Gajser and Team HRC win again in Argentina
Villa La AngosturaThe FIM World Motocross Championship visited Patagonia in Argentina this weekend.
Surrounded by a complex network of mountain lakes the beautiful landscape encircling the 900 meter-high circuit produced a stunning backdrop to some thrilling racing in all classes and the local fans were treated to a display of top-flight motocross featuring many of the best riders in the world.
In the MXGP class, Team HRC’s Tim Gajser once again battled hard at the front the field, pushing hard in race one to make his way through from fourth on lap one to second place by lap 11. Although the Slovenian looked like he’d take the lead, a small mistake towards the end of the race cost him time. He finished the moto in a safe second place.
The holeshot in race one went to Team JM Honda Racing’s Henry Jacobi on the always competitive production CRF450R. Team Honda 114 Motorsport’s Rubén Fernández also had a great start and took the lead on lap one, but an unfortunate high speed and unexpected crash put the Spaniard in 27th and last place on lap one. Fernández battled back to 15th at the chequered flag to salvage six championship points.
In the MX2 class Shiptocycle Honda SR Motoblouz’s Stephen Rubini managed a top-ten start but lost two positions in the early stages of the race. The likeable Frenchman regrouped and pushed hard to regain the lost places and eventually finished the race in eighth. Team Honda 114 Motorsport’s Hakon Fredriksen had a tough outing in race one today starting in 13th place and eventually finishing in 12th.
MX2 race two saw Rubini hit lap one in seventh place and he fought very hard throughout the moto to defend his position. He suffered some lost places towards the middle of the race but battled back to eighth at the flag and sixth overall.
Hakon Fredriksen had a similar race to Rubini, albeit a couple of positions further down the field. Fredrikson finished the day in 11th overall, but surprisingly only seven points away from 5th overall.
Gajser came out fighting in MXGP race two and launched his CRF450R into an immediate lead, taking the holeshot and leading every lap of the race. His race two win and first race second place rewarded Team HRC and Tim the overall victory and a 17 point lead in the championship. The championship leader’s red plate still graces Gajser’s Team HRC CRF450R for the next GP in Portugal in two weeks time.
Rubén Fernández also had a great start in race two and following his race one incident he focused hard on delivering the best possible result. Never giving up, the talented 23-year-old worked until the end and was rewarded with a pass on the final lap to give him third overall. A fantastic result for the MXGP rookie.
Teams HRC’s Mitch Evans continued his recovery from last year’s serious wrist injury and finished the day in a good eighth overall as he continues his improvement and journey back to more solid and consistent results.
I had a really good weekend here and it feels really good to come away with another overall victory. This is such a nice place and track and I am very pleased that so many fans came out to support us. I hope we continue to come back here because it an amazing event for everyone.In the first moto I didn’t get the best start but came through the field and was fourth after the first lap. I knew it was a long race so I didn’t rush too much because it was a tricky track and it was easy to make mistakes. I eventually worked my way into second and I got close to the leader but I couldn’t quite make the pass happen and had to settle for second place.Race two started off a lot better with a holeshot. My first of the season. I did run a little wide so I dropped into second but I quickly re-passed for the lead and then I set about pulling out a gap. By the midway stage I had a good lead and just settled down and controlled the race, winning by over seven seconds. It feels really good to win another overall and extend my lead in the championship, but I know it is a long season and I need to keep up this high level. A big thanks to the team for all their support on what is a really long trip down here to Argentina.
I love riding this track and it feels good to make more positive progress throughout the weekend. I am really pleased with my speed and it felt good to be up there inside the top 10, battling with the top guys. Now I need to work on getting my race fitness up to the level where I can do that for the whole race, but this is really encouraging for me and it gives me more motivation for the next round in Portugal which is another track I like.
My weekend was a little bit up and down. I had a big crash when I was leading the first moto. I tried hard to come back but I could only make it to 15th at the finish.In the second moto I had a good start again and had a couple of battles in the race. I worked hard until the finish line and made a last-lap pass to make it into third place which is my best MXGP finish. I’m happy with that, but just a little bit unhappy with the first race. It is what it is and we’ll work towards removing mistakes in the next races so we’ll all learnt from this.
I enjoyed Saturday’s practice and qualifying so much. I really enjoyed the qualifying race too and loved riding this track.I’m not as happy with my riding for Sunday’s races. In the first race I didn’t get the best start and didn’t find a good rhythm. The track was so tough, quite dangerous and slippery so I wasn’t riding like myself. I had a better start in the second race but felt like I was surviving and not finding the best lines. Still P6 overall for the GP isn’t bad and I hope to improve for the next race.
Three Hondas in the top ten overall results is nice to see. Another just outside by one point in 11th with Jacobi is pretty good going.Stephen Rubini scored great points and reached sixth overall in the MX2 classification, one point off the top five. He fought hard on terrain he declares is not his favourite. Hakon Fredriksen had his first experience of a long haul overseas GP, learning fast in his rookie year of MX2.Tim Gajser taking the MXGP win is justice for him. Race two was Tim demonstrating his brilliance and the event highlight for me was MXGP new boy Ruben Fernandez pushing himself through to his first ever MXGP podium with a well-deserved third place in race two. It would have been very interesting to see how race one would have been for Ruben had he not unexpectedly crashed out of the lead on lap one.Since his very long time away from racing, recovering from injury and surgery Mitch Evans continued with his climb back to his best. Nice to see his pace is there and the rest will come soon.In MXGP we must celebrate the double holeshots of Henry Jacobi in race one and Tim Gajser in race two.I look forward to Portugal in a couple of weeks to get back at it.
