MXGP in 2021 - Factory Teams

Posted on November 06, 2020

I know we will still have probably four to five months before we see the MXGP and MX2 riders again, with the expected late start to the 2021 season, but damn, I am getting pretty excited anyway. Just a look at the factory teams and their line-ups and the fact two very good MX2 guys are moving up with Thomas Olsen and Ben Watson, then you have to look forward to next year’s series.

We already knew the two big boys of MX2 would be good on the 450’s and fortunately for Watson he started showing brilliant results, and scored a factory team, because mis-season he must have been nervous about his chances in 2021. Now, with another factory ride, you can be sure he will run top ten on more than the odd occasion.

Similar with Olsen, who I might give a slightly better chance of some top five results, just because he has proven himself more often, and will be in a two-man team rather than a three man team. Either way, both Olsen and Watson are great additions to this already brilliant class.

I know the teams are not full yet, but if I had to guess, I would go for what is below, which still leaves names like Calvin Vlaanderen, Arnaud Tonus and Dylan Walsh without a rider. I mean there are more, but those three guys I mentioned really deserve a spot on a good team.

With Gautier Paulin, Clement Desalle, and Tanel Leok retiring, it also gives a fresher look to the MXGP championship and as mentioned earlier in the week, all three still had something to contribute to the FIM World Motocross Championship, but there is no way Paulin and Desalle would race for the money that was available to them, and without a factory ride, the would have slowly dipped in the championship positions.

Still, 14 factory riders below and while Coldenhoff and Monticelli are not official yet, I get the feeling those two might end up at Yamaha and Kawasaki.

Whatever else happens, there are a bunch of good MXGP teams that will accommodate the rest of the stacked MXGP field.

Factory Teams 2021

HRC Factory Team: Tim Gajser, Mitch Evans

Red Bull KTM Factory Team: Antonio Cairoli, Jeffrey Herlings, Jorge Prado

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Team: Arminas Jasikonis, Thomas Olsen

Monster Energy Yamaha: Jeremy Seewer, Ben Watson, Glenn Coldenhoff

Monster Energy Kawasaki: Romain Febvre, Ivo Monticelli

GasGas Factory Team: Pauls Jonass, Brian Bogers

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