Yamaha Motor Europe has locked in reigning MXGP world champion Romain Febvre for the next three years. The deal, which will see Febvre stay with the brand through 2019, was announced over the weekend.

In 2015, the MXGP rookie won fifteen motos en route to his first world championship.

"I'm really happy that Yamaha and I have reached a new agreement that reflects the great work we have achieved so far together,” he said in a team statement. “It is a great feeling to be appreciated for my riding skills and dedicated approach to racing. We share open minds and ambition to be the best, that is a great asset for our future together. I'm really excited for the coming season, we are going to continue building an unbeatable team together and create more stories of success in MXGP."

Febvre won his home GP last weekend in France to pull within twenty-four points of leader Tim Gajser.

Yamaha Motor Europe chief operating officer Eric de Seynes added: “Our defending champion is a true talent and perfectly reflects the values that we hold dear in our racing activities. As a rider he is not only extremely professional, but also passionate and dedicated to pushing us to achieve the best possible results together.”