Andrea Bonacorsi (Yamaha): Promoted to the MXGP / Motocross MX2 World Championship

Yamaha will witness a true disaster year in the Motocross World Championship in 2024. Hopeful Maxime Renaux and MXGP rookie Jago Geerts have been injured for a long time and their return is still a long time coming. Now there’s a comment: The Japanese announced on Thursday that motocross rider Andrea Bonacorsi will compete in the MXGP class in Portugal from the weekend.

The Italian should replace the injured Frenchman Renaux. Bonacorsi is the reigning European champion in the EMX category and will compete in his first full year in the MX2 class in 2024. Until now, Frenchman Thibault Benisttant was his teammate there. The 21-year-old will now share the Yamaha MXGP tent with Dutch veteran Calvin Vlaanderen for the rest of the season – even if Geerts or Renaux return.

This is an absolutely amazing offer for Bonacorsi after he recently produced his best MX2 GP weekend at his home appearance in Arco di Trento finishing 3rd in race 2. It was his best personal result to date. Bonacorsi is now testing hard with the 450 factory machine. “I am looking forward to moving up to the 450cc class,” emphasizes Bonacorsi and admits: “It was not an easy decision after showing in Arco that I can finish second. But somehow I feel that the 450cc machine suits me more and my ability on this bike is higher.”

Bonacorsi plans: “My goal will be to learn as fast as possible and to be better weekend after weekend – as I did in the MX2 class. So, for me, access to the MXGP class will be the same – just in a new class.