Larrieu completes potent Yamaha Ricci Racing team for 2009

Yamaha Ricci Racing will have their 2009 FIM MX2-GP World Championship line-up bolstered by the addition of talented youngster Loic Larrieu next season. The 17 year old Frenchman (18 before the start of the ’09 campaign) has signed to compete alongside countryman Nicolas Aubin and Italian Davide Guarneri on YZ250F machinery for the Italian crew. Larrieu, from Sete, near Montpellier, has shone in the 2008 European Championship despite carrying a shoulder injury for the majority of the campaign and has emerged as one of the brightest stars of the competitive feeder series. He has won two motos so far – dominating the French meeting – and scored nine top three race finishes from the twelve meetings to-date (obtaining four overall podiums in the first five rounds). He is fourth in the standings and just four points from second place. Larrieu made his world championship debut at St Jean D’Angely in 2007 and again appeared at his home Grand Prix this season, earning his first points with two impressive 12th positions and 11th overall. “It was important for me to find the right team with the right support and the right machinery and I am really happy to be joining Ricci and Yamaha because I believe the team and set-up have all the elements I need to make the next step,” he said. “The YZ250F is a very good and fast motorcycle and I am confident that I will be able to make my goal of getting regular top ten results in 2009.”   The acquisition of Larrieu rounds off a strong quota of riders in the Ricci set-up, with Aubin chasing third spot in the world championship standings and Guarneri claiming victory in the Spanish Grand Prix earlier this season. “With the new age limit restriction coming into the MX2-GP class for 2010, meaning a maximum of 23 years of age, it is important that we start to look to the future and what teenage talent we can bring through now,” said Yamaha Motor Europe’s Racing Division Manager Laurens Klein Koerkamp. “We have been watching Loic for a while now and we are delighted that he can join the Ricci team and re-enforce our commitment to the MX2-GP championship. We are confident that he will be able to show the same kind of speed and promise as Nico and Davide and we feel an exciting future lies ahead.” Loic Larrieu DOB: 17/01/1991 Place: Sete, France Height: 1m73 Weight: 61kg First Grand Prix: St Jean D’Angely 2007 Favourite Circuit: Ernee Favourite rider: Ricky Carmichael Career Highlights: 2008 – European Championship race winner, scores first Grand Prix points 2007 – Junior Vice Champion of France 2006 – French Cadet Champion 2005 – Mini French Champion 2002 – 85cc French Vice Champion 2001 – 65cc French Vice Champion