For the first time in its long and successful history the Kawasaki Racing Team will line up two former World Champions in 2025 as the 2017 MX2 World Champion will join Romain Febvre. Twenty-seven year old Jonass already claimed his first national youth title at the age of ten and was a two-time World Junior and one-time European champion before joining the adult World Championship ten years ago. He quickly established himself as a front-runner in the MX2 world series with three FIM medals – two silver and one gold – and eleven GP victories in five years before advancing to the premier MXGP class in 2019.
 
Acclaimed as the rookie of the year with sixth in the final standings of his debut season aboard a 450 his progress was dented the following year as he was sidelined by broken ribs and vertebrae sustained in a practice crash, but he rebounded with top-ten rankings in 2021/22 before a thigh injury put him out of action early in the 2023 season.
 
The effervescent Latvian bounced back in style this year as he raced the factory riders head-on, taking the first GP victory of his career in the MXGP class at Agueda to hold a solid fifth place in the world standings before being sidelined for the remainder of the series after suffering a dislocated shoulder and broken arm in a start crash at the mid-season German round. A successful recuperation sees him back on a bike during the next few weeks to give him a full winter to become acquainted with the Kawasaki KX450-SR before the first round of the 2025 series in Argentina on March 2^nd and 3^rd and everyone at Kawasaki looks forward to seeing him create a lime-green sensation, together with Romain Febvre, throughout the entire season.
 
Pauls Jonass: “First of all I would like to thank my previous team for the amazing four years we spent together, and I’m super excited to join the Kawasaki Racing Team; every rider dreams of  racing for a factory team. I have worked with Antti in the past and I see how well he runs the team so I’m delighted to be given this opportunity. It will be the first time that I will be working with a Japanese factory team and, having seen how well the bike has worked the last two years, it is a dream to be riding the KX450-SR. Now it’s time to go to work to achieve the best results and hopefully we can soon battle for some wins.”
 
Antti Pyrhönen, KRT Manager:
“We at KRT are very excited to have another really top level rider joining the team. Pauls Jonass is still young yet he has already accumulated great experience of MXGP on the World stage. Pauls’ passion for racing, his will and his rock solid determination are second to none, so this really gives great motivation to all at KRT. We can’t wait to see Pauls alongside Romain to race the acknowledged race winning KX450-SR.”
 
Steve Guttridge, Race Planning Manager, KME:
“It’s great to see the momentum that KRT are establishing for a new season with a stable of riders that represent the pick of the pack. Not only will all Kawasaki fans be delighted to retain the services of Romain Febvre, but the addition of Pauls Jonass sets sturdy foundations for a formidable Championship challenge in 2025 for Kawasaki and KRT”.

We might have to wait a little longer than we’d hoped, but we’re ready to get this started! As we count down the days to the start of our second season of bar-banging FIM Motocross World Championship action, we’re excited that we’ll soon get to see our four super-talented racers fly the GASGAS flag. Handling business in the MXGP class, and looking for a little redemption, will be Pauls Jonass alongside our second 450-class newcomer Brian Bogers. In MX2, things will be taken care of by the hard-charging Isak Gifting and our young German hot-shot Simon Langenfelder.

GASGAS Factory Racing fully prepared for second season in MXGPFour talented racers eagerly awaiting the round one gate drop19-round series scheduled to kick off in Russia on June 13Representing GASGAS Motorcycles in the MXGP division, the Standing Construct GASGAS Factory Racing team has enlisted an all-new rider line-up for 2021. Former MX2 World Champion Pauls Jonass is joined by Dutchman Brian Bogers, and we’re confident this formidable pairing is capable of strong results throughout the upcoming season.

Despite missing much of the 2020 season due to injury, Pauls has made a quick transition to our MC 450F and has spent the winter busting out the laps in Spain in readiness for the 2021 MXGP World Championship. Feeling confident in both himself and with his new bike, the Latvian looks to return to his 2019 speed, which saw him climb onto the overall MXGP podium three times en route to finishing sixth in the final series standings.

The highly capable Brian Bogers put together an impressive 2020 MXGP World Championship season, which didn’t go unnoticed. Now, with the Dutchman armed with a full factory GASGAS MC 450F, we’re confident of supporting Brian reach the next level and believe he’ll be knocking on the door of the top five throughout the 2021 series.

In the MX2 class, Isak Gifting returns to the DIGA Procross GASGAS Factory Racing team for his first full season of world championship competition. He’ll be joined by Simon Langenfelder, another super-talented racer who frustratingly had his 2020 campaign cut short due to injury.

Since joining the DIGA Procross GASGAS Factory Racing team as a fill-in rider last year, Isak Gifting has certainly impressed on the MC 250F. The super-Swede claimed a couple of MX2 moto podiums, ending the season with a strong run of results. Carrying that momentum into the winter months, the 20-year-old has enjoyed his first off-season as part of an official team and has fully embraced the opportunity to better himself ahead of the 2021 season. With the modest goal of achieving consistent top-10 results, Isak has the speed to challenge for the podium on a weekly basis.

Simon Langenfelder returns for his second season of racing in the MX2 World Championship aboard GASGAS machinery. The young German showed huge potential in 2020 with his season highlighted by a fifth-place moto finish at round two, before placing ninth overall at the MXGP of Riga just two rounds later. Spending much of the off-season focused on his riding technique and improving his overall speed, Simon is now poised to break into the top 10 on a regular basis in 2021.

Scheduled to start on June 13 in Russia, the 2021 FIM Motocross World Championship consists of 19 rounds across the globe. Our racers will face the harshest of conditions, tough competitors, and experience bar-to-bar racing at each event with the champions crowned in Indonesia on December 5.

Pauls Jonass:“A new team for me this year and I’m really excited to be racing on a GASGAS! The Standing Construct team have had a lot of success in the past and they’re really professional, so I’m aiming to achieve strong results with them this season. Everything has been great so far and I feel like I fit in the team really well. I returned to riding in November and since then I’ve just been building and building and I’m in a really good place now with the bike and my fitness. If we can continue like this then my top-five speed will return, and I believe that I can push for the podium again. It’s not going to be easy but with how I’m feeling and with the progress we have made, it’s an achievable goal. We have a little bit of time until round one so until then we will keep working and learning. The goal for the year is to remain injury-free and be in the battle consistently every weekend. If we can do that then it will put us in a good place at the end of the season.”

Brian Bogers:“It’s been an easy transition for me going into the Standing Construct team. They are really organized, very professional and great people to work with. They already had a very good base setting for the bike, so I’ve not needed to do a lot of testing because the bike is already amazing. We did make some small changes for comfort mostly, so it’s been great to just ride and focus on my training both on and off the bike. With the calendar changes we have made a different training schedule in the lead up to round one but either way, I’ll be ready for the opening round. I have a really good team behind me, and they have given me the confidence to reach the next level so I will be pushing for stronger results in 2021.”

Isak Gifting:“I’m really excited for this year having spent a full off-season with the team, preparing for the season ahead. It was something new for me and I know that all the work that we have done will really help me when we start racing. We’ve spent a lot of time testing suspension settings and the bike is a really big improvement on last year. It was good last year but now, after spending all winter refining the bike, I feel the best I ever have on it. There is a little bit of pressure on me this season as the team and myself know that I can be on the podium, but I’m keeping my feet on the ground. The goals for this year are to be regularly inside the top 10, podium more often, and be more consistent. I think that on sand tracks I can push for wins. I’m realistic and know that it won’t be easy but with the progress that I’ve made with my preparation over the winter, and the improvements to the bike, I believe that I can achieve my goals this season.”

Simon Langenfelder:“It’s been a really productive winter for me. I recovered from my injury and then began testing with the team in December. We have some new parts on the bike for this season, so we spent some time finding the best set-up and we made some really good progress. The bike is improved a lot compared to last year. We’ve also ridden in a lot of different countries on many different surfaces, to test the bike in different conditions and it’s been really positive. On a personal level, I’ve worked on my technique as well. I’m using the clutch a lot less now, so this has helped with my momentum in corners. I’ve also focused on improving my fitness as well. I scored a couple of top-10 results in 2020 so my focus is on being a consistent top-10 rider in each and every race this year, and I feel like I can push for top fives as well. I’m excited to start the season. I feel really good on the bike and my fitness has never been better. I’m looking forward to a great season of racing.”

Robert Jonas – VP Motorsports Offroad:“Starting our second season of MXGP racing is a really exciting time for GASGAS. Last year, we achieved a lot of success including a GP win. This year, we believe that our riders can challenge for more wins and be at the front of the field in both classes. We have an all-new rider line-up in the MXGP class for 2021, and led by former world champion Pauls Jonass we’re really looking forward to seeing what they can do on the MC 450F. Alongside Pauls, Brian Bogers showed incredible consistency and scored some really good results in 2020 – we feel that we can help guide Brian to even better things in 2021. In MX2, we have two very exciting riders, Isak Gifting and Simon Langenfelder. Isak was a revelation after he filled in for the team last season after Simon got injured, and he scored our first podium results in MX2. His all-action riding style fits the GASGAS brand perfectly and I can’t wait to see him race this year. Simon returns to the team for his second season in MX2. He showed a lot of potential last year with many outstanding results before his injury, so he’ll be one to watch. Overall, GASGAS are in a very good place to challenge for more success in 2021. We believe in the riders and believe that they can take GASGAS to the very top in MXGP.”

Calendar – 2021 FIM Motocross World Championship

Round 1: 13 Jun MXGP of Russia – Orlyonok
Round 2: 27 Jun MXGP of Great Britain – Matterley Basin
Round 3: 4 Jul MXGP of Italy – Maggiora
Round 4: 11 Jul MXGP of Latvia – Kegums
Round 5: 18 Jul MXGP of The Netherlands – Oss
Round 6: 25 Jul MXGP of Czech Republic – Loket
Round 7: 1 Aug MXGP of Flanders-Belgium – Lommel
Round 8: 15 Aug MXGP of Sweden – Uddevalla
Round 9: 22 Aug MXGP of Finland – Iitti-KymiRing
Round 10: 5 Sep MXGP of Turkey – Afyonkarahisar
Round 11: 19 Sep MXGP of Sardegna (ITA) – Riola Sardo
Round 12: 3 Oct MXGP of Germany – Teutschenthal
Round 13: 10 Oct MXGP of France – TBA
Round 14: 17 Oct MXGP of Spain – intu Xanadu – Arroyomolinos
Round 15: 24 Oct MXGP of Portugal – Agueda
Round 16: 31 Oct MXGP of Trentino (ITA) – Pietramurata
Round 17: 14 Nov MXGP of Argentina – TBA
Round 18: 28 Nov MXGP of Asia – (Indonesia) – Borobudur
Round 19: 5 Dec MXGP of Indonesia – Bali

GASGAS Motorcycles have secured the signatures of yet more exciting racers ahead of the 2021 MXGP season! Hard-charging former MX2 World Champion Pauls Jonass teams up with the highly-capable Brian Bogers to complete Standing Construct GASGAS Factory Racing’s all-new MXGP rider line-up! With his all-action riding style, Pauls will be the perfect match for the awesome MC 450F as the Latvian looks forward to re-establishing himself as one of the world’s best. Delivering a strong run of results during 2020, Dutchman Bogers is ready to mix it up with the heavy hitters of the MXGP class.

• Former MX2 champ Pauls Jonass leads GASGAS’ MXGP class assault
• All-new rider line-up for Standing Construct GASGAS Factory Racing
• Brian Bogers set to deliver the goods in 2021 aboard GASGAS MC 450F

A proven MXGP racer, Jonass entered the grand prix scene in 2014, rapidly progressing to become MX2 World Champion just three years later. Placing as runner-up in 2018, the Latvian then moved to the MXGP class for the following season. In his debut 450cc campaign he was quick to find success, securing three overall podium visits and an impressive sixth place in the final standings.

2020 was set to be Jonass’ breakout year but an untimely training crash ended his season early. Following months of rehabilitation and with his desire for success stronger than ever, he’s now back to full fitness, ready to bang bars and fight for podiums when the gate drops for the start of the 2021 season.

Competing alongside Jonass, Brian Bogers also joins Standing Construct GASGAS Factory Racing for 2021. Currently ranked 12th in the 2020 MXGP World Championship, the Dutchman has been a constant threat for top-five results during recent GPs. Aiming for the top-10 in the final MXGP standings, Bogers, like his new teammate, will soon head into the off-season focused on testing and preparation ahead of the new MXGP season.

Pauls Jonass:“I’m really excited for my future with GASGAS. I have to thank the Standing Construct team for believing in me while I have been injured but I will be back to 100% and then I can start testing with the team. It’s an exciting time for me and my rehabilitation is going very well. I’m looking forward to a great future together with GASGAS and I look forward to achieving some great results when the 2021 season starts.”

Brian Bogers:“It’s a great feeling to be on the Standing Construct GASGAS team for 2021. I’m really looking forward to next season as I know the team is very professional and the bike is great. They have had impressive results over recent years, so it gives me a lot of confidence. It’s an exciting opportunity. I’ve had a strong season in 2020 and I’m ready for the next step with GASGAS in 2021.”

Tim Mathys – Standing Construct GASGAS Factory Racing MXGP Team Manager:“We’re excited to have two very capable riders for 2021, that give us an exciting all-new line-up. As a former MX2 World Champion, Pauls Jonass has already achieved great results in MXGP and has proved to be a rider with top-three potential. I am convinced that with the approach we have already used in our team, we can get the very best out of him. He is hugely motivated, and I believe that we can push him to an even higher level, just like we have done with many riders in the past. Our second rider, Brian Bogers, has matured a lot during the past season. He has proven during the last races, with 10 top-10 finishes in a row, that he is ready to have a breakthrough in the MXGP class. He is physically and mentally stronger and ready to compete with the big boys. Both Pauls and Brian are still young, so we will have a young, robust team that we can work closely with. Together with GASGAS Factory Racing we are confident in their abilities, and as a team we look forward to great results from both riders next season.”

Th Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing MXGP team of Pauls Jonass and Arminas Jasikonis have shown off their new look while on a pre-season training camp in Sardinia.

Jonass and Jasikonis are readying themselves for the GP of Great Britain and the opening round of the 2020 FIM Motocross World Championship, on March 1.

In preparation for the season opening MXGP event at Matterley Basin, the team’s first official outing of 2020 will be round one of the Internazionali d’ Italia MX series in Riola Sardo, Sardinia, on January 26.

Giving both Jonass and Jasikonis the chance to stretch their legs in competition for the first time since the Motocross of Nations, both riders will then complete the Italian series aboard their FC 450 machines with further outings at both Ottobiano and Mantova. The team will then make final preparations ahead of the MXGP opener.

Antti Pyrhönen – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing MXGP Team Manager, said: “Things are going really great with Pauls and Arminas ahead of the start of the new season. Both know it is a hugely important year – they each learned a lot last season and start 2020 focused on achieving higher goals. The team did a lot of good work at the end of last year, so we came into 2020 with a very positive view of what we needed to continue working on.

“2019 ended on a real high after the Motocross of Nations, and after some short holidays both Pauls and Arminas were back at work, training hard. We did a lot of testing in Belgium, Holland and Germany so made some very positive improvements before the end of the year. We’ve all been in Sardinia training since the start of January and things are going very well – both riders are putting in quality hard work and are really happy. We will stay in Sardinia until the first Italian championship race in Riola Sardo and then compete in the remaining two rounds of the Italian series ahead of the first MXGP race at Matterley Basin. Everyone is feeling good and looking forward to getting back racing.”

Photos by Bavo Swijgers/ Husqvarna images.

With more than a decade of motocross competition under his belt, former MX2 World Champion Pauls Jonass will make the switch to MXGP class competition in 2019 aboard Husqvarna’s FC 450 machine. Working hard to return to full fitness following knee surgery, Pauls is looking forward to maximising his time on the FC 450 before the start of the all-important FIM MXGP World Championship. 

Making his debut aboard FC 450 machinery during the 2019 Internazionali d’Italia MX series, former GP podium finisher Arminas Jasikonis is set to show his full potential in the MXGP class of the 2019 FIM Motocross World Championship. At just 21 years of age, the young rider from Lithuania will bring yet more energy and determination to the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing 2019 MXGP team. 

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing rider Mikkel Haarup will contest all of the European rounds of the 2019 FIM MX2 World Championship. Enjoying a solid start to the season by placing as runner-up in the 2019 Internazionali d’Italia MX2 Championship, the young Dane will make his MX2 World Championship debut during round two of the series at Matterley Basin, GB. 

The 19-round 2019 FIM Motocross World Championship will kick off with the MXGP of Patagonia in Nequen, Argentina on March 2/3.

Crowned MX2 World Champion in 2017, Pauls Jonass has been one of the most successful 250cc class riders in recent history. With the 2017 season being the highlight of his career to date, that season Pauls reached the podium in 15 out of the 19 rounds. Involved in a thrilling battle to defend his title throughout 2018, Pauls ended his campaign as the 2018 FIM MX2 World Championship runner-up.

Despite his young age, Pauls already has more than a decade of motocross racing experience under his belt. Gradually advancing through the ranks of the junior categories, Pauls was crowned the 2011 85cc Junior World Champion, winning the 125cc Junior Motocross World Championship two years later.

At just 21 years of age, Jonass is one of the most promising young riders of his era. Known for his strong work ethic and determination to succeed, the rider from Aizpute, Latvia is a perfect fit for the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team.

With Pauls Jonass joining the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing MXGP squad with immediate effect, further details on the team’s complete line-up will be announced in the coming weeks.

Pauls Jonass – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing: “I’m really excited to be part of the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna team. The switch to the MXGP category is a big move for me but I can’t wait to get started. Joining such an acclaimed team gives me a huge amount of motivation to continue working hard in order to achieve my goals. I’m looking ahead to a great future with the team. I’ve known Antti [Pyrhönen] and the rest of the team members for some years already and it feels good to start working with them. Following my knee surgery last month, my goal right now is to start riding my Husqvarna at the earliest possible time. I want to maximise my time on the bike, so I can be fully-fit and ready to enter this exciting new season in the MXGP category.”

Diego Clement – Head of Motorsport at Husqvarna Motorcycles: “We are extremely happy to have former MX2 World Champion Pauls Jonass join our team. We truly believe Pauls has the potential to become a frontrunner in the extremely competitive MXGP category. Pauls is one of the most experienced motocross racers of his generation and already a three-time World Champion. His speed is never in doubt, and he has impressed us, as he has the wider motocross community, with his ability to perform on varying track conditions. It’s going to be an exciting new season and we are all looking forward to seeing Pauls do battle against the MXGP class elite aboard our FC 450 machine.”

Kimi Räikkönen – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing (IceOne) team owner: “With Pauls joining our team the goal is to continue our success. The Motocross World Championship is the most competitive global motocross series and we’re pleased to be strengthening our team with a former World Champion. I am confident all members of our team will give their best to help Pauls achieve his goals in the MXGP class.”

Antti Pyrhönen – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing MXGP team manager: “We are all looking forward to working with Pauls Jonass as he starts an exciting new chapter in his professional motocross career. Everyone knows Pauls is an extremely hard working rider, which we know will help him fit in perfectly with our team. Already being a world champion speaks volumes about his capabilities. He is both physically and mentally strong and has demonstrated time and again that he is able to excel even under the toughest conditions. We all can’t wait to start working with this young and extremely talented rider.”

The 21 year old Latvian Jonass was advised to have a reparative procedure on his right ACL in the wake of his crash at the Grand Prix of Turkey earlier this month. Jonass decided to race with painkillers at the Grand Prix of the Netherlands two weeks ago to revive his chances of defending the MX2 crown on the KTM 250 SX-F.

Despite his efforts to take the MX2 title fight to the last of the twenty rounds and forty motos this year, Pauls was regrettably forced to have the operation. He travelled to the renowned Ortema facility in Stuttgart and was under the supervision of Dr Jorg Richter as the partially torn ACL was fixed without the need for a full reconstruction on Wednesday.

He is expected to leave the clinic in Germany by the end of the week. He will begin the process of rehabilitation and look towards a debut term in MXGP in 2019.

Jonass: “After Turkey I had some tough times. The doctors actually told me not to race any more this year but I didn’t want to give up on the title so easily. I raced in Assen with a lot of pain and so went to see the doctor again afterwards and they said surgery was necessary. We came to Germany and had the operation yesterday here at Ortema and I’m very grateful for the work done by Dr Richter. The ACL was not completely torn but it was badly damaged. It is a pity to miss Imola but health comes first and I’m still young and want to think about the future. The focus now goes on my rehab and to think about getting back on the bike as soon as possible to prepare for MXGP.”

Dirk Gruebel, Team Manager: “This is obviously disappointing news for Pauls and the guys but the writing was on the wall when we learned the extent of his knee problem in the days after Turkey. Credit to him for pushing through a difficult grand prix at Assen and for wanting to fight for that number one plate until the end. The season had some big highs and some tricky moments for him but his determination stayed the same throughout. I’d like to thank the great work done by the Ortema Clinic: their support and professionalism really shone through. We hope and expect Pauls’ recovery to go well, and we’d also like to congratulate Jorge for an outstanding year. The MX2 title is staying in the KTM family for a good reason.”

Read our full test and see loads of photos in issue 22 of MotoHead magazine App!