Gajser and Fernandez qualify third and fourth at British GP
Matterley BasinWith the sun close to setting, Team HRC’s Tim Gajser and Ruben Fernandez both put in good rides to finish third and fourth respectively in the MXGP of Great Britain qualification race, putting them in a strong position for the two GP-scoring motos tomorrow.
With the sun close to setting, Team HRC’s Tim Gajser and Ruben Fernandez both put in good rides to finish third and fourth respectively in the MXGP of Great Britain qualification race, putting them in a strong position for the two GP-scoring motos tomorrow.
After going two-four in free practice, Gajser then stormed to first in timed practice, with a laptime 0.8 seconds faster than second, giving him first gate-pick for the afternoon qualifying race. Fernandez also kept up his momentum with a fifth, allowing the pair to have inside slots for the all-important start.
Despite not getting out the gate as well as they would have liked, both riders quickly moved to the front of the field in the first few turns, crossing the line for the first lap in third and fourth position. Gajser was able to set the fastest lap of the race as he closed right up to the two riders in front, but with the shadows lengthening, he decided to make sure he kept his third place and backed off towards the end of the race. Behind him, Fernandez kept things smooth and consistent in all the deep ruts, never coming under any serious pressure from the riders behind as he received the chequered flag in fourth.
While both the #243 and #70 would have loved to be a couple of positions higher, it was still a very strong race and showed that they will be once again challenging for the podium spots on the pristine Matterley Basin circuit, which is hosting this final round of the 2023 MXGP World Championship series.
It was a good race, but the track was tough with the deep ruts and the low sun causing a lot of shadows. I didn’t get the best start but I was able to quickly move to the front and I was right with the front two for the whole moto, however it was difficult to make any passes and I just tried to stay consistent and put pressure on them and even managed to set the fastest lap. Third is okay though and sets me up well for the races tomorrow.
It was a good, solid day in all the sessions and I can’t complain at fourth in the qualification race. I’d have liked to be a bit closer to the front three but overall, my riding was good and I can look forward to tomorrow knowing that I have a good chance at finishing the season on the podium. It seems like the forecast is okay so I think conditions will be similar, which aren’t going to be easy, especially in the second moto, but I still enjoy riding this track.
We expected Tim and Ruben to be near the front coming into today and both proved they are going to be challenging for the podium spots tomorrow. Tim was nearly a second quicker than anyone in timed practice, which was excellent and that gave him first gate pick for the qualification race. Ruben was strong in fifth and that allowed them to both get around the first corner is good positions, which they then quickly improved upon. Finishing third and fourth gives them both a good opportunity to have perfect season finale.
