The FIM Motocross World Championships qualifying races at Trentino, in Pietramurata, saw new winners emerge, Frenchman Romain Febvre and Germany’s Simon Laengenfelder.
Kawasaki Racing Team’s Febvre topped the MXGP qualifying at this fourth round of the series, while Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Laengenfelder was best in the MX2 class.
Alongside the FIM Motocross World Championship races, there were also the first races of the EMX250 and EMX125 classes, in which Andrea Bonacorsi and Janis Martin Reisulis won in the respective classes.
For the first time this season in the MXGP qualifying race, someone other than Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado clinched the win (and of course the bonus points) with Febvre (pictured here) leading from start to finish.
The Frenchman looked very quick and tidy on his bike all way throughout the race winning with a 15-second gap in front of Monster Energy Yamaha factory MXGP Team’s Maxime Renaux.
Renaux started 3rd behind his team-mate Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team’s Jeremy Seewer but quickly managed to pass him to get to 2nd and keep that place until the end.
For Seewer, it was another story as the Swiss got a very good start and kept his 3rd place until lap 8 but had to concede to a solid Team HRC Honda’s Ruben Fernandez.
Fernandez would go on to stay 3rd until the end while Seewer finished 4th but had to battle towards the end with the other good performer of the day and countryman Ship to Cycle Honda SR Motoblouz’s Valentin Guillod. Guillod, who found himself 8th on lap one, overtook Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Mattia Guadagnini and JM Honda Racing’s Brent Van doninck to get 6th on lap 3 behind Prado.
He then benefitted from Prado’s mistake on lap 5 to get to 4th where he finished.
Van Doninck 4th on lap 1 after an excellent start had to concede few spots along the way but settled for a very good 6th place. Guadagnini who was 8th on lap 4 got overtaken by Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team’s Glenn Coldenhoff and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings on lap 5 and 6.
He found himself 9th after Prado’s mistake and never gave up as he finally managed to re-take his 8th spot to Coldenhoff on the last lap. Coldenhoff who went up to 7th during lap 6 and 7 had to settled for 9th in the end.
Prado who got an unusual less-than-perfect start, found himself 6th on lap 1 but looked very sharp as he passed Van doninck for 5th on lap 3 and was looking to charge on Fernandez.
However, the red plate holder made a mistake on lap 5 to moved down to 10th. He settled there in the end to take 1 point which stops his perfect record in the qualifying races so far.
After an average start, 12th after one lap, Herlings showed all his well-known qualities as he powered through the race to overtake 5 times and get himself to an honourable 7th position and gaining some points on Prado along the way.
Romain Febvre: “I feel very good and we found something on the bike that is working very well. I Finally get in front from start which makes it easier and I managed to keep on my pace so I cannot wait for tomorrow”
Photo courtesy Kawasaki
Find BikesportNZ.com on FACEBOOK here
MXGP – Qualifying Race – Top 10 Classification:
1. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), 24:26.574; 2. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:08.087; 3. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Honda), +0:09.594; 4. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:10.519; 5. Valentin Guillod (SUI, Honda), +0:11.679; 6. Brent Van doninck (BEL, Honda), +0:21.355; 7. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:22.699; 8. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, GASGAS), +0:24.190; 9. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Yamaha), +0:25.081; 10. Jorge Prado (ESP, GASGAS), +0:28.134.
MX2 – Qualifying Race – Top 10 Classification:
1. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GASGAS), 24:34.234; 2. Thibault Benistant (FRA, Yamaha), +0:07.355; 3. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), +0:10.317; 4. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:13.380; 5. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), +0:16.390; 6. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, Husqvarna), +0:19.609; 7. Lucas Coenen (BEL, Husqvarna), +0:20.260; 8. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:21.394; 9. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, Kawasaki), +0:31.898; 10. Rick Elzinga (NED, Yamaha), +0:38.521.