The 2008 MX1 World Champion, David Philippaerts who still races at a National level by contesting the Italian Championships has revealed he will race selected rounds of the MXGP World Championship this year.
Philippaerts had been a trainer at the Ghidinelli Yamaha Racing team as they decided to focus on the EMX250 championship at the start of the year with Tim Edberg, Oriol Oliver and Pietro Razzini. However, all three riders have parted ways with the team.
As a result, Philippaerts who is still competitive in the Italian Championship and a regular podium rider will be back racing at MXGP level. DP19 is expected to race the German GP held at Teutschenthal and then some wildcard rounds after that as well.
“In the team we were without riders and so, even a little bit for fun, I have decided to start competing again in October. What motivates me? I have the fitness and passion for the sport, and then, as I approach 40, this is the last opportunity I have to do it. Together with Morris Ghidinelli, the team owner, we made this decision. This year our team had four riders between Europe and the Italian championship and everything started well, then at the beginning of the season some riders had doubts and we let them go. They are guys who have their own ideas, which we all respect, our roads separated for different reasons and our structure remained without a rider, or only those engaged in the Italian championship. We looked around, it’s not easy to find riders at the beginning of the season and almost for fun we decided to do some MXGP world events this year”, Philippaerts stated in the MotoSprintOfficial magazine.
