MX2 teams ready for an exciting new racing season. In less than one month, the gate will drop for the first time at a brand-new venue in Cordoba, Argentina, where Yamaha’s six-rider factory line-up will begin their quest for Grand Prix success.
In the MXGP class, former MX2 World Champion Maxime Renaux enters his fourth season with the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP team aboard the factory YZ450FM. The 24-year-old Frenchman has faced adversity since stepping up to the premier class in 2022, but his talent shines through. With 10 podiums and two Grand Prix wins in MXGP, plus his impressive MX2 record—20 podiums, six GP wins, and the 2021 World Title—Renaux has established himself as a serious title contender, aiming to convert his consistent podium pace into a sustained championship challenge.
The team is strengthened by the return of Belgian talent Jago Geerts, who gets a fresh start at his rookie MXGP season after injury cut short his 2024 campaign. Bringing an impressive pedigree from MX2 – 24 GP wins and 55 podium finishes – Geerts has shown promising signs with the YZ450FM during winter testing. Targeting consistent results as he adapts to the demands of the premier class, his extensive experience in winning races and Grands Prix in MX2 should serve him well as he rebuilds his confidence.
Completing the MXGP roster is Calvin Vlaanderen, who has shown impressive progression since joining the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP team in 2024. Last season, the South African climbed to fourth in the championship standings and secured two podium finishes before a knee injury interrupted his campaign. Now, with two successful surgeries behind him and a career tally of 14 podiums and two GP wins, the number 10 is approaching peak condition and ready to pick up where he left off.
Having shown flashes of brilliance throughout his MX2 career since 2021, Thibault Benistant enters his final year in the class with the title firmly in his sights. The Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 star will sport the number 9 in 2025, moving away from his traditional 198 as he aims to end his 250cc career on a high. With eight race wins and 16 podium finishes to his name in MX2, plus titles in both EMX125 and EMX250 championships, the 22-year-old Frenchman has all the ingredients needed to mount a serious challenge for the MX2 World Title.
Alongside him, Dutch talent Rick Elzinga has also embraced change, adopting the number 4 for his final season in MX2. Despite a winter setback with a broken elbow, Elzinga is expected to line up in Argentina, albeit with shortened preparation. His title in the 2022 EMX250 Championship and two MX2 podium finishes in 2024 demonstrate his capability to overcome adversity and deliver results when it matters most.
The most intriguing story within the MX2 squad belongs to Karlis Reisulis. The 18-year-old Latvian prodigy made an immediate impact during his mid-season MX2 debut in 2024, leading 23 laps and securing a stunning second-place finish in Race 2 at the MXGP of Switzerland. Looking to build on his stunning 2024 debut with regular top-five finishes, Reisulis embodies the bright future of Yamaha’s motocross program.
Both Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP and MX2 teams are ripe and ready for the gates to drop. The MXGP squad will get their first taste of racing action at the Hawkstone International in Shrewsbury, England, on February 9th. The MX2 riders will begin their campaign at different events – Reisulis will make his debut at the first round of the Internazionali d’Italia this weekend in Mantova, Italy, before joining Benistant at the LaCapelle -Marival International in France a week later. Following these pre-season events, twenty rounds of FIM Motocross World Championship racing await, starting in Argentina and continuing through diverse tracks and locations across Europe, Indonesia, Turkey, and China before concluding in Australia.
