David’s younger brother, Deny, brings a family aspect to Yamaha’s motocross line-up for the 2008 world championship. Still only nineteen years old at the start of the season, Philippaerts ‘junior’ is firmly in the footsteps of his Grand Prix-winning older sibling.

Fifth position in the 2006 Italian championship marked Philippaerts as a rider to watch and he also made his first attempts at Grand Prix although it would not be until his brief appearances in the 2007 campaign that he would qualify on the international stage.

2007 saw real progress from the Italian as he led the European championship until the last round (eventually losing out by just one point) and helped Italy to victory in the European Motocross of Nations in Germany.

For 2008 Philippaerts gets a full-time GP berth in the 3C racing set-up and his big chance to share some of his brother’s limelight. His aim is surely to involve qualification at each MX2 round and chase the first world championship points of his young career.