After an exciting 2023 campaign, which saw Romain Febvre win six GPs to finish runner-up in the MXGP class, the Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP can look ahead with confidence to further success; the Frenchman, now in his fifth season with Kawasaki, has already recorded race wins at warm-up races in Italy, France and England to confirm that he is entering the GP season off a highly-positive winter preparation and, mounted on the KX450-SR which he helped to develop last year, he is again one of the main title-contender this season.
KRT will line up two proven GP winners this season with the signing of Jeremy Seewer. Having blended quickly with the KX450-SR during winter tests last season's series bronze medallist from Switzerland has also posted strong results during the pre-season races, including a victory at the Sommières international in France.
In the MX2 class Florida's Jack Chambers returns for a second World Championship campaign with Bike It Kawasaki MX2 Racing Team after a number of impressive performances last year, and is joined in the UK-based outfit by Bobby Bruce; 2024 will be the English youngster's first full GP campaign after scoring points during several wild-card starts last term. Steve Dixon's team will also contest the European EMX250 series with exciting sixteen-year old English talent Billy Askew.
The 2024 FIM World Motocross Championship campaign will see teams and riders visiting fourteen different countries between March 10th and September 29th with races in South America, Europe, Indonesia, Turkey and China.
Romain Febvre: "It feels good to be here in Argentina; it's a track I like and we are ready. We have a good winter behind us; training went well, the pre-season races too, with no injury, no crash. Of course the conditions in Europe were muddy at times; we won races but the main goal at those races is to adjust a few things and not take any risks. We knew mainly the set-up so I could just concentrate on the last few details. My speed was good compared to others and my fitness is almost 100%; I am happy where I am."
Jeremy Seewer: "For sure we like to come here; it's a beautiful area, a nice track and I have good memories - I got my first-ever GP podium here in MX2 nine years ago - but this is just one out of twenty so I will try to stay calm this weekend. We had to do a lot of testing during the winter, but it all went in a positive way and I feel I have the bike dialled in for me. I also had some very positive races the last few weeks. Some of them were a bit muddy but Sommières was really nice; I think Romain is a good reference and I could race with him there. I think we are in a good position but we will see more tomorrow. No stress; I don't feel I have anything to lose so I can stay relaxed this weekend."
Antti Pyrhönen (KRT team manager): "It was a long intense winter of training, testing and travel all over Europe for the entire team, but the first goal is always to get through that, survive the winter and the first few races and arrive at the first GP with no injuries; the real work starts now! It was nice to have success but the results in those pre-season races are not the number one aim; it's more important to have good training, test the starts, see how the bike is working in race conditions and, from a rider's perspective, to get the first nerves, arm pump and starts out of the way. We took it that way and are pleased how it went. Romain knew the bike already 100% so for him it was just a continuation of what he achieved so successfully last year but for Jeremy it was a different story as he needed to learn the bike, find the settings which suit him and see how they worked in race conditions. They also won a few races so that was good for their confidence. It's a long way to travel here but we are used to starting outside Europe, the weather is always nice here and it's good to have normal track conditions for the first GP."
Steve Dixon (Bike It Kawasaki team manager): "It's really exciting to be starting my tenth season with Kawasaki; we have enjoyed an excellent working relationship and successes together and are looking to continue that way. The winter is always so busy and it seems like it was only last week that we finished the last season, but it's nice to be here in Argentina again with three enthusiastic young riders. Jack's the captain at twenty-one, Bobby's nineteen and Billy just sixteen. We purposely didn't contest the pre-season races; the world championships are not won and lost at the first GP so, as long as you're confident, everything's fine; it's a long season and you need the energy when you come to August."
Jack Chambers: "I feel like I'm coming in well-prepared; everything I needed to check off the list has been done. We're perhaps even a bit ahead of schedule but I haven't reached my peak yet so that's fine. I've still got a lot to learn but last season was a good year to see what it's all about and now I'm back and ready to go. The bike is so fast, the suspension really good and I'm excited to be here. The goal this weekend is to establish myself in the top-ten and work my way up from there; I've really put in the work and am ready to race for podiums later in the year."
Bobby Bruce: "I'm really excited to finally get to race a full season of MX2 GPs; I hope to have solid results this weekend in Argentina but it's a long season and it's important to be healthy at every round. I suffered a wrist injury last year so we came in steady when I joined the team in the winter but we've progressed a lot and the Kawasaki handles like a dream. I think Steve is the longest-serving team manager in motocross so I can call on all his experience and it's nice to be back on Green; I raced Kawasaki already in the 85s."