FIM MX1/MX2 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 07 SUNDAY MAY 19 BETO CARRERO, BRAZIL
— Cairoli cheered to win 58 by Brazilian crowd – Ferris goes 7-5
— Circuit length: 1562m – Type of ground: intermediate hard pack – Weather Conditions: cloudy and some light rain – Crowd attendance: 45000
Once again the Grand Prix of Brazil was a great success thanks to the outstanding facilities of Beto Carrero, the enthusiastic 45000 fans that cheered for the MXGP riders during the whole event, as well as the great racing in both MX1 and MX2 classes and of course in the Super Final. In the end there was just a little bit of drizzle at the start of the first race of MX1, so the track conditions were perfect to host all the heats of the Grand Prix of Brazil.
Antonio Cairoli won the Super Final, as well as the MX1 Grand Prix and he dedicated his 58th GP victory to his friend Marco Simoncelli who passed away in 2011. Clement Desalle was third in the Super Final and second overall in the Grand Prix, whereas his teammate Kevin Strijbos obtained the third overall position thanks to his second place in the Super Final.
Jeffrey Herlings won the first race but he was the second best MX2 rider in the Super Final behind Jose Butrón. Herlings won the Grand Prix, Butrón was second and Jordi Tixier completed the MX2 top three.
— MX1 Race 1
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli obtained the GET Athena holeshot award, as he was the first one to reach the first corner in the MX1 race 1. The Italian succeeded in pulling away in the first laps and he dominated the heat until the chequered flag. At the end of the race Cairoli admitted that he had enjoyed a lot racing the Beto Carrero track, as it was very technical and it suits very much his riding style.
Honda World Motocross’ Max Nagl managed to move from his initial fifth position to the second final place. The German rider won yesterday’s qualifying race and he was very satisfied today for having been able to overtake several riders and finish in a well deserved second place in the first moto.
Rockstar Energy Suzuki World’s Clement Desalle did not have such a good start in the first race and when he was overtaken by Nagl in the first laps of the heat the Belgian could not pass him back. Desalle admitted that by the end of the race he tried to attack the German but he struggled to find the good lines and he had to settle down with the third place.
Kawasaki Racing Team’s Gautier Paulin did not have a good start in the first race and he was down in the eleventh position in the first corners of the race. However, the French rider gave it all and he crossed the finish line in the fourth place.
His teammate Jeremy Van Horebeek also had a solid first race; the Belgian rider was eighth at the start, but he managed to overtake Kevin Strijbos, Ken De Dycker and David Philippaerts and he finished fifth.
Kevin Strijbos did not have a good start and could not find a good rhythm, so in the end he ended sixth. Instead, David Philippaerts had an excellent start and rode second during the first four laps of the race. The Italian lost a couple of positions with Nagl and Desalle, and while he was riding a very consistent race in the fourth position, he had a problem with the tear off and he was only able to finish seventh of the race.
Tommy Searle had a really good start in third, but he made a mistake and dropped down to the ninth place. In the end the British rider finished eighth and Ken De Dycker and Joel Roelants completed the top ten.
Davide Guarneri had to enter the last chance in order to be qualified for the SuperFinal because he was forced to pull out from Race 1 after having a big crash in the beginning of the race.
MX1 Race 1 top ten: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 39:15.493; 2. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Honda), +0:03.017; 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), +0:04.748; 4. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:24.442; 5. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:30.333; 6. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), +0:36.445; 7. David Philippaerts (ITA, Honda), +0:46.472; 8. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:49.004; 9. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), +0:50.898; 10. Joel Roelants (BEL, Yamaha), +0:53.195;
— MX2 Race 1
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings struggled once again with his start in the first race, but he did an incredible recovery and he made the crowd go crazy lap after lap. The Dutch was 12th at the start and even if most of the riders said that it was very difficult to pass, Herlings managed to win the first race with almost twelve seconds difference with the second.
Standing Construct KTM’s Glenn Coldenhoff started second behind Alexander Tonkov, who had taken the Get Athena Holeshot, but the Dutch rider overtook the Russian after the first three laps and Coldenhoff took the lead of the race. Coldenhoff was feeling really good, but he could not keep his compatriot Herlings at the back, so Coldenhoff had to settle down with the second position.
Wilvo Nestaan JM Racing KTM’s Jake Nicholls had a very consistent first race and he managed to finish third. The British rider started third and in lap four he overtook Tonkov and moved up to second. However, Herlings was coming really fast from behind and Nicholls dropped one position.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jordi Tixier could not have a good start in the first race and he was sixth in the first lap. During the first laps the French rider struggled to find a good rhythm, but by the middle of the race Tixier was able to overtake Dylan Ferrandis, Alexander Tonkov and Mel Pocock, so the French rider ended fourth.
Monster Energy Yamaha’s Mel Pocock obtained his best result of the season by finishing fifth in the first race. The British rider had a really good start and he was fourth in the first laps, but Herlings overtook him and he dropped down to fifth. The British rider managed to pass Tonkov by the middle of the heat but Pocock was overtaken by Tixier in the last minutes of the race and he had to settle down with the fifth position.
Jose Butrón did not have a very good start in the first race and he struggled to find a good rhythm. After racing eighth most of the heat, the Spanish rider started feeling better and he overtook a couple of riders and he crossed the finish line sixth.
Dean Ferris finished seventh, Dylan Ferrandis was eighth and Alexander Tonkov and Alessandro Lupino completed the top ten.
MX2 Race 1 top ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 40:08.386; 2. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +0:11.680; 3. Jake Nicholls (GBR, KTM), +0:16.551; 4. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), +0:23.711; 5. Mel Pocock (GBR, Yamaha), +0:30.415; 6. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), +0:32.337; 7. Dean Ferris (AUS, Yamaha), +0:37.039; 8. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:42.374; 9. Alexander Tonkov (RUS, Honda), +0:44.771; 10. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Kawasaki), +0:47.844;
— Super Final
The Grand Prix of Brazil hosted the last Super Final of 2013 and it was slightly different from the ones in Qatar and Thailand. The MX1 and MX2 riders lined up for the Super Final in their respective championship standings up to the tenth gate pick, i.e. Cairoli, Herlings, Paulin, Tixier and so on. However, Herlings decided not to be next to Cairoli and he chose the first gate from the inside.
ICE1Racing’s Rui Gonçalves took the holeshot of the Super Final, but after the first few corners Rockstar Energy Suzuki’s Kevin Strijbos overtook him and the Belgian led the race until there were three laps to go. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli had a good start but he almost crashed in the opening lap so he went down in fourth; the Italian tried to overtake the front riders as soon as possible, but when he was second Strijbos had already opened a big gap and Cairoli started getting some arm pump. In the end Strijbos got a little bit tired so Cairoli could close the gap and with three laps to go the Italian took the lead.
Rockstar Energy Suzuki’s Clement Desalle admitted that he did not feel really comfortable today, but he managed to ride a consistent moto in third. Kawasaki Racing Team’s Gautier Paulin was fifth in the first lap of the Super Final, but after four laps he managed to overtake Ken De Dycker and he kept the fourth position until the chequered flag, position that gave him the overall fourth place of the Grand Prix of Brazil.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Ken De Dycker struggled in the first race but he managed to have a good start in the Super Final and he rode a consistent race in fifth. However, the Belgian rider was only seventh overall in the Grand Prix. Honda World Motocross’ Max Nagl was sixth in the Super Final, so he obtained his best result of the season by finishing fourth overall in the Grand Prix.
Rui Gonçalves could not keep his initial second position and crossed the finish line seventh, followed by Jeremy Van Horebeek and Tommy Searle. Jose Butrón was tenth and he was the best MX2 rider in the Super Final. Jeffrey Herlings finished thirteenth and Jordi Tixier fifteenth.
Super Final top 10: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 40:49.230; 2. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), +0:02.830; 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), +0:25.606; 4. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:31.078; 5. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), +0:41.121; 6. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Honda), +0:44.766; 7. Rui Goncalves (POR, KTM), +0:45.861; 8. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:50.619; 9. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), +1:03.885; 10. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), +1:09.255;
MX1 Overall top 10: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 50 points; 2. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), 40 p.; 3. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), 37 p.; 4. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Honda), 37 p.; 5. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), 36 p.; 6. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, Kawasaki), 29 p.; 7. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), 28 p.; 8. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), 25 p.; 9. Joel Roelants (BEL, Yamaha), 20 p.; 10. Shaun Simpson (GBR, TM), 19 p.;
MX1 Championship top ten: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 330 points; 2. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), 278 p.; 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, Suzuki), 267 p.; 4. Ken de Dycker (BEL, KTM), 245 p.; 5. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), 220 p.; 6. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), 205 p.; 7. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Honda), 169 p.; 8. Rui Goncalves (POR, KTM), 148 p.; 9. Jeremy van Horebeek (BEL, Kawasaki), 138 p.; 10. David Philippaerts (ITA, Honda), 130 p.;
MX1 Manufacturers: 1. KTM, 350 points; 2. Yamaha, 247 p.; 3. Suzuki 194 p.; 4. Kawasaki, 187 p.; 5. Honda, 132 p.; 6. TM, 37 p.; 7. Husqvarna 1p.
MX2 Overall top 10: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 47 points; 2. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), 40 p.; 3. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), 38 p.; 4. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 31 p.; 5. Dean Ferris (AUS, Yamaha), 30 p.; 6. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Yamaha), 27 p.; 7. Mel Pocock (GBR, Yamaha), 26 p.; 8. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Kawasaki), 25 p.; 9. Alexander Tonkov (RUS, Honda), 25 p.; 10. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, Kawasaki), 25 p.;
MX2 Championship top ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 347 points; 2. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), 257 p.; 3. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), 218 p.; 4. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 214 p.; 5. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Yamaha), 198 p.; 6. Dean Ferris (AUS, Yamaha), 182 p.; 7. Max Anstie (GBR, Suzuki), 172 p.; 8. Jake Nicholls (GBR, KTM), 150 p.; 9. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, Kawasaki), 148 p.; 10. Mel Pocock (GBR, Yamaha), 138 p.;
MX2 Manufacturers: 1. KTM, 350 points; 2. Yamaha, 247 p.; 3. Suzuki, 194 p.; 4. Kawasaki, 187 p.; 5. Honda, 132 p.; 6. TM, 37 p.; 7. Husqvarna, 1 p.;
— KTM Report – Cairoli celebrates 58th career GP in MX1 GP of Brazil
Red Bull KTM Factory racing rider Antonio Cairoli on Sunday claimed his 58th career GP victory in the GP of Brazil winning both the individual MX1 race and the Super Final after successfully hunting down Kevin Strijbos just as the two-lap board went out.
The races were held at the Beto Carrera theme Park in Brazil, the biggest in Latin America, which is also to host the 2017 edition of the MotoCross of Nations.
Jeffrey Herlings won the MX2 GP with a win in the MX2 race but the Dutch teenager came off the bike in the start melee of the 40-rider Super Final and had to fight his way back from the back of the field. He was unable to catch lead KTM rider Jose Butron who was the fastest MX2 rider in the Super Final but still came away with 47 points and the MX2 victory. Herlings up until now has won every individual moto this season. He was joined on the MX2 podium by Butron in second place and factory teammate Jordi Tixier in third.
Some 25,000 spectators were treated to a top weekend of racing where Herlings started the action with a great fight back to the front of the pack in the individual MX2 race, the first on the program. He missed the start and saw Dutch rider Glen Coldenhoff take the lead followed by UK rider Jake Nichols, both on KTMs. Herlings was on Coldenthoff’s rear wheel with six minutes and two laps to go and went on to take an impressive and crowd-pleasing win.
When the MX1 riders took to the track for their individual race it was clear that Cairoli was on a mission. Decked out in his special yellow helmet and boots, he shot out of the start gate, seized the holeshot and had distanced himself from the other riders by eight seconds just eight minutes into the race. He controlled the moto and never looked threatened, saying after that he liked the track, which was very technical. Cairoli’s factory teammate Ken de Dycker, who finished ninth in the MX1 race bounced back to take fifth in the Super Final. He finished seventh overall in the MX1 GP.
Cairoli, who won the world title here two seasons ago, said he was happy to ride in front of such an enthusiastic crowd. “I was looking forward to racing this GP. I like the track and the people really cheer for you. Its very special to win here and to put on a show for these people.” He dedicated his 58th career win to the memory of Marco Simoncelli, the Italian road racer who lost his life in a racing accident in 2011. “I am going to give this trophy to his father” Cairoli said. Simoncelli raced with the #58.
De Dycker said he was missing some condition this weekend because he has had problems with his back and has not been able to train enough on the bike. “I was struggling with myself this weekend and I didn’t feel like I had any power. Now I will concentrate on training in Belgium and Italy to get ready for the next GP.”
Herlings, a huge crown favorite in Brazil because of his exciting style of riding was clearly disappointed to lose his first race of the season even though he won the GP. “Now I will make it my goal to win every GP. It’s very tough to race the Super final. With 40 riders on the track from both MX1 and MX2 anything can happen, especially at the start,” he said. Tixier was also pleased to be back on the podium and to pick up good points for the championship, even though he said he was not satisfied with his riding this weekend. Both will now return home and concentrate on training in preparation for the next GP in France in two week’s time.
The top 20 riders from both MX2 and MX1 contested the Super Final, a race format that has been adopted this year for the ‘fly away’ races in Qatar, Thailand and Brazil. A fourth race planned for Mexico was cancelled. Races in Europe are presently still run on the 2 x moto format for each class.
— HRC Report
round of seventeen in the FIM Motocross World Championship took place in front of forty-five thousand spectators and around a compact and difficult track on the coastline north of Florianopolis. Reigning number one Antonio Cairoli celebrated success in the premier MX1 class as the Brazilian date witnessed the last outing for the Superfinal format.
Beto Carrero hosted the Brazilian appointment on the calendar for the second year in a row and the facility adjacent to the popular theme park again set a standard for presentation and organisation. The ‘stadium’ set-up with the narrow and winding race-track surrounded by grandstands created a vibrant atmosphere among the bike-mad partisan crowd. The terrain itself veered between slippery and tacky with heavy rain through the night and light showers during the morning forcing high technical demands of the riders.
Nagl opened the Honda-backed Grand Prix by taking a dominant pole position on Saturday. The German started well and set the pace ahead of Clement Desalle for a convincing performance on his first visit to Beto Carrero after missing the 2012 edition of the event through injury. The duo clashed again during the first moto of thirty-five minutes and two laps duration and Nagl had to be on top form to keep the Belgian at bay for the majority of the race and especially in the closing circulations.
At the second time of asking and bursting from a forty-strong gate with the MX1 and MX2 riders grouped for the Superfinal, Nagl had to weather an attack from Tommy Searle and then made a decisive move to pass Rui Goncalves for sixth place. ’12’ was thirty metres from a podium slot as he tracked Ken De Dycker and needed to pass the Belgian to gain the single extra point required to relegate Kevin Strijbos from the top three. Nagl just ran out of energy trying to catch the KTM and had to be content with a total haul of thirty-seven points.
Gariboldi Honda’s David Philippaerts was circulating in third position for much of Saturday’s qualification heat and only a small crash pushed him down to fourth by the chequered flag. Entering the gate with his best Saturday position the former World Champion was able to push with the leaders in the first moto and eventually came home with seventh spot on his CRF450R for his second highest classification of the season. A set of broken goggles stopped him from scoring a higher ranking. A crash while chasing MX2 World Champion Jeffrey Herlings for a place just outside the top ten in the second moto forced a retirement after a knock to his right hand.
Honda World Motocross were back to a full rider roster with Evgeny Bobryshev competing in earnest for the first time in four Grands Prix after recovering from a broken leg. The Russian is clearly lacking quality race time and is in the process of regaining fitness and confidence but rode to a brace of twelfth positions in each outing; bearing the pain and the discomfort of arm-pump due to his physical handicap.
Nagl is gaining ground in the MX1 standings and lies seventh, thirty-six points behind Searle. Philippaerts is tenth and Bobby posted points for the first time in four races to stabilise his ranking of fourteenth. The FIM Motocross World Championship now pauses for almost three weeks after the recent cancellation of the Mexican stop on the calendar that would have originally kept the series in South America for another seven days. On June 8th/9th the ‘circus’ will reconvene on the hill of Ernee for the Grand Prix of France.
Max Nagl Race Result: 2nd/6th Championship position: 7th
“I’m really disappointed about missing the podium but I’m really happy with my riding. I got a great start in the first moto and my lap-times were really good. I was running at the same pace as Tony and made sure of second place. I knew Clement was pushing hard but I could keep him behind me and didn’t make any mistakes. I was very happy with that but I had a small problem at the start of the second Heat. I made the jump out of the gate but the start-straight had been turned over by the machine and there was a big clump of mud right in my path. I hit it about five metres out of the gate and it stopped some momentum of the bike and caused me to lose ground before I had even reached the first corner. I then had to fight through and it was difficult to pass many fast riders. Tommy [Searle] was a bit crazy because he block-passed me on the take-off of a jump and I was really scared at that moment because it could have been a huge crash for both of us and I don’t know why he did it. He then crashed into Bobby just in front of me! I concentrated on Rui and was able to pass him and then tried to catch De Dycker but just ran out of energy to finish sixth; missing the podium because of a position. Passing Rui can be difficult because his bike is really fast out of the turns. I had to wait a little and see where I could make the pass but found a good spot to do it cleanly. The result is not great but we made good points and now we have a bit of time to prepare for France. I am happy with my current programme away from the races and our plan will be to go better for Ernee and make the top three there.”
David Philippaerts: Race Result: 7th/35th Championship position: 10th
“I started the weekend well and to have fourth on Saturday was a positive beginning for me, with the bike and the team. In the first I got away really well, second place, but even though I am getting faster I am still not at the level of Antonio and a couple of others. I stayed in the top four for many laps and that was really good for me and my confidence. Paulin overtook me and my goggles broke so I had to throw them away and then had trouble seeing the lines. Anyway, seventh was pretty good and I was happy with my riding and lap-times. In the Superfinal I didn’t start well and struggled a bit. I’m not a fan of mixing the 250s and 450s. They can go faster into the corners but on the straights and jumps the 450s are better. For forty minutes it was hard work. I got up to twelfth place but then had a big crash and hit my hand on the floor. Not so much luck so far this year but I am taking it easy because I don’t to go crazy and risk another injury, sometimes it is better and smarter to close the gas.”
Evgeny Bobryshev: Race Result: 12th/12th Championship position: 14th
“The day was quite good. I felt better in warm-up than I did yesterday. I tried to push in that session and find the limit of the feeling with my leg. I had a good start in the first moto but was really fighting with the bike and suffered arm-pump. I had the sensation of pain when I was in the turns so I had to brake and tease my way into the corners. I struggled through to twelfth and was pretty disappointed. The second moto was a bit better. I had a bad jump from the gate but held the speed around the first corner. I was in eighth and quite happy because I just forgot about the leg; I was so angry after the first moto that I tried to hold and fight through the pain. I was coming through OK and then Tommy put me down in a corner and then it was difficult to recover. It was gnarly to pass on that track. I want to say thanks to Honda Brazil and for the organisers for a superb event. It is one of the best I have been to with the crazy public. They were shouting so loud! I hope to get a bit of confidence for France now.”
— Suzuki Report
Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1 riders Clement Desalle and Kevin Strijbos grabbed second and third positions overall on their RM-Z450s at an overcast Beto Carrero for round seven of 17 in the FIM Motocross World Championship in front of 45,000 spectators.
Cloudy, humid and rainy conditions affected the meeting at the impressive facility north of Florianopolis. Showers throughout the night and also light downpours during race day kept the red terrain slick and clumpy. The layout itself was a tight and twisty combination of jumps, waves and off-cambers where overtaking needed a considered move.
Desalle began the Grand Prix in good form and rode to a fast and easy second place on Saturday for the second choice of slots in the gate for the first MX1 moto. The last running of the Superfinal format for the season saw the Belgian take to the line according to his championship position, so that meant one rank lower and third spot.
The opening moto of the day saw Desalle – celebrating his 24th Birthday – chasing Max Nagl for second position. He was a constant threat behind the German and attacked hard in the final laps but was unable to relegate his rival and secured third place, although was not so content with his rhythm across the Brazilian surface. Desalle again got away positively in the Superfinal and endured a relatively lonely ride to third once more. His combined points total gave him the runner-up ranking for the Grand Prix behind Antonio Cairoli and ensured his fifth spray of champagne this season.
Strijbos maintained his positive run of results in Brazil: The Belgian took a modest and solitary sixth place in the first moto but his fiery start into the lead of the Superfinal was electric stuff. He fronted 16 of the 19 laps ahead of the best 20 MX1 and MX2 riders in the world and was just edged out from victory by Cairoli in the closing stages. His second position was still enough to ensure his second podium in Brazil (the first in 2012) and first in yellow since 2007.
Both riders will now head to the United States to contest the second and third races of the Lucas Oil Pro MX Championship at Thunder Valley at Lakewood, Colorado; and then Blountville in Tennessee the following Saturday before flying back to Europe.
The next Grand Prix appointment for the team will be in Ernee, France on June 8th-9th.
Clement Desalle: “After the big crash in Portugal I couldn’t really train like I wanted in the week and I could feel it this weekend. It is really positive to get up here on the podium because my feeling was not that perfect on the track, especially in the second moto where the weather and conditions seemed to get to me a little bit. I had a good battle with Max in the first moto and sometimes it was a bit frustrating. I had a small problem with my goggles and lost a second-and-a-half at one point but was able to fight back. We were together the whole race. I felt that the track was short for a 450. It was not that tricky because the speed wasn’t so high but there were a lot of jumps and waves and other stuff. The ground was good and I could control the power of the bike with plenty of traction so that was a positive thing. I think the track would be better if there were some simpler sections. We go to America now and this will be a different kind of training and hopefully a good experience.”
Kevin Strijbos: “I felt really good out there, especially in the second moto! We had a good weekend in terms of getting the set-up right and we made the right choice with my rear shock and then made another change for the second moto. I enjoyed that holeshot and I pushed really hard in the beginning because I knew I would need a gap over Tony when I saw he was in second place. Later on he came closer and closer and I got a bit tired, Tony passed me in a corner and I couldn’t really follow him and he made the gap quickly with just two laps to go. In the end I’m really happy to be on the podium again and to take the first one of the season. We worked really hard in the winter and I hope there will be more trophies ahead!”
— Yamaha Report
Monster Energy Yamaha riders on YZ250F machinery captured three positions in the top seven of the Grand Prix of Brazil at the immaculate Beto Carrero circuit for what was the seventh stop of seventeen on the FIM Motocross World Championship schedule. 45,000 spectators created a boisterous and exciting atmosphere for the final overseas event of the calendar.
Beto Carrero – hosting the Brazilian round of the series for the second year in a row – was again an impressive combination of organisation and presentation and several riders were moved to comment once more that the facility is the closest motocross will come to a vibrant supercross set-up. The packed grandstands created an arena effect and enclosed the tight course that had many jumps, obstacles and off-cambers.
In fifth position overall was Dean Ferris, who led Christophe Charlier (sixth) and Mel Pocock (seventh) in the MX2 classification in South America. The Australian rode to seventh place in the first moto of 35 minutes and 2 laps duration and just lacked a bit of spark to push on with the leaders in the opening phases of the race. Using the full force of his YZ250F against twenty of the best MX1 riders in the Superfinal, Ferris blasted into second position among the MX2 group. A small crash would cost him time and drop him back to fifth in the class but the double podiumee in 2013 was still able to snare decent points.
Charlier, who scored his first career Grand Prix podium finish at Beto Carrero in 2012, rode a comfortable qualification heat on Saturday to take second place. A promising launch in the first moto was ruined by a first lap fall that meant the talented Corsican had to work through the pack to reach twelfth. In the Superfinal he was the fourth best MX2 rider after circulating alone for long stretches and unable to catch Jordi Tixier.
Pocock thrived on the buzz around Beto Carrero for what was his first Grand Prix in Brazil. The Brit posted the second fastest time in pre-qualification and relished hitting the narrow berms and ruts of the layout. A fine fifth position in the first moto represented a career-best for the reigning European Champion but a blameless crash in the Superfinal meant that he could only reach eleventh in his class. The third member of the Dixon-led faction of Monster Energy Yamaha, Maxime Desprey, equalled his highest GP classification yet with eleventh spot thanks to a decent start and effective pace in moto1. The French youngster was thirteenth in the MX2 division during the Superfinal and therefore ended the day with thirteenth overall.
Charlier (fifth), Ferris (sixth) and Pocock (tenth) are all slotted in the top ten of the MX2 championship standings with Desprey slightly adrift in fifteenth. The Grand Prix of France at Enree will be the next fixture for Monster Energy Yamaha and will take place on June 9th.
Dean Ferris – “All day I struggled a bit with my intensity. In the first moto I just seemed to be riding around at the start but eventually warmed up and got going. My lap-times were good and I made ground but it was a case of too-little-too-late. Moto2…man, it was chaos. I was second in the class but then some 450s starting coming through, cutting me up and roosting everywhere. They’d overtake but then hold me up and ruin my momentum. Once I was in a group of 250s I started finding the speed again but then crashed. There is not much else to say. Now I’ll go home and train hard and try to find that little bit that’s missing. I need to close down the points in the championship. I need to make it happen.”
Christophe Charlier – “The track was different today! I made a good start but crashed after a jump on the first lap and one rider following landed on top of the bike. I managed to restart but was far behind and tried as hard as I could to come back and reached twelfth. It was good to save a few points. My start was pretty bad in the second moto but I kept going to be the fourth MX2 rider. I keep chasing the podium all the time and now I have ten more rounds to make it happen as much as possible. I want to reach the top three of the championship, this is my goal for the year.”
Mel Pocock – “This is the best GP I have been to in my life. There is so much atmosphere here and I cannot wait to come back next year. The track was awesome and the preparation also. I got a mint start in the first race and pushed forward in the final stages to make sure of my personal best. In the next moto I had a great start and was the second MX2 rider in the first corner but then Van Horebeek went down and took me with him; I was so pissed off. I came back from last to eleventh in MX2 but it was a shame. I got held up by the 450s. Not really with the MX2 guys because I could pass them quite easily but the 450s were faster in different places. It was hard work but this is by far the best GP I’ve been to.”
Maxime Desprey – “The first moto was great. My start was pretty average but I had a good rhythm and settled into a decent pace to finish eleventh, so I was happy with that. The best thing was that I could recover from a bit of a dip because I had a few laps with some mistakes in the middle part of the moto. The Superfinal was really difficult with the 450s but today was OK.”
For the second year in a row the incredible setting of Beto Carrero hosted a wet Grand Prix of Brazil and Monster Energy Yamaha’s Joel Roelants was able to take his factory YZ450FM to ninth position overall. 45,000 spectators filled the grandstands around one of the most impressive set-ups in the FIM Motocross World Championship and the raucous and passionate fans created a noisy and lively atmosphere for this seventh round of seventeen in the series.
The track itself was jumpy and tight and the poor weather – particularly through Saturday night – meant differing levels of grip. Some sections were slick and others muddy and rough.
Roelants was able to make a bright start in the top ten for the opening moto of 35 minutes and 2 laps distance but admitted his lack of peak race fitness prevented him from being able to attack at the pace of the leaders. He circulated on the fringes of the first group and sealed tenth place by the flag. The Belgian then took to the gate for the Superfinal with the start order determined by positions in the world championship standings. The last run for the format that mixes the top twenty of the MX1 and MX2 classes meant a busy sprint for Roelants. He fought hard in the final stages of the race to try and pass MX2 World Champion Jeffrey Herlings for thirteenth but ultimately had to follow the Dutchman across the line.
Back in France Steven Frossard had the pin removed from his fractured right foot and will now proceed with a recovery and fitness programme to try and be back on his Monster Energy YZ450FM as soon as possible. The FIM Motocross World Championship will now gather again for back-to-back events in France (Ernee) and Italy (Maggiora) starting June 9th.
Joel Roelants – “I actually managed to get one decent week of training done before this race, so finally things are moving in the right direction for me. My riding was OK today; not good, not bad and it still needs to get a lot better. At least I feel like I have made a small step with my speed and I’m happy about that but I need to be stronger in the first laps. In the coming weeks I just want to get some normality in my training because I feel like I have been playing catch-up all year, whether it is with small crashes, sickness or effects of a concussion. This season has been pretty bad for luck but I want to look ahead and focus forward now.”
— Kawasaki Report
Gautier Paulin of the Kawasaki Racing Team just missed the podium in the Brazilian round of the FIM World MX1 Motocross Championship at Beto Carrero but remains second in the series standings.
The Frenchman travelled to South America with his confidence high after victory in the two previous GPs and was impressive during training as he again set the fastest lap times. Unfortunately a collision at the start of the qualifying race cost him any chance of victory but he raced through the pack to finish third and secure a good start position for the GP motos. The format for the overseas GPs this year sees each of the MX1 and MX2 classes race one moto in class before a combined Superfinal. Paulin started badly in the MX1 moto but set the fastest lap of the race on his way from ninth on the opening lap to fourth at the finish, and despite a better start he repeated the result in the Superfinal as deep ruts had formed to make passing difficult. The combination of the two scores saw the Kawasaki number one miss the podium by just a single point and he still has a firm hold on second place in the championship standings.
Paulin’s KRT teammate Jeremy Van Horebeek continued his rise up the world rankings after a difficult start to the campaign with injuries. Sixth overall on the day after two strong rides through the pack from indifferent starts have seen the Belgian advance to ninth in the series.
Tommy Searle of Team CLS Kawasaki Monster Energy Pro Circuit had been unable to train for a fortnight before the GP after damaging a finger at the previous round in Portugal and the Englishman could never show his true form. After a gritty performance he secured eighth place overall on the day to retain his top six world ranking.
Gautier Paulin: “ This track is nice to ride, and I had a good feeling on Saturday. Unfortunately another rider came across me and I had to close the throttle at the start; I had to pass a lot of riders to qualify in third place, but I set good lap times and that gave me confidence for a top result on Sunday. Today my start in the MX1 race was not so good and I again had to pass a lot of riders to finish fourth, again with the fastest lap time. In the Superfinal it was again difficult to pass; my start was better but there were many ruts and I again had to settle for fourth position.”
Jeremy Van Horebeek: “ I was happy with my rhythm and my lap times this weekend, but again I found it difficult to get a good start and we need to find a solution so that I can challenge for the podium. I had a good feeling on the bike; I had the speed to be regularly in the top five and I fought back well in all of my races. I know that with some good starts the results will be different. We have three weeks to prepare for the French GP, and I want to thanks the team for the support they have given us on this long trip to Brazil.”
Tommy Searle: “ I struggled all the weekend with my broken finger. I couldn’t ride since Portugal but before I got here I did not think that it would make such a difference! I’m weak in my shoulders and I got tired. In the MX1 race I had a good start, but on the second lap I crashed and lost many positions. It’s good that we now have two weekends free; I need to recover and then get back on the bike to be ready for France. I know that my speed is OK, I just need to be fit again.”
Alessandro Lupino of Team CLS Kawasaki Monster Energy Pro Circuit battled the pain of two broken ribs to secure eighth place in the Brazilian round of the FIM World MX2 Motocross Championship.
The injuries had prevented the Italian from following his usual training programme in recent weeks and he was inevitably going to find it tough physically in the humid conditions which the riders faced in Brazil. Nevertheless he put in a gutsy performance to advance from twelfth place to finish tenth in the MX2 race, but was severely handicapped in the Superfinal, a race which sees the best riders from both the MX1 and MX2 classes go to the start together, when another rider crashed in his path at the second corner. Despite this handicap he stormed back through the pack to finish seventh in class ad retain his ninth place in the world rankings.
Dylan Ferrandis of Rockstar Bud Racing Kawasaki made a great start in the MX2 moto to initially hold third place, but a crash pushed him downfield before he put in a strong recovery back to sixth place, only to surrender two places late in the race after he was forced to discard his goggles. An unfortunate incident at the opening corner of the Superfinal left Dylan at the tail of the field, but he rode strongly back to ninth in class to claim tenth overall on the day and advance to twelfth in the series.
Jimmy Decotis, the US newcomer to Team CLS, scored his first world championship points after twice battling to the finish amongst the scorers. He admitted after racing that he is still learning to adapt to the long gruelling GP races and will work on his endurance during the three weeks before the next GP in France.
Alessandro Lupino: “ Since I broke two ribs at the Italian GP I haven’t been able to train normally, and as a result my physical condition is not at his best so here in Brazil it was not a good weekend for me. In the MX2 race I already got arm pump after two laps, and in the Superfinal I lost time when Pocock crashed in front of me at the second corner. I now have three weeks to recover and I will go in Holland to train; we are nearly at the halfway point of the season, and I want to race top five in France to give the team the results they expect.”
Dylan Ferrandis: “ On Saturday the track was nice to ride, but it was so flat that everyone was going fast and the qualifying race was boring; my start was not so good and I could only qualify thirteenth. In the MX2 race I got a great start and was third in the first corner, and was still fifth when I crashed. I recovered to sixth place again and battled with Tixier, Pocock and Butron until I had to take of my goggles and finished eighth. The start of the Superfinal was a disaster; Coldenhoff crashed and I got his handlebar in my rear wheel! I recovered from last place to ninth, but I was expecting more.”
Jimmy Decotis: “ This is definitively a crazy place with such great fans. The track was one of the better ones I have faced since I started racing the GPs and I feel I have made progress since Portugal. Everyone is working hard to achieve this and I scored points in both races here. My speed is better, but I still need to improve my fitness so that I can keep the pace for the entire forty minutes. But I’m sure it will come soon.”