Jesko Raffin will join the Team carXpert Interwetten in 2017
Team carXpert Interwetten will put their cards on youngsters in 2017: alongside a talented Spaniard Iker Lecuona, 16 years old, it will be Jesko Raffin from Zurich, 20 years old since 12 June this year, who will join the team. The contract between Frédéric Corminboeuf , the boss of CGBM Evolution - the company that aligns the two Swiss teams on the Moto2 grid - and Jesko Raffin was signed on Saturday in Motegi during the weekend of the Grand Prix of Japan.
Raffin started racing in the Swiss Supermotard championship when he was very young. Moving on to Germany, he won the Yamaha R6 Cup in 2011, becoming the youngest ever champion of this single manufacturer category. In 2012 he moved to Spain, getting also his first Grand Prix experience, replacing injured Randy Krummenacher in Aragon, Japan and Malaysia. Finishing third in the Spanish Moto2 in 2013, Jesko went on to dominate this category in 2014, which opened the door for him to Grand Prix. Most notably finishing 8th in Germany this year, the youngster from Zurich has gradually improved throughout the season: "We are really happy to welcome Jesko in our team for next year," explained Frédéric Corminboeuf. "He is only 20 years old, he won many CEV races and this is his third season in the world championship, we will do everything we can to help him to continue his progression. We have already started our collaboration, especially fixing our first training objectives this winter because Jesko is tall (181cm) and so "heavy" (73kg). The whole team is looking forward to working with two such young riders because Iker Lecuona from Spain, who started with us last year, will also represent us. He is a young talent that will surprise us, I am sure of that. An incredible challenge is ahead of him and us as well because we know many observers are interested in Iker. He has to take his debuts easy but I can feel that we will hear about him very soon," adds the boss.
In Japan, the two current riders of the Team carXpert, Robin Mulhauser and Iker Lecuona qualified in 27th and 28th position respectively.
