Based at its impressive workshop near the Lommel track in Belgium, the new enterprise will come under the responsibility of existing KRT Manager, Antti Pyrhönen, while team staffing will evolve and expand according to the extra demands of an additional championship.
Initially utilising the direct relationship that the team has with the KMC factory engineers in Japan – including their wealth of design knowledge and engineering insight relating to the production KX250 machine – the KRT MX2 team will be working on an all new specification across the coming months gearing towards a fully developed race machine for 2025 season.
With no decision at this time being made on who may ride for the team, KRT are targeting those with both podium potential allied to the skill to provide accurate feedback during the important pre-season testing phase.
Speaking of the new challenge, Antti Pyrhönen, KRT MXGP Manager, was in characteristically optimistic mood.
“When I discussed with our Team Principle, Kimi Räikkönen, the possibility to raise our game to another level and enter MX2 he immediately saw the potential and agreed this was our next logical step. We have built up an incredible working relationship with Kawasaki in Japan and we are determined to repay their trust in us by making an impact with this new project”.
For Kawasaki Motors Europe, Race Planning Manager, Steve Guttridge, emphasised the potential of the new initiative in terms of guiding young talent to the very top.
“Having both MXGP and MX2 run by our factory team offers Kawasaki the opportunity to offer young, very talented riders a dream seat in MX2. Being inside KRT means they can also be well prepared for future MXGP duties within a familiar team environment. We want to win World titles with home grown talent; the structure that Antti and Kimi have built alongside our factory staff offers just that”.
Concluding, Shigemi Tanaka, General Manager, Marketing & Sales Division, Kawasaki Motors, Ltd. commented.
“This is an important step for Kawasaki and it reflects our long established ethos of growing and encouraging talent from green shoots to green wins. It is fundamental to our off road philosophy to provide not just hardware in terms of competitive KX machinery but also the “software” historically manifested by our legendary Team Green race and rider support programme.
“The best way to lead is by example, so the establishment of this factory attack on MX2 honours within the highly professional and proven race-winning structure of the Kawasaki Racing Team will provide a stable base for rider and championship success. We hope youth riders will see this as something to aspire to and, in turn, to graduate from MX2 experience and success towards MXGP, the very pinnacle of motocross.”
