The Yamaha Monster Motocross Team is one of the most formidable off-road racing set-ups in the FIM world championship with a record of victories and titles unparalleled in the last twenty years. The partnership between Yamaha and the Rinaldi's brother’s team was an immediate success, soaring to the 1992 250cc world title with the late Donny Schmit. Since then the association has continued to grow and prosper, maintaining a place in the upper echelons of the sport. In 1994 the Italian squad reaped more acclaim in a different category when another American, Bob Moore, sealed the 125cc Championship. The Rinaldis carried on running the factory's official 125 and 250cc efforts, while the YRRD (Yamaha Rinaldi R&D) program founded in 1995, started developing a range of race-winning special parts for the company's two-stroke YZ machines.

Further on-track glory came when the team began campaigning Yamaha's factory four-strokes in 1999; it was to be the start of a comprehensive streak of results. Andrea Bartolini won the 500 world title with the production based YZ400F in that first year, with Marnicq Bervoets taking the runner-up position the following term.

Since 2001 Stefan Everts stamped his mark on the sport with Rinaldi-run Yamaha's in a six season consecutive spell of Championship domination. The initial pieces of silverware were taken with the YZ500FM, a machine jointly developed by Yamaha and the Rinaldi team in 2001 and 2002, before switching to the YZ450FM for the new MX1 category (for 450cc four-stroke and 250cc two-strokes). Everts added four back-to-back titles on the YZ450FM, between 2003 and 2006 before retiring undefeated last September.

The Yamaha - Rinaldi connection has become very close over the years. The racing team is the most recognisable element for the general public, but the Rinaldi group is also deeply involved in technical development, all under the management of Yamaha Motor Europe. 'Yamaha Rinaldi R&D' (YRRD) parts are developed for the MX1 team and while several MX2 riders also race with special YRRD GP components. In addition, YRRD produces motocross racing kits available to the YZ riders all over the world through Yamaha's distributors.

Day-to-day responsibilities and running of the team belongs to Massimo 'Mino' Raspanti, a very experienced technician, having worked with Bartolini and Everts as a mechanic. He is backed by a proficient crew to reinforce the team’s widespread positive image and unprecedented track record.

With Everts’ retirement the reigning champs had a brand new line-up for 2007 with 2005 runner-up Josh Coppins coming onboard and instantly filling the role of favourite for the upcoming series.

The hard-working New Zealander immediately forged a promising alliance with the Rinaldis and also the YZ450FM. The new-look team won the first Grand Prix of the season in the sand of Valkenswaard. Coppins dominated further rounds in Spain and Italy taking five victories and nine moto wins. The Kiwi led the championship for fourteen of the fifteen Grand Prix before an injury cruelly robbed the rider, team and Yamaha of a well-deserved championship. Some consolation was provided by the statistics that clearly showed Coppins as a righteous victor and the YZ machinery was again a leading protagonist with the luckless Marc de Reuver’s late swansong triumph in the Dutch sand of Lierop providing a pleasing climax to a fateful 2007.

By virtue of the 2007 package, Coppins once again starts 2008 as one of the main contenders for the MX1-GP crown and the Yamaha Motocross Team will be deeply motivated to regain the title that had been theirs every season since the inception of the category in 2004.

A new member of the team arrives for 2008 in the form of MX2 and MX1 Grand Prix winner (the first rider ever to do so) David Philippaerts. The Tuscan will be the first Italian works rider for the manufacturer since Bartolini and Alessandro Puzar last century.