Yamaha reorganises its factory programme: end of the road for MX2, Corvers and Hutten Metaal

Yamaha is fundamentally restructuring its involvement in the Motocross World Championship. From 2027, the Japanese manufacturer will focus exclusively on the premium MXGP category and centralise its factory operations at the Yamaha Campus in Gerno di Lesmo. This also marks the end of the partnership with Hans Corvers and his Kemea team.

Farewell to Genk

The former Yamaha works team, led by Hans Corvers, was based in Genk, Belgium. Kemea had recently moved into modern, approximately 3,000-square-metre headquarters there. Since 2024, the team had also been running the MXGP works team from that location.

Previously, Dutchman Louis Vosters had run the Yamaha works team in the premier class through his Wilvo organisation. Now, the partnership with Corvers and Kemea is also coming to an end. Yamaha is taking over racing operations itself and shifting responsibility for team management and technical development from Belgium to Italy.

The Yamaha Campus in Gerno di Lesmo: Everything under one roof

The Yamaha Campus in Gerno di Lesmo is regarded as one of the group’s most important European centres for motorsport, research and corporate development. It is situated just a few kilometres north-east of the Autodromo Nazionale Monza and around 25 kilometres from Milan.

The campus is home to Yamaha Motor Italy, Yamaha Motor Racing, Yamaha Motor R&D Europe and Yamaha Music Italy. According to the company, Gerno di Lesmo is the only Yamaha site in the world where motorcycles, racing, research and music are brought together on a single campus.

Topic of the week

Topic of the week: MotoGP’s new schedule proved highly controversial

In 2027, MotoGP will also enter the 850cc era with a new schedule. It was not so much the changes themselves as the way the decisions were reached that caused a stir. A prime example of: ‘Talking helps’.

Thomas Kuttruf

Read More

Full focus on the MXGP

In future, the development of the MXGP machines and the operations of the works team will also be managed from Gerno di Lesmo. Yamaha is concentrating its resources on the premier class whilst simultaneously ending its works involvement in MX2.

“The Yamaha Factory Racing MXGP team will operate via a new, centralised structure at our motorsport research and development facility in Gerno di Lesmo,” explained Andrea Dosoli, Head of the Motorsport Department at Yamaha Motor Europe. “Alongside increased investment in MXGP, we will be ending our factory involvement in MX2 with immediate effect and restructuring our programmes in the EMX250 and EMX125.”

Farewell to Hans Corvers

Dosoli also paid tribute to the achievements of the previous team: “I would like to express my sincere thanks to Hans Corvers and the Kemea team for their contribution to Yamaha’s successes in the MXGP and MX2. Their work played a key role in winning the 2021 MX2 World Championship with Maxime Renaux, as well as in securing four manufacturers’ titles for Yamaha.”

Hutten Metaal is also affected

The Dutch Hutten Metaal team, which competed for Yamaha in MX2 and previously in the European Championship classes, is also affected by the reorganisation.

“I would also like to thank Wim Hutten and the Hutten Metaal team for their tireless commitment and professionalism,” said Dosoli. “Their work played a crucial role in Yamaha’s successes, particularly in the EMX250 with the title wins by Thibault Benistant, Rick Elzinga and Andrea Bonacorsi since 2020.”

Corvers’ future uncertain

It is currently unclear what the future holds for Hans Corvers and Kemea. It remains to be seen whether the Belgian team will continue in the Motocross World Championship with another manufacturer or cease racing operations.

The management and full rider line-up of the new MXGP works team, managed directly by Yamaha Motor Europe, have not yet been finalised. Yamaha intends to announce further details at a later date.