Greg Aranda and Jens Getteman confirmed with LS Honda Racing

Frenchman Greg Aranda (23) will spearhead LS Honda’s effort on the revolutionary new Honda CRF450R. The former European Supercross champion will be joined by Belgium’s hot prospect Jens Getteman (19) who will step up to the MX1 class after a promising first world championship season. In his home country Getteman conquered the Belgian MX2 title.

Three years ago the team of Steven Lettani enjoyed their breakthrough on the world stage. With five MX1 moto wins, 3 GP victories, overall podiums in MX1, MX2, MX3, WMX and major national titles every single season, LS Honda Racing is unquestionably the most successful Honda team in recent Grand Prix history. While the highly regarded Belgian crew has always operated lean and efficient, the 2013 rider duo reflects a focused and inspired long-term strategy.

"We are delighted to welcome Greg and Jens to the LS family,” says Steven Lettani, manager and owner of the team. "I was already keeping an eye on Aranda for a couple of seasons. As a rider he’s one of the most exciting talents in the series and he’s extremely fast! His success in European Supercross and the French Elite series is proof of Greg’s potential. We are convinced that with the right guidance, a renewed motivation and a great bike like ours Aranda can make a name for himself in the World Championship as well. Jens Getteman has been in touch with the team for some time. He’s got a lot going for him; he has the required riding skills to reach the highest level coupled with great personality. Of course 2013 will be a learning year for Jens, so next season will be a launching platform without pressure. While we won the Spanish championship with Jonathan Barragan and made the podium in our MX3 wildcard appearance in France it’s obvious that 2012 didn’t go according to plan. However our realigned commitment to develop young talent like Getteman and Aranda feels like a shot of adrenaline. Let’s go to work!”

Greg Aranda: "I’m absolutely pumped to work with LS Honda Racing for next season! It’s a close-knit and professional team where I will have the opportunity to show what I can do in the MX1 GP’s. A great bike, the support of cool and experienced people, my mechanic Denis Pipelier will be French… for me this is a killer package! I believe that I can make the top 10 overall, like I showed in Loket this year and hopefully get some top-fives in there as well. My main focus will be the World Championship but I will also race the big European Supercross events like Bercy and the French MX Elite series.”

Steven Lettani and Jens Getteman

Jens Getteman: "My first impression of the LS Honda CRF450R was awesome. Even after two laps I felt at home! The power and weight that I anticipated when riding a 450 for the first time were no issues at all. Before making this decision to move to MX1 I consulted with my coaches at Motorsport Future. Together we came to the conclusion that it’s the right thing to do in the long run. Guys like Clément Desalle, Max Nal, Kevin strijbos and Ken De Dycker have been riding MX1 from an early age as well. I am not saying I will be replicating their kind of results immediately but they showed that it can be a smart move career-wise.”

Copy and images courtesy of LS Honda