It will be with much interest that we watch the progress of Italian youngster Mattia Guadagnini over the coming months as he adjusts to his step up to the 450cc class.
The Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing team rider is jumping at the challenge of racing the MXGP class for the remainder of the 2022 FIM Motocross World Championship.
He made his MXGP debut in Sardinia over the weekend, round eight of the world championships in his native Italy, and the entire Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing team was excited about this graduation for the rising star and his potential in the future.
At just 20 years of age, Guadagnini will be able to absorb a lot of knowledge on the GasGas MC 450F and put that to good use in the future. It is such an exciting time for him to learn and grow in the very competitive MXGP division.
Everyone at GasGas Factory Racing said they were pleased to see him hit another milestone in his career.
“I had great expectations for this season. I prepared very well with the team, but things in the races have gone wrong too many times,” said Guadagnini.
“I have made mistakes and also had some bad luck! We are not yet halfway through the season, but realistically it is very difficult to achieve the goals that I had set for myself.
“I thought that it would be more logical to look forward and prepare for next season, especially as I have so many rounds to adapt to the MC 450F.
“I talked about it with Claudio De Carli and the team, and perhaps this change will be positive for everyone? I thank the team and management for this opportunity.”
Team owner Claudio De Carli said: “Between mistakes and unlucky episodes, Mattia is going through a difficult period. We all know his talent – he can return to doing very well and is still in the top 10 in MX2. Mattia always works with great commitment and is a mature, determined, professional and very fast rider.
“We talked about it, for his interest, and among the various possibilities he himself decided to move to the MXGP category.
“This transition was planned for next season, but we are all convinced that it is a good solution to make the move immediately. In MXGP he will not have to worry about the results. There are 12 rounds left to race (after this weekend), in which he can become familiar with the 450 and thus prepare himself as best as possible for 2023.”
His team will continue to be represented by Simon Langenfelder in the MX2 division. Langenfelder is among the top five in the championship standings and has one Grand Prix win to his name so far.
Photo courtesy GasGas
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