Yamaha Motor Europe has officially announced that Jeremy Van Horebeek will remain a works rider for the Yamaha Factory Racing Yamalube team for the 2016 MXGP World Championship.

The 25-year-old Belgian was runner-up in the 2014 MXGP series and this year has been one of the leading contenders in the championship since returning from a broken foot at round four in April.

Van Horebeek has continued to develop the YZ450FM and is part of a formidable duo in the premier class alongside Romain Febvre, who is also contracted to the Italian crew for the next two years.

“I had an idea in my mind for next year and was able to agree pretty quickly with Yamaha and it was an arrangement that I had made my mind up about quite a long time ago actually,” Van Horebeek said.

“I’m stoked that finally it can be announced. The level that I reached in 2014 is coming back but it has taken a long time. We are working hard every week and now that we are clear for 2016 we can start to think about next season already.

“Yamaha stepped it up with some different people and more activation this year and they want to put the company back at the top in many ways. I think its good thing that they want to push harder and promote more.”

Van Horebeek is currently eighth in the world championship standings, dominated in the mid-stages of the season by rookie teammate Febvre.