Third place for returning Gajser, with Fernandez and Lata scoring points in Sweden
UddevallaHonda HRC’s Tim Gajser almost looked like he had never been away, as he seamlessly returned to MXGP action in Uddevalla, Sweden, showing his speed in timed practice before putting in a strong ride for third place in the qualifying race.
The #243 has been back on his Honda CRF450R for a number of weeks but delayed his comeback race until he felt completely ready to undergo the rigours of world championship motocross. That decision looked to have paid off as the Slovenian placed third in timed practice, after leading for a good portion of the session with a very impressive sprint lap. That gave him a good gate-pick for the qualification race, which was his first gate-drop in over three months, but he certainly didn’t show any rust as he rounded the first bend in the top five and then proceeded to move all the way up to second by the end of the first lap. Unfortunately, he did lose a position just after the pitlane, but from then on, he kept a strong pace and matched the rider in front for the rest of the moto to bring it home in third place. It was an excellent result and gives him a lot of confidence for tomorrow and for the rest of the season where he’ll be looking for even more.
Coming into Sweden, Ruben Fernandez knew this wouldn’t be his favourite experience, but the Spaniard never lets that affect his performance and was still a strong challenger to the top five in the qualifying race. His laptimes were consistent the entire moto and he withstood a lot of pressure to maintain his seventh place, but he knows that he needs a better jump out of the gate, if he wants to get higher finishes as this track is notoriously difficult to pass on.
Valerio Lata was hopeful coming to Uddevalla, that he’d be able to turn in a strong performance on the hard-pack terrain and have a good end to his rookie MX2 campaign. Things certainly got off to a good start as he was fourth in timed practice, with an excellent lap just over 0.5 seconds behind the fastest time. The Honda CRF250R rider also got off to a good start in the qualification race and things were really looking promising. Unfortunately, the first lap speed from the other riders caught him off guard and he was shuffled down the field. He did regroup quickly and maintained a pace that kept him inside the top 10 but he knows that he is capable of more, and that is precisely what he and the team will be trying to unlock in these last five rounds of the 2025 season.
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MX2 Qualification Race
1. Thibault Benistant (FRA, Yamaha), 24:15.599; 2. Simon Längenfelder (GER, KTM), +0:01.421; 3. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:02.119; 4. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, Triumph), +0:19.198; 5. Guillem Farres (ESP, Triumph), +0:21.293; 6. Mathis Valin (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:22.234; 7. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), +0:23.033; 8. Liam Everts (BEL, Husqvarna), +0:24.752; 9. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), +0:24.911; 10. Valerio Lata (ITA, Honda), +0:46.173;
It’s really good to be back racing again and today went better than I hoped, to be honest. I wasn’t sure how the race would go because it is so different than training, but my pace was good and even my intensity from the beginning was there as I made my way into second briefly. Unfortunately, I got passed back pretty quickly, because I felt I could have kept the leader in sight, but still, I have to be happy with third place. Now, I need to prepare myself for the motos tomorrow which I’m looking forward to a lot.
It’s really good to be back racing again and today went better than I hoped, to be honest. I wasn’t sure how the race would go because it is so different than training, but my pace was good and even my intensity from the beginning was there as I made my way into second briefly. Unfortunately, I got passed back pretty quickly, because I felt I could have kept the leader in sight, but still, I have to be happy with third place. Now, I need to prepare myself for the motos tomorrow which I’m looking forward to a lot.
A decent day, without being spectacular. This track is very much about the starts and after lap one I was in seventh and that is where I finished. I had some pressure from behind, but I kept my lines and just focused on being consistent and that was all that could be done really. Hopefully tomorrow I can get a better start and mix it up with the leaders a bit more.
A decent day, without being spectacular. This track is very much about the starts and after lap one I was in seventh and that is where I finished. I had some pressure from behind, but I kept my lines and just focused on being consistent and that was all that could be done really. Hopefully tomorrow I can get a better start and mix it up with the leaders a bit more.
I had a strong qualification, getting fourth and giving myself a good gate pick. I even got a good start, but once again I wasn’t able to match the speed of the others in the early laps and dropped a bit. I recovered and kept myself inside the top 10, but I would still much prefer to be higher up battling with those guys. We have done a lot of work and I really want to show that on the race weekends.
I had a strong qualification, getting fourth and giving myself a good gate pick. I even got a good start, but once again I wasn’t able to match the speed of the others in the early laps and dropped a bit. I recovered and kept myself inside the top 10, but I would still much prefer to be higher up battling with those guys. We have done a lot of work and I really want to show that on the race weekends.
Tim showed straight away that he is a top-quality rider, showing the speed in qualification and then in the race as well. I think he prepared himself really well to be ready for a race weekend and that just shows what a strong character he is as well because it is never easy to come back from such a long layoff. Ruben isn’t quite as comfortable on this surface, but he still fought hard and I’m sure he’ll do the same tomorrow. We are now trying to help Valerio put the speed from qualification into the races, because that is becoming his main issue, but he keeps trying and giving himself a chance so that is impressive in his first season with this many races.
Tim showed straight away that he is a top-quality rider, showing the speed in qualification and then in the race as well. I think he prepared himself really well to be ready for a race weekend and that just shows what a strong character he is as well because it is never easy to come back from such a long layoff. Ruben isn’t quite as comfortable on this surface, but he still fought hard and I’m sure he’ll do the same tomorrow. We are now trying to help Valerio put the speed from qualification into the races, because that is becoming his main issue, but he keeps trying and giving himself a chance so that is impressive in his first season with this many races.
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