Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Manuel Lettenbichler has placed fifth overall at round five of the 2024 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship in Hungary. With improving race results of 5-4-3 in front of a 17,000-strong crowd at Budapest’s MVM Dome, Mani grew stronger as the evening progressed to maintain third overall in the championship standings with just two rounds now remaining.

Kicking off the evening’s racing in the Hungarian capital with the Prestige Superpole, Mani posted the third-fastest time to secure a valuable championship point. Making the most of his favorable start position for race one, the German initially started in second before holding third for the first half of the race. However, a series of small errors during the final few minutes proved costly for Lettenbichler, causing him to cross the line in fifth place.Determined to bounce back after a difficult opening race, Mani benefited from a strong start in race two, despite starting on the back row due to the reversed grid. However, the tricky uphill rock section that proved to be a pinch-point of the track for many riders caught Mani out early on. Slipping to 10th place by the end of lap one, the German regrouped with an impressive comeback ride to place fourth on his KTM 300 EXC.

The third and final race of the evening saw Lettenbichler go from strength-to-strength. Slotting into third on lap one, Mani enjoyed the battle for second place for the majority of the race. Despite his best efforts, he ended up settling for a close third.

Just missing the overall podium by two points to finish fifth at round five, the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider remains third in the championship standings as they head to the penultimate round in Bulgaria in three weeks’ time.

Manuel Lettenbichler: “I’m pretty happy with how tonight has gone! Speed-wise, my riding was good, but I just made a few mistakes with line choices, especially in the first race. I had good pace, but when someone crashed in front of me, it was tough to settle back into a good rhythm. In the second moto I fought back from pretty much last to fourth, which was good. I feel like we could see the speed was there in the last race and that the changes we made to the bike are helping. For my championship position, today has helped me strengthen third overall.”

Results – 2024 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship – Round 5, Hungary

Prestige Overall

1. Billy Bolt (GBR), Husqvarna, 62 points

2. Jonny Walker (GBR), Beta, 48 pts

3. Diogo Vieira (POR), GASGAS, 42 pts

4. Mitchell Brightmore (GBR), GASGAS, 41 pts

5. Manuel Lettenbichler (GER), KTM, 40 pts

Prestige Race 1

1. Billy Bolt (GBR), Husqvarna, 12 laps, 7:17.091

2. Jonny Walker (GBR), Beta, 12 laps, 7:29.898

3. Diogo Vieira (POR), GASGAS, 12 laps, 7:43.224

4. Mitchell Brightmore (GBR), GASGAS, 12 laps, 7:55.692

5. Manuel Lettenbichler (GER), KTM, 11 laps, 7:20.187

Prestige Race 2

1. Billy Bolt (GBR), Husqvarna, 11 laps, 6:35.545

2. Diogo Vieira (POR), GASGAS, 11 laps, 6:55.507

3. Mitchell Brightmore (GBR), GASGAS, 11 laps, 6:58.254

4. Manuel Lettenbichler (GER), KTM, 10 laps, 6:39.761

5. Jonny Walker (GBR), Beta, 10 laps, 6:47.852

Prestige Race 3

1. Billy Bolt (GBR), Husqvarna, 12 laps, 6:55.701

2. Jonny Walker (GBR), Beta, 12 laps, 7:08.635

3. Manuel Lettenbichler (GER), KTM, 12 laps, 7:12.845

4. Mitchell Brightmore (GBR), GASGAS, 11 laps, 6:52.802

5. Eddie Karlsson (SWE), Husqvarna, 11 laps, 6:58.692

Team HRC are entering into the new motocross world championships with three riders on-board their Honda machinery as Tim Gajser and Ruben Fernandez are joined by young Italian, Ferruccio Zanchi, for what is a return to the MX2 class for this prestigious manufacturer.

Five-time world champion Gajser needs no introduction, as the Slovenian looks to add to his trophy-haul after an injury-hit 2023 campaign. The #243 did return later in the year and ended up winning two of the final three rounds, but his eyes have been firmly set on this year for some time and he will be looking to continue his winning ways, on what is a brand-new Honda CRF450R.

Both him, and teammate Fernandez have been strenuously testing the new machine over this winter period, making sure it is ready for all the challenges that a 20-round MXGP season can throw at it, and after considerable riding time, both are extremely happy with the results and are excited for the first gate-drop on March 9-10.

Fernandez is especially looking forward to heading down to Argentina again, and the fabulous facility in Villa La Angostura, as the #70 was victorious there last year, in what was his first-ever MXGP win. It was an important moment and one that really boosted the Spaniard’s confidence for the rest of the season, and now he’s once again feeling good as this season looks to get underway in the South American country.

It was a big step for Team HRC to be re-joining the MX2 class, but also a crucial one for the brand to be racing competitively on the smaller 250cc machines, and Zanchi was seen as the perfect prospect to lead this new venture for 2024. The Italian already has a couple of wildcard MX2 rounds under his belt, and was successful in the EMX250 class last year, and will now step-up full time in what is a completely blank slate for him and the bike. Both parties know that it won’t be easy to come in and challenge straight away, but both have put in a lot of work over this off-season to be ready for what awaits. This is seen as a long-term project to try and get back to the level that saw Gajser win the MX2 title in 2015, but everyone involved knows there is a lot of potential, and with the expertise and winning-mentality that Team HRC possesses, it will only be a matter of time before they are back where they belong.

So with two new bikes and one new rider, 2024 is shaping-up to be a very exciting season for everyone involved, but before the world championships get underway, there are two warm-up races in Riola Sardo and Mantova for trio to put their respective machines through their first competitive paces and make sure everything is ready for Argentina in just over one month’s time.

Team HRC, Honda’s works racing outfit, will enter the FIM E-Xplorer World Cup from the 2024 season, which starts with the team’s home round in Osaka, Japan, 16-17 February.

The FIM E-Xplorer World Cup is an endurocross discipline featuring exclusively electric motocross bikes. The series therefore becomes the battleground for Honda’s CR ELECTRIC PROTO, which made an impressive competitive debut at Round 8 of the All Japan Motocross Championship at the end of last year against its established 450cc internal combustion counterparts.

Competing for Team HRC aboard the CR ELECTRIC PROTO will be four-time Italian MX Champion and three-time Italian Enduro Champion Francesca Nocera, who will ride alongside her duties for the Honda Racing RedMoto World Enduro Team in the Enduro World Championship, and Tosha Schareina. Having been signed to the Monster Energy Honda Team only last year, his Dakar Rally debut as a works rider got off to a flying start with a victory on the Prologue. The Spaniard is well versed in both motocross and enduro, so alongside Nocera the pair are strongly positioned to mount a championship assault.

Nocera and Schareina will pair up against nine other teams, each comprising a male and a female rider under the series’ regulations. New for 2024, there are two categories of competition, with the larger Hyperbikes (prototype 7kwh-max machines using a standard MX wheelbase) joined by a lighter-weight GT class, based upon regular production models and weighing below 112kg.

Team HRC’s duo will campaign the CR ELECTRIC PROTO in the premier Hyperbike class across a series of 10min qualifying rounds, three intense 10-minute races and a play-off series of sprint relays for the best four teams each weekend.

A technical collection alongside fanwear reinforcing the brand's presence in motorsport

Tavullia (Italia), 31st January 2024 - Kappa® is pleased to announce the sponsorship with Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team for the next three sports seasons. Until 2026, the iconic Omini brand will stand alongside the Team supporting Marco Bezzecchi and Fabio Di Giannantonio on Ducati. Starting from the 2024 season, Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team will wear garments designed by the Kappa® R&D Center.

This collaboration, born thanks to the VR46 Agency, strengthens the brand's presence in the motorsport world. Riders, mechanics, and every member of the VR46 Racing Team will wear Kappa® technical apparel both during races, test days and team events. The team's collection includes a range of casual clothing, also available in fanwear versions. The main colors of the gear will be black and the iconic VR46 fluo yellow and a replica collection of the team's equipment will be released, available this spring.

Round 4 - AMA Supercross Championship

ANAHEIM, Calif. – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Aaron Plessinger captured third place at Round 4 of the 2024 AMA Supercross Championship, with 450SX teammate Chase Sexton posting a strong haul of results including the opening Race win across the Triple Crown format for fifth overall.

Entering with the premier class points lead following his breakout win in San Diego, Plessinger’s KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION sported the red plates as he took to the circuit for qualifying. P14 was the result, which 'The Cowboy' would build upon as he took sixth place in the first Race of the night.

Strong starts and convincing race-pace saw Plessinger in the mix throughout the two following Races, as the number 7 charged to P4 and P3 results, respectively, and third overall on the night. With his Anaheim 2 podium, he opens his lead atop the standings to four over teammate Sexton, heading a Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 1-2 entering Detroit.

Aaron Plessinger: “This race was really important for me, just to stay consistent and not let things get to my head. I feel like I did a good job of that – I got great starts all night, I tightened up a little in Race 1, before in Race 2 I rode really good, and then Race 3 I was right there behind Chase [Sexton]. Tonight was tough, a lot of the success had to do with being consistent, and I think I did a good job of that."

Returning to the second Angel Stadium stop of the season, defending 450SX Champion Sexton charged to the second-fastest time in qualifying as he dialed in his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION on the hard-packed, dry track surface.

Starts proved to be critical in the Triple Crown Main Event, and Sexton would launch to the front of the field in the first Race, going on to post a standout wire-to-wire race victory to begin the night. The tables would be turned for Race 2, however, with a difficult start seeing him only manage an 11th-place finish by race's end.

The third and final Race saw all the contenders in the mix as they battled at the front of the field, with Sexton putting together a calculated performance that would see him bring home second position and fifth overall for the round.
Chase Sexton: “Round 4, Triple Crown, I think I finished 1-11-2. First Race was good, second Race I came through the pack and then had a stupid crash, which put me back, then the third Race was okay also – I was just focused on closing it out consistently. Not my greatest night, but we’ll bounce back next week, and onto some east coast dirt, which I’m excited about.”

Results 450SX Class – Anaheim 2
1. Cooper Webb (USA), Yamaha
2. Eli Tomac (USA), Yamaha
3. Aaron Plessinger (USA), KTM

Pata Prometeon Yamaha has unveiled its 2024 R1 WorldSBK livery, as leading title contenders Jonathan Rea and Andrea Locatelli eagerly anticipate the start of this year’s FIM Superbike World Championship. 

Rea’s move to Yamaha has been widely covered since news broke of his first change in manufacturer in nearly a decade. The six-time WorldSBK Champion has made no secret of his desire to claim a seventh title ¬– this time boldly sporting Yamaha “Racing Blue”. 

Teammate “Loka” has also established himself as a clear contender for podiums – and his first race win – returning for a fourth season in the Official Yamaha Team.

Despite the incredible depth of talent in the 2024 premier class entry list, JR and Loka, with the Pata Prometeon Yamaha and Yamaha Motor Europe Motorsport R&D teams behind them, are aiming once again to compete for the “Triple Crown”. As Team Principal Paul Denning describes, it will be one of the most exciting and intriguing seasons in WorldSBK history.

Fighting for a World Title is no easy feat without dedicated, loyal partnerships. For the ninth straight season, Italy’s number one snack manufacturer Pata, owned by Remo Gobbi, is Title Sponsor – joined by Co-Title Sponsor Prometeon, as the innovative truck, bus and agricultural tyre company seeks to build its global brand awareness and identity.

The team also welcomes Monster Energy back to Yamaha within the WorldSBK arena, alongside Official Technology Partner Ampito Group and long-term Official FX Partner Corpay. Valuable support to the programme is delivered by a wide variety of key partners including Yamaha Indonesia and its “Semakin Di Depan” message, Akrapovic, Pro-Bolt, Hel Performance, GB Racing, Solace Cyber, Minoli Tiles, GP Titan Tech, Ferodo, WRS and Sapphire Vehicle Services. Two further new brands join with strategic partnerships including Total Energies as the team’s technical fuel supplier and SRG – Specialist Risk Group as Official Insurance Partner.

Pre-season testing continues tomorrow with two days at Autódromo Internacional do Algarve (Portimão, Portugal), before the season-opener in Australia at Phillip Island from 23-25 February after one final test.

Jonathan Rea:

“I am just excited to start the season now! The transition into the Yamaha Family has been a really smooth one and throughout winter testing we’ve been working hard on getting comfortable on my R1, exploring the limits and understanding the work we need to do to start the season. It’s getting very close to Phillip Island, a track I really enjoy and the target is to try to enjoy the bike every weekend – to exploit all its strengths – and for sure the goal is to be competitive and fight for race wins. I am curious to see our full potential in Australia, but just now after the Pata Prometeon Yamaha team photoshoot in my new colours, everything is real! I really feel like a Yamaha rider now and I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do together.”

Andrea Locatelli:

“It’s my fourth season with Yamaha in 2024, and I am more motivated than ever. With the team around me, I think we can do a really good job this season. We work really hard over the winter to continue to develop the R1 and also for myself, I need to trust and believe in myself and for sure, we are nearly there! The goal is not only to fight for the podium, it is to be at the front and fight for the win – we were closer than ever in 2023, and I am ready to take the next step. The new colours look amazing, I think it is the best Pata Prometeon Yamaha R1 this season. I would like to thank the team and Yamaha for everything they do, the whole team is always pushing to work on all the details together to have the best package for us. I really like Phillip Island and after two more days at Portimão this week, I think we can start very well in Australia!”

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Aaron Plessinger charged to his first career 450SX Main Event victory at Round 3 of the 2024 AMA Supercross Championship, taking a convincing win in rain-soaked conditions and taking control of the series points lead in the process. Teammate Chase Sexton raced to P8 in class, now positioned second in the standings.

In a tight 450SX Class qualifying session, Plessinger was P13 on the time-sheets, before storming to the second Heat Race win of the evening. That set him up for a breakout result inside Snapdragon Stadium amidst the steady rain falling in the region.

Powering his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION to a top-five start in the Main Event, Plessinger looked right at home as he battled at the front of the field, exercising patience as he closed in on the lead at the midway mark. An eventual pass for P1 and a well-managed race up front earned AP his first-career 450SX Main Event – a popular result after coming so close during his career previously.

Aaron Plessinger: “Man, San Diego! It was a really good race, managed to get into the lead around the midway point, and just rode clean laps, stayed up, and got the win! On top of that, we take the red plate and points lead into the next round, which is huge for me. We had a great off-season... The team and I worked super-hard and to start the season with 4-5-1 results is my best start ever! The fans were crazy sticking it out here in the rain, so I’m stoked to be able to deliver a result to them, and ready to do it again next weekend."

Defending 450SX champion Sexton looked sharp on his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION from the outset in San Diego, charging to the third-fastest lap time in a shortened qualifying program due to weather, and notching a time just two-tenths shy of pole position.
After racing to seventh place in his Heat Race following a troubled start, Sexton would also experience adversity in the Main Event, with the number 1 caught up in the chaos of the mid-pack early on. He clawed his way from the rear of the field to capture a hard-fought eighth-place finish, now one point behind Plessinger in the series.

Ricky Brabec got himself into the history books again with his second victory at the famous Dakar Rally, kicking off his 2024 World Rally-Raid Championship campaign on a high.  Joining him on the podium in third at the world’s toughest rally was teammate Adrien Van Beveren who finally made that step up having come so close in previous editions of the Dakar.

The 2024 Dakar was going to test competitors even more this year with the 48 Hour Chrono providing an extra challenge to what is already a difficult and often unpredictable rally.  Across the many kilometres in the stunning landscapes of Saudi Arabia, through the highs and the lows, the Monster Energy Honda Team riders really pushed themselves to their limits across the two weeks.On what was a successful rally for the new generation Honda CRF450 RALLY, the riders showed their potential from the first day of action taking eight stage victories between them as Honda aims to be the World Rally-Raid Championship Manufacturers’ champion for the third consecutive year.

Taking a well-earned break the riders will rest up before heading back to the deserts around the world for more testing, ahead of the new BP Ultimate Rally-Raid round at the end of April.We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our sponsors and the whole team for all their support and hard work during this legendary journey through Saudi Arabia.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Manuel Lettenbichler has claimed his second podium finish of the 2024 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship, finishing third overall at round four in Cluj, Romania. In front of a packed stadium of fans, Mani steered his KTM 300 EXC to runner-up in Superpole, and 3-5-3 race results, to move himself up to third in the championship standings.

The track at the BT Arena in Cluj was technical and physically demanding, and left no room for error. But Mani immediately gelled well with the tight course, placing second in SuperPole, narrowly missing out on the top spot by less than one second. Transferring his impressive pace into race one, Mani initially emerged in seventh place from the gate. However, the KTM 300 EXC rider swiftly found his rhythm, making his way through the field to ultimately claim an impressive third-place finish.
Starting from the second row in the reverse-grid race two, and despite getting caught up in a series of crashes off the frenzied start that left him in last place, Lettenbichler quickly showcased his skill to push through the pack. Though the tricky log sections caught many riders out, Mani put his head down and focused to deliver a near mistake-free ride and bring home his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing machine in fifth place.

Happy with his riding and hungry to end the event on a high, Mani wasted no time in getting to the sharp end of the pack when the gate dropped for race three. Moving into second early on, the young German hung on to a top-three position for the duration of the race, taking third at the checkered flag, for third in the overall event classification.
Manuel Lettenbichler: “I’m definitely making improvements and finding more pace at every round. The top two guys are still a little way ahead in terms of speed, but I’m happy with how I rode today. I’m really trying to get that gap down though and in fact, on the first race, I was able to hang on for quite a lot of the moto. The races are just so intense, so physically demanding, but I’m learning and hopefully I can carry the speed and what I’ve learned here in Romania on to Budapest.”

The seven-round 2024 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship continues with round five in Budapest, Hungary on February 3.

Results – 2024 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship – Round 4, Romania

Prestige Overall
1. Billy Bolt (GBR), Husqvarna, 57 points
2. Jonny Walker (GBR), Beta, 54 pts
3. Manuel Lettenbichler (GER), KTM, 43 pts
4. Dominik Olszowy (POL), Rieju, 37 pts
5. Eddie Karlsson (SWE), Husqvarna, 31 pts

Prestige Race 1
1. Jonny Walker (GBR), Beta, 11 laps, 7:07.645
2. Billy Bolt (GBR), Husqvarna, 11 laps, 7:21.009
3. Manuel Lettenbichler (GER), KTM, 11 laps, 7:23.827
4. Will Hoare (GBR), Rieju, 11 laps, 7:32.146
5. Dominik Olszowy (POL), Rieju, 11 laps, 7:35.262

Prestige Race 2
1. Billy Bolt (GBR), Husqvarna, 11 laps, 7:07.496
2. Jonny Walker (GBR), Beta, 11 laps, 7:10.431
3. Dominik Olszowy (POL), Rieju, 11 laps, 7:31.001
4. Mitchell Brightmore (GBR), GasGas, 11 laps, 7:48.825
5. Manuel Lettenbichler (GER), KTM, 10 laps, 7:14.947

Prestige Race 3
1. Billy Bolt (GBR), Husqvarna, 11 laps, 6:45.093
2. Jonny Walker (GBR), Beta, 11 laps, 7:06.612
3. Manuel Lettenbichler (GER), KTM, 11 laps, 7:13.515
4. Eddie Karlsson (SWE), Husqvarna, 11 laps, 7:31.751
5. Dominik Olszowy (POL), Rieju, 10 laps, 6:46.767

Championship Standings (After Round 4)
1. Billy Bolt (GBR), Husqvarna, 239 points
2. Jonny Walker (GBR), Beta, 220 pts
3. Manuel Lettenbichler (GER), KTM, 153 pts
4. Will Hoare (GBR), Rieju, 146 pts
5. Dominik Olszowy (POL), Rieju, 132 pts

Team Honda HRC’s Jett Lawrence made history at the highly anticipated opener to AMA Supercross’s 50th anniversary season, becoming the first rookie to win in his premier-class indoors debut. Meanwhile, in his first official ride aboard the factory Team Honda HRC CRF250R, Jo Shimoda fought through the pack to finish fourth in the 250SX West division. The Anaheim 1 Supercross was not as kind to Hunter Lawrence, as a series of misfortunes prevented him from advancing to the main event, but he’s determined to come back strong next week to show his true potential in San Francisco.

Jett came out swinging in the 450SX main event, with an impressive holeshot aboard his CRF450RWE. The 20-year-old Australian sensation led every lap with his signature smooth, collected style, perfectly managing the gap to the riders behind him and crossing the finish line with a 7-second margin. Also impressive was Dylan Ferrandis, who finished in the top five in his debut with Phoenix Racing Honda.

450SX Results

1.       Jett Lawrence (Hon)

2.       Jason Anderson (Kaw)

3.       Chase Sexton (KTM)

4.       Aaron Plessinger (KTM)

5.       Dylan Ferrandis (Hon)

6.       Cooper Webb (Yam)

7.       Justin Barcia (Gas)

8.       Justin Cooper (Yam)

9.       Eli Tomac (Yam)

10.   Ken Roczen (Suz)