Husqvarna has announced their riders for the 2015 MXGP season. Red Bull IceOne Husqvarna Factory Racing will represent the brand in MXGP, with Wilvo Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing contesting the MX2 class.
Max Nagl, 27, has agreed to a deal with Red Bull IceOne that will see the German race MXGP for the next two years with the brand. While with HRC Honda last year, Nagl won five MXGP motos, including his first overall since 2010 at the Grand Prix of Goias (Brazil).
“It’s always exciting to embark on a new chapter in racing and I’m very much looking forward to joining Husqvarna and Red Bull IceOne Racing for 2015," he said in a press release. "I know that the championship will be tough next year—the competition will be tight. Also we have six overseas races to contend with—but I believe that we can do a very good job.”
Returning for his second year with the team will be Australian Todd Waters. In his first year, Waters missed significant time after breaking his tibia and fibula and suffering a break to his right collarbone and a small fracture to his right hip in a practice crash in April.
“I’m excited for 2015. It’s my opportunity to set things right from this season," he said in a press release. "Although 2014 started out very positively things just didn’t go to plan when I suffered some serious injuries to my leg, hip and collarbone. But getting back on a bike as allowed me to put all that bad luck behind me and focus on what’s ahead."
The team has also signed Great Britain's Nathan Watson. The 20-year-old will race in MXGP at all the European rounds.
Wilvo Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing will return 21-year-old Russian Aleksandr Tonkov in MX2 and has signed Australian Dean Ferris to contest the MXGP class. "I’m really grateful for the opportunity of staying in MXGP for 2015 that both Wilvo Nestaan and Husqvarna have given me," Ferris said. "I really enjoyed my return to MXGP in 2014 and it’s fantastic to know that it will continue."
Ricci Racing will receive official Husqvarna support for 2015 with riders Rui Goncalves (MXGP), Christopher Valente (MX2), Michael Ivanov (MX2) and Filippo Zonta (EMX125).
“We are very excited about the new season and I think we have a very strong rider line-up, especially in MXGP. After a tough 2014 season in MXGP I truly believe that with Todd, Nathan, Dean and Rui we will be in a position to fight for some really good results," Robert Jones, head of Husqvarna Motorsport, said. "Our MX2 factory rider line-up is not as big as in 2014, we are putting all hopes in Aleksandr. Being the ‘number one’ rider in the team seems to give him a boost, which we already experienced at the MXON in Latvia."
