Image: Supplied.

Australian teenager Bailey Malkiewicz will make an unexpected return to Europe this weekend after being named as a replacement rider in the Hutten Metaal Yamaha Official EMX250 team.

Malkiewicz, 19, had spent a full season in the MX2 World Championship with Team Honda 114 Motorsports last year, but returned home with Yamaha for 2021.

Initially due to ride MX1 in Penrite ProMX as part of his former WBR Yamaha team, Malkiewicz hasn’t raced a round at this point after injuring his ACL last year and undergoing surgery in the pre-season. He did recently line up in the Hattah Desert Race.

Now, Malkiewicz has emerged as a temporary replacement for the injured Hutten Metaal Yamaha team regular Jeremy Sydow, riding a GYTR-kitted YZ250F in the next four rounds of EMX250. As the 2018 125cc Junior world champion, Malkiewicz was a fitting fill-in.

“I’m excited to reunite with Yamaha as I’ve had great success with them in 2018 as 125 Junior world champion,” Malkiewicz commented. “When preparing for my knee surgery, my personal team and I planned for this return.

“It’s reassuring that the Hutten Metaal Yamaha Official EMX250 team have demonstrated their professionalism in developing the right strategy for my return to ensure it’s safe and can yield results at the right time – mentally, I’m stronger than ever before.

“I’d like to thank everyone that made this happen especially Thorsten [Lentink], the team, my father Steve and my manager, as there was so much work to do in a short period. Without them, this opportunity wouldn’t have come together.”

Yamaha Motor Europe MX racing co-ordinator Thorsten Lentink stated: “I am very happy we were able to reach a deal with Bailey Malkiewicz. Bailey is a talented young rider that caught our attention last year.

“He is a rider that has a lot of potential and since he has already had success with Yamaha and the Yamaha family in the past as the winner of the junior world championship on a YZ125, he was the obvious choice to step in for Jeremy.

“We look forward to working with Bailey and to give him the chance to return to Europe where he can show his potential on the world stage.”

Malkiewicz landed in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, on Wednesday and will make his EMX250 debut this weekend in the MXGP of The Netherlands at Oss, with the second round of the 2021 EMX250 Championship set to take place on Saturday.