Yamaha announces their 500 MX Team
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Since the birth of the groundbreaking YZ400F back in 1997 Yamaha has been committed to their off-road four-stroke racing program, yielding an impressive array of results.
Doug Henry scored the first ever four-stroke SX victory at Las Vegas, USA, in 1998; Andrea Bartolini then clinched the ‘99 MX500 World Championship, while Ernesto Fonseca has taken the four-stroke era a leap further forward by leading the AMA SX125 Championship on the all-new YZ250F, winning four of the five rounds raced so far! But Yamaha is far from sitting back on their laurels, as can be seen with the announcement of their 2001 MX500 World Championship campaign. It will be one of Yamaha’s strongest MX500 programs ever, with the factory team continuing under the management of the Rinaldi brothers, Michele and Carlo. 2001 heralds the tenth year anniversary of the Yamaha-Rinaldi partnership. Besides the running of the factory team, the Yamaha Motor Europe NV / Rinaldi relationship also develops and markets YRRD (Yamaha Rinaldi R&D) performance parts for YZ125, YZ250 and YZ426F customers. The new season will see four-times World Champion Stefan Everts join the Yamaha Motocross Team, partnering Marnicq Bervoets. The pair formerly used to be the biggest rivals, with Bervoets finishing three-time runner-up behind Everts. Michele Rinaldi is not worried though, pleased with a team that blends championship winning experience, determination and youth; “It is only good to have such a competitive situation inside the team, and despite their rivalry Marnicq and Stefan are actually good friends. Marnicq was the only rider to challenge Joel Smets last year and together with Stefan I am sure he will put up a formidable challenge for the title again.” Michele went on to add; “I have raced against Stefan’s father (Harry Everts, four times MX World Champ), so this makes our relationship a bit special. We will do our best to help Stefan get the MX500 crown, and if he does he would be the only rider besides Eric Geboers to have won world championships in all three classes.” After being sidelined for most of the last two years due to injury, Stefan is raring to start the season on a new bike and with his new team. He is full of confidence after having spent many hours testing his 2001 machine. “The bike is really suiting my riding style, I like the bike to be stable,” said Stefan. “The ’01 spec engine is very strong, giving performance at a much lower rpm than last years’ version. I am also very impressed by the factory KYB suspension. Altogether the YZ is very easy to ride, and for me a perfect weapon to challenge for the title”. Stefan was taken by the very warm welcome he received from the Italian outfit. “I have been talking to Michele since ’91, unfortunately for some reason we never got together until now. The way the team works gives me a lot of confidence. They are very professional in every aspect, they are totally dedicated not only to the job at hand but also to me personally” Marnicq Bervoets shares Stefan’s opinion on the ’01 machine. “The bike has definitely been developed in the right direction. The 2001 developments on engine and suspension have made the bike much more stable and rider friendly.” Bervoets starts the season mentally and physically stronger than ever. “I have intensified my winter training and together with a year of experience in riding four-strokes, I am ready for the challenge. Having Stefan as a teammate definitely is an advantage. We have had a joint training session in Spain where we made real progress on bike set up.” Rinaldi and Yamaha factory engineers in Japan have jointly developed the latest version of the YZ426F, which will feature an increase in engine capacity, and a completely new crankcase. The fact that this major engine development has been completed in Europe plays testimony to the high technological level that YRRD has reached over the years. Team manager Carlo Rinaldi came away impressed with McFarlane after his performance at the opening round of the 2000 MX500 World Championship, held in Australia. The young talent mixed it up with the big boys at his home GP and stood on the podium in the first heat. Rinaldi was quick to sign him up, resulting in an agreement to ride for the Yamaha Rinaldi in 2001 - with an option for ’02. It’s the perfect outcome for McFarlane, who sees 2001 as a learning year. “Things are great in Italy, just a bit cold, but the team takes really good care of me. I’m sure I will have to come to terms with many new experiences and challenges. The tracks will be very diverse, in Europe they are quite undulating, and there are some pretty serious sand tracks to cope with too. Even so I’m not fazed by it all, with the Yamaha/Rinaldi organization behind me and a competitive bike, I will be fine.” Michele Rinaldi sees the entry of McFarlane as a step forward for 500’s “At 23-years-old Andrew is probably the youngest rider in the championship, which is a good development. It proves that young upcoming stars take the four-strokes more serious as a career move. I hope more young guns will follow.” Andrew will start the season with a production based YZ426F mounted with a 2000 factory spec engine. RIDER PROFILES Marnicq Bervoets |
