Team HRC’s Tim Gajser is well aware it’s tough defending a world title and he left Finland knowing that things can get better after a tough day of racing at the Vantaa circuit, near Helsinki.
His score at round 14 of the series in Finland was his highest points tally since returning from injury, but Gajser is aiming for the level of performance which saw him dominate the 2022 MXGP World Championship and, while this was a solid showing, he now has a couple of weeks to keep the upward trend and get even closer to that sort of level.
Slovenian rider Gajser will also be using this break to recoup and assess his progress after three races in three weekends, on what has been a tough return to action after breaking his femur in February.
The sand of Vantaa wasn’t as deep as Lommel last time out, but the tight layout, combined with the heavy rain that fell yesterday meant it was still a difficult track to negotiate, as he looks to climb back to the top of the MXGP podium.
The first moto saw Gajser gradually move up from eighth to sixth over the course of the 19 laps, while race two was a battle as he tried to hold onto fifth place, against riders who have won races in 2023.
Eventually, he came home sixth, which gave him sixth overall and meant he left Finland knowing there is still work to be done in the remaining five rounds of this campaign.
While there isn’t any pressure on specific results, the goal for the Honda CRF450R rider is always to be near the podium, and with more time on the bike, as well as more favourable circuits, that is certainly a possibility as the championship enters its final quarter.
Next up is Uddevalla in Sweden, which is a bigger layout on a harder surface, where Gajser has won twice previously in his career.
Photo courtesy Honda
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RESULTS AND STANDINGS AFTER ROUND 14 OF 19:
MXGP – Grand Prix Race 1 – Top 10 Classification:
1. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), 34:11.808; 2. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:01.341; 3. Jorge Prado (ESP, GASGAS), +0:04.529; 4. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Yamaha), +0:20.353; 5. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Yamaha), +0:29.129; 6. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:32.550; 7. Alberto Forato (ITA, KTM), +0:34.128; 8. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:37.678; 9. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Honda), +0:41.939; 10. Brian Bogers (NED, Honda), +0:45.907.
MXGP – Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification:
1. Jorge Prado (ESP, GASGAS), 33:50.401; 2. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:02.319; 3. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Yamaha), +0:03.755; 4. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:05.683; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:11.470; 6. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:38.334; 7. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Yamaha), +0:43.163; 8. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Honda), +1:03.007; 9. Alvin Östlund (SWE, Honda), +1:04.857; 10. Mitchell Evans (AUS, Kawasaki), +1:05.648.
MXGP – Grand Prix Top 10 Classification:
1. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 47 points; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, GAS), 45 p.; 3. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 38 p.; 4. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 38 p.; 5. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 31 p.; 6. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 30 p.; 7. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM), 30 p.; 8. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, HON), 25 p.; 9. Alvin Östlund (SWE, HON), 21 p.; 10. Mitchell Evans (AUS, KAW), 21 p.
MXGP – World Championship Top 10 Classification:
1. Jorge Prado (ESP, GAS), 720 points; 2. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 622 p.; 3. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 550 p.; 4. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 525 p.; 5. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 489 p.; 6. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM), 477 p.; 7. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 418 p.; 8. Alberto Forato (ITA, KTM), 350 p.; 9. Valentin Guillod (SUI, HON), 276 p.; 10. Benoit Paturel (FRA, YAM), 204 p.
MX2 – Grand Prix Race 1 – Top 10 Classification:
1. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 34:53.171; 2. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GASGAS), +0:02.805; 3. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), +0:16.381; 4. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, Kawasaki), +0:18.547; 5. Lucas Coenen (BEL, Husqvarna), +0:25.722; 6. Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM), +0:28.851; 7. Rick Elzinga (NED, Yamaha), +0:34.335; 8. David Braceras (ESP, Kawasaki), +0:48.293; 9. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), +0:52.001; 10. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, Honda), +1:00.386.
MX2 – Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification:
1. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 34:36.893; 2. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GASGAS), +0:07.299; 3. Lucas Coenen (BEL, Husqvarna), +0:07.569; 4. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), +0:10.835; 5. Rick Elzinga (NED, Yamaha), +0:15.789; 6. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), +0:17.331; 7. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, Kawasaki), +0:21.015; 8. Isak Gifting (SWE, GASGAS), +0:39.789; 9. Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM), +0:50.091; 10. Jan Pancar (SLO, KTM), +1:20.158.
MX2 – Grand Prix Top 10 Classification:
1. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 50 points; 2. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 44 p.; 3. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 38 p.; 4. Lucas Coenen (BEL, HUS), 36 p.; 5. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, KAW), 32 p.; 6. Rick Elzinga (NED, YAM), 30 p.; 7. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 27 p.; 8. Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM), 27 p.; 9. Jan Pancar (SLO, KTM), 20 p.; 10. Jorgen-Matthias Talviku (EST, HUS), 20 p.
MX2 – World Championship Top 10 Classification:
1. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 619 points; 2. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 559 p.; 3. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 532 p.; 4. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 501 p.; 5. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 492 p.; 6. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 462 p.; 7. Lucas Coenen (BEL, HUS), 461 p.; 8. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, HUS), 433 p.; 9. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, KAW), 395 p.; 10. Jan Pancar (SLO, KTM), 273 p.