The Factory KRT team in recent years have had one main rider supported with a good back up but things look to be changing for the 2024 season after announcing the very exciting signing of Jeremy Seewer for the 2024 season.
Things changed for KRT coming into the 2022 season with a change of teams running the factory MXGP effort. The MX ESCA team who had ran the effort for a number of years were dropped and IceOne Racing managed by Antti Pyrhönen and owned by F1 legend, Kimi Räikkönen, have took over.
The main rider for those two years have been the very impressive Romain Febvre who was backed up by Ben Watson last year and Mitch Evans this year. Both very good riders but there has been clearly a main rider and a good number two rider. Watson and Evans are very very good riders in their own right but with no disrespect, not elite.
For 2024, Jeremy Seewer has inked a deal with the team, an elite rider as he’ll share the owning with Romain Febvre in what looks like a change of approach for KRT – two elite riders under the same awning and for a big factory team, this is the right approach. Seewer, who is known for able to stay injury free despite it being such a risky sport, is a top signing and Febvre, has been riding perhaps the best of his career this year.
Febvre this year had an early season injury he kept quiet, has been developing a new bike and also got concussed so missed a GP, otherwise he’d be much closer to Prado in the championship chase. For 2024, he should be going into the season in a very good spot having got the bike on point.
The future for KRT is going to be interesting when we think about 2025. Febvre has signed a one year deal and Seewer has officially signed a one year deal. Will they be able to keep both for beyond 2024? Febvre isn’t getting any younger at 31 years old so retirement could be on the cards at some stage and with his old team, MX ESCA team returning to the paddock next year running the Triumph effort, don’t be surprised to see them try and sign Febvre for the 2025 MXGP World Championship campaign.
So whilst, Seewer and Febvre is a very exciting rider line up for the 2024 MXGP World Championship, it remains to be seen how long KRT will be able to keep them together under the awning but regardless, 2024 promises to be a strong season for the green squad in MXGP.
Article: Andy McKinstry
Image: KRT