Four-time world champion Tim Gajser will be aiming to make it five titles in the last seven years, when the 2021 MXGP season kicks off in June this year.
Four-time world champion Tim Gajser will be aiming to make it five titles in the last seven years, when the 2021 MXGP season kicks off in June this year. The Team HRC rider has won the last two MXGP championships in a row and he’s confident that the Honda CRF450RW is once again the machine to propel him to glory, after signing a multi-year extension at the end of last year. Alongside Tim is Australian rider Mitch Evans, who made the step-up to MXGP in 2020 and proved he belongs there after a number of good performances in his rookie campaign.
Currently the season is scheduled to begin at the hilly Orlyonok track in Russia on June 12-13, giving the riders just under two months to get themselves back into race shape after what has been an elongated off-season. Like last year, there is a one-day format for the MXGP class, with all the action taking place on the Sunday, something which both riders took time to adapt to, however once they got into their rhythm, Tim especially was able to qualify with first gate pick eight times in 2020.
Following the successful launch of the new Honda CRF450RW last year, this season is all about improving and tweaking things for what is scheduled to be a tough year of racing. After the weekend off after Russia, there is a scheduled six races in six weekends on a multitude of terrains so Tim, Mitch and the bike have to be fully prepared to tackle whatever obstacles they face. Fortunately, Team HRC are well prepared after a stop-start 2020 season, proving they could come out on top and so 2021 should hold no fear in what they hope could be another record-breaking campaign.