Yamaha Monster Energy MX Team re-signs Philippaerts and Paulin for 2011

Yamaha Motor Europe is happy to announce that David Philippaerts and Gautier Paulin will again represent the factory Yamaha Monster Energy Motocross Team for the 2011 FIM MX-GP World Championship. The Italian and Frenchman will extend their current association with the Italian set-up into next year’s campaign. Philippaerts will be aiming to recapture the MX1-GP title he secured in his first season with Yamaha in 2008 while Paulin is slated to attempt the MX2-GP series in which he was primed to be a major protagonist this term until an unfortunate pre-season leg break caused him to miss the first four rounds. Philippaerts gave the new and innovative rear-slating YZ450FM its debut Grand Prix win last month in France and is currently third in the world championship table with four podium appearances from the ten rounds run so far. The 25 year old has also grabbed two pole positions. Paulin has been building up to speed since his return at the Catalan round in mid-May and grabbed his first silverware (and for the team since they last contested the MX2-GP category in 2005) with third position on the YZ250FM last week in Sweden. “2011 will be my fourth year with Yamaha and I am happy to have made a new deal,” said Philippaerts. “We have been working hard this season to get the new bike up to its best level and we have had some very good races and some moments of bad luck on the way. The important thing for me is that I feel at home with the team. They want to win as much as I do and the support is there every week for me to be able to do my best. I think we will have an even better year in 2011.” "The accident at the start of season was a big shame because we had all been working hard to be in the best shape but we are returning now to the level we originally planned for,” commented Paulin. “I am pleased we have reached a deal for 2011 and I know I am in the best place to achieve what I want and reach the same goals that Yamaha and Monster Energy are also pushing for." “We are really happy that David and Gautier will again be among our main title contenders for 2011,” commented Yamaha Motor Europe Racing Manager Laurens KleinKoerkamp. “They are two professional and pleasant individuals and are doing a good job in 2010 with the new machinery and some difficult circumstances in the case of Gautier who was so unlucky with his injury. We will be in the second year of developing the YZ450FM and the YZ250FM and to have riders who are already down the road with this technology is of course an advantage.” “It is clear that signing these two very good riders for another year is important and positive for the team and Yamaha,” said Rinaldi Group Principal Michele Rinaldi. “David will enter another year with what is now still a new bike, and Gautier will be at the form and speed that he is reaching at this moment. I would also like to thank Yamaha Motor Europe and our sponsors, especially Monster Energy, for their excellent support and for allowing our project and team to go on at the highest level.”