When Beta announced their 2020 MXGP World Championship rider line up there was a bit of a surprise to see they’ve signed up young French talent, Jimmy Clochet.
After contesting the final three rounds of the EMX Open Championship at Arco di Trento, Beta reached out to him about the 2021 season.
“I was contacted by Beta a fortnight after my week contesting the EMX Open Championship [in Italy]. Everything was done very quickly, I went to Italy to test the team’s bikes. The tests went well, they were happy with me and my riding. I had to wait for confirmation from the second rider before I could announce things”, Clochet told dailymotocross.fr.
Before Beta approached Clochet, his plan was to race for his own team to contest the European championship but Beta was just an offer he couldn’t refuse.
“I still had a few offers after the week in Italy, but it was planned that we would go back to a family structure for the 2021 season by trying to do the whole European Championship to show what I could do at the front and try to secure a ride after. It happened faster than expected”.
Clochet has already put in plenty of laps on the Beta and his lap times are already better on the new manufacture than on his Kawasaki. It’s still early days and the engine needs development but they already seem to have a good base for the bike.
“Development level, we have already evolved a lot in a short time, at Beta, they are motivated and the factory reacts very quickly. We are on a factory 450, quite simply. At the beginning, I had some preconceptions but once the first lap was completed, I was surprised, and for the better. I’m faster with the Beta than with the Kawasaki at the moment (we’re talking about tenths). We haven’t finished evolving yet so the base bike is already very efficient and everything will continue to go in the right direction”.
For the 2021 season, Clochet knows just how hard he has to work as the MXGP World Championship is stacked full of talent but he’s under no illusions.
“For now, I am still in the period when I am happy, but I will quickly have to put myself in the shoes of a factory rider in MXGP, because despite the dream that comes true, I also have to want to make a name for myself and establish myself among all these big riders”.
For the year ahead, Clochet will have the experienced Jeremy Van Horebeek as a team mate and he’s looking forward to working and learning from him.
“Jeremy has 15 years of Grand Prix experience, he’s really cool to me and we communicate well, so having him as a teammate is only good for me, and my 2021 season”.
You can read the entire interview, here.