Yamaha Motor Europe has signed 23-year-old Jeremy Van Horebeek to pilot its factory YZ450FM in the newly-named MXGP ranks for the 2014 and 2015 seasons.

A former MX2 GP winner, Van Horebeek contested the 2013 season with the Kawasaki factory outfit, finishing a credible seventh in his debut outing.

Van Horebeek’s signing completes the Rinaldi-run Yamaha effort where he will run alongside Christophe Charlier in the MX2 category.

The Belgian is looking forward to the 2014 season and feels the move to Rinaldi will help him take his career within the premier class to the next level.

“[2013] was a wonderful season. I broke my finger four weeks before the first grand prix but once I was in good shape then I was always near or in the top five,” said Van Horebeek.

“I wanted to be the number one rider in a factory team and coming to Yamaha was the perfect opportunity. I’m sure having the backing of the Yamaha Rinaldi crew will help me move onto the next level.”

Van Horebeek will run as part of Belgium’s three-man squad in this week’s Motocross of Nations in Germany before switching his attention to the 2014 YZ450F.

“I hope I will feel comfortable right away and we can get some good work done,” he said. “I know the team has a good reputation and I’m not worried about being on my own on the 450 in the team.

“Christophe will be there on the 250 but I think it will be a good challenge to lead development on the new bike.”

Yamaha Motor Europe racing manager Laurens Klein Koerkamp felt Van Horebeek’s brought potential to both classes of competition.

“As one of the younger riders in the premier class we were keen to see how he would manage and we liked his consistency and the way he proved to be competitive across the spectrum of different tracks and terrain found in the FIM Motocross World Championship,” said Klein Koerkamp.

“He was seen as a dependable and competitive choice to put the new YZ450F through its paces and get Yamaha back to the front of the category.”

Van Horebeek will run alongside Australia’s Dean Ferris as an official Yamaha factory rider in the 2013 championship, with Ferris to step up to MXGP within his current Steve Dixon-led squad.