The opening round of the 2022 FIM Motocross World Championship has wound up with Honda’s Tim Gajser and GasGas rider Simon Längenfelder securing the overall victories at the MXGP of Great Britain.
Once again, the riders were treated to sunny blue skies and a technical track that put them all to the test with the overall outcome offering some close race action.
It was a near-perfect day for Gajser who secured his first Grand Prix win in Matterley Basin for the first time since 2016, when he still raced in MX2, and now heads into round two with the red plate back on his CRF450R.
Meanwhile, Längenfelder continued his ‘fairy tale’ weekend by winning his first ever MX2 race, claiming his first Grand Prix victory and leaving Great Britain with the red plate,
In MXGP race one, it was Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado who grabbed the first holeshot of the season ahead of Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jeremy Seewer and Glenn Coldenhoff.
Team HRC’s Gajser got squeezed in the start and was around ninth on the opening lap, as Honda 114 Motorsports’ Ruben Fernandez crashed.
Prado led Seewer, Coldenhoff and Alberto Forato of SM Action Racing Team YUASA Battery, as Maxime Renaux of Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing got by Gajser for fifth and set his sights on Forato, as F&H Kawasaki Racing’s Jed Beaton was right there in the mix behind Gajser.
The Aussie eventually finished the race in fifth position.
Seewer then picked up the pace, setting the fastest lap of the race which allowed him within striking distance of Prado. And he did just that, to take over the lead.
Renaux took fifth from Forato and Gajser followed into suit, to remain close to the Yamaha rider.
We then saw Fernandez come into pitlane, before heading back on track again. A few laps later the Spaniard retired from the race.
Gajser then went purple in sectors one and three and was all over Renaux. Meanwhile Renaux was busy battling his team-mate Coldenhoff, which allowed the Slovenian to close in further.
Gajser then launched an attack onto Renaux, and then passed Coldenhoff too, to move into third position. It didn’t take long for the Honda rider to also catch Prado and slip into second position.
With 12 minutes to go Seewer had a 2.325 second advantage, but that was brought down rapidly by a hard charging Gajser.
We then witnessed an intense battle between the pair, which lasted seven laps, until Seewer went down with just two laps to go. This gave Gajser a clear path to take the first MXGP race win of 2022.
Seewer managed to get going quickly and secure second place, while Renaux finished third ahead of Prado and Beaton.
Home hero Ben Watson of Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP finished the race in 11th place.
In race two, it was again Prado with the Fox Holeshot ahead of Coldenhoff and Seewer, Fernandez and Gajser. Alessandro Lupino of Beta SDM Corse MX Team went out of the race early on, similar to race one.
Prado was looking to waste no time at making a run for it, as he extended his lead to more than s three seconds, while Beaton chased Fernandez for fifth.
Gajser meanwhile was making progress on Seewer for third and on lap three was ahead of the Swiss. A couple of laps later he also managed to get by Coldenhoff and then it was game on for the race win.
Gajser was flying and managed to bring down Prado’s five second lead down to almost nothing in a matter of a couple of laps, with still more than 10 minutes on the clock. He took chunks of time out of the Spaniard until finally on lap 11 he made the pass stick.
But the Slovenian’s lead lasted just a lap as he went down with three laps to go. This was the perfect opportunity for Prado who was keen on getting his first race win of 2022.
Despite Gajser’s best efforts, Prado was able to stay in front and win the race by just 0.500 of a second. Coldenhoff also held of his teammate Seewer, with Fernandez crossing the line in fifth followed by Renaux and Beaton.
With a win and a second, Gajser took to the top step of the podium and now leads the MXGP Championships standings, with Prado second with 43 points and Seewer third with 40.
Tim Gajser: “I just leaned the bike too much and touched the ground with the rear brake, so I went down, and it was a weird crash but anyway I have to be happy. The speed was there, though I didn’t have good starts in both races and that meant I had to work even more for it but I’m happy with my speed and to start the season in this way but it’s one of 20 and still plenty of racing to go. I am looking for to Mantova”.
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RESULTS AND STANDINGS:
MXGP – Grand Prix Race 1 – Top 10 Classification:
- Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), 36:11.051; 2. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:03.709; 3. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:07.930; 4. Jorge Prado (ESP, GASGAS), +0:08.565; 5. Jed Beaton (AUS, Kawasaki), +0:25.092; 6. Alberto Forato (ITA, GASGAS), +0:28.175; 7. Brian Bogers (NED, Husqvarna), +0:32.777; 8. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, KTM), +0:34.792; 9. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Yamaha), +0:36.969; 10. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Beta), +0:38.094;
MXGP – Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification:
- Jorge Prado (ESP, GASGAS), 35:58.064; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:00.500; 3. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Yamaha), +0:16.023; 4. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:17.473; 5. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Honda), +0:29.326; 6. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:40.163; 7. Jed Beaton (AUS, Kawasaki), +0:44.563; 8. Alberto Forato (ITA, GASGAS), +0:47.047; 9. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Beta), +0:48.809; 10. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, KTM), +0:50.019;
MXGP – GP Top 10 Classification:
- Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 47 points; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, GAS), 43 p.; 3. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 40 p.; 4. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 35 p.; 5. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 32 p.; 6. Jed Beaton (AUS, KAW), 30 p.; 7. Alberto Forato (ITA, GAS), 28 p.; 8. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, KTM), 24 p.; 9. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, BET), 23 p.; 10. Brian Bogers (NED, HUS), 23 p.;
MXGP – World Championship Top 10 Classification:
- Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 47 points; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, GAS), 43 p.; 3. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 40 p.; 4. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 35 p.; 5. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 32 p.; 6. Jed Beaton (AUS, KAW), 30 p.; 7. Alberto Forato (ITA, GAS), 28 p.; 8. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, KTM), 24 p.; 9. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, BET), 23 p.; 10. Brian Bogers (NED, HUS), 23 p.;
MX2 – Grand Prix Race 1 – Top 10 Classification:
- Simon Längenfelder (GER, GASGAS), 36:14.575; 2. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), +0:04.402; 3. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:05.020; 4. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:10.001; 5. Stephen Rubini (FRA, Honda), +0:11.543; 6. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, Husqvarna), +0:21.947; 7. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, Kawasaki), +0:23.043; 8. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, Kawasaki), +0:36.225; 9. Andrea Adamo (ITA, GASGAS), +0:38.925; 10. Hakon Fredriksen (NOR, Honda), +0:55.102;
MX2 – Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification:
- Simon Längenfelder (GER, GASGAS), 35:59.827; 2. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:02.015; 3. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), +0:14.914; 4. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, Husqvarna), +0:24.987; 5. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:30.252; 6. Isak Gifting (SWE, KTM), +0:33.095; 7. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, Kawasaki), +0:33.915; 8. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, GASGAS), +0:36.205; 9. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, Kawasaki), +0:37.072; 10. Stephen Rubini (FRA, Honda), +0:46.963;
MX2 – GP Top 10 Classification:
- Simon Längenfelder (GER, GAS), 50 points; 2. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 42 p.; 3. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 40 p.; 4. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 36 p.; 5. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, HUS), 33 p.; 6. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, KAW), 27 p.; 7. Stephen Rubini (FRA, HON), 27 p.; 8. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, KAW), 26 p.; 9. Isak Gifting (SWE, KTM), 22 p.; 10. Andrea Adamo (ITA, GAS), 22 p.;
MX2 – World Championship Top 10 Classification:
- Simon Längenfelder (GER, GAS), 50 points; 2. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 42 p.; 3. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 40 p.; 4. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 36 p.; 5. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, HUS), 33 p.; 6. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, KAW), 27 p.; 7. Stephen Rubini (FRA, HON), 27 p.; 8. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, KAW), 26 p.; 9. Isak Gifting (SWE, KTM), 22 p.; 10. Andrea Adamo (ITA, GAS), 22 p.