LIAM EVERTS WINS MX2 CLASS AT GP OF TURKEY

Two rounds of the 2023 MXGP season remain after the weekend’s Grand Prix of Turkey, where Red Bull KTM Factory Racing toasted Liam Everts’ third MX2 victory of the year.

The young Belgian finished 3-2 in the two races around the fast, jumpy and rough hard-pack of Afyon to keep in title contention with team-mate Andrea Adamo who classified 6th overall and continues to lead the series.

The next GP is at Maggiora Park, in Italy, on September 16-17, with the UK hosting the final round at Matterley Basin.

Red Bull KTM were concentrated fully on the MX2 division in Afyon with Jeffrey Herlings still recovering from a broken right collarbone and due for another scan on the injury this week.

With Adamo and Everts currently running 1st and 2nd in the series and with rookie Sacha Coenen improving and learning every Grand Prix, the KTM crew were optimistic of more success with the far-flung journey to the flat and hard-packed course of Afyon; the host of the Turkish event since 2018.

On Saturday Everts was able to run to a strong 2nd position in the qualification heat.

The race was lucky to take place as a heavy storm then blew across the venue and forced the MXGP qualifying race to be cancelled and the gate positions for Sunday’s Grand Prix motos to be taken from timed practice.

A calmer race day was decent for Everts who again used the power of his works bike to make two rapid starts.

He rode from 4th to 3rd in the first moto and was a steady 2nd to Kevin Horgmo in the following race to make sure of the overall P1 ranking.

An early crash for Adamo in the first moto dropped him to almost last position. He recovered to 10th and made a better job of the second run to reach the top five and exercise damage limitation.

A maximum of 120 points is up for grabs in the remainder of 2023.

Adamo leads Everts by 48 with an 82-point margin over fellow Belgian Jago Geerts in 3rd place.

The season will then finish with back-to-back Grands Prix in Italy (Maggiora Park, in two weeks) and the UK (Matterley Basin) before the Motocross of Nations in Ernee with at least three of the Red Bull KTM crew expected to represent their countries in France on October 8th.

Everts, 3rd and 2nd for 1st overall in MX2, said: “Super-happy. I made a little mistake in the second moto but otherwise I felt comfortable all weekend and that’s not normal because these high-speed tracks are not my thing, but I was fast and in control.

“As I’ve said before, the championship was not really my goal coming into the season; just to get on the podium was good and then a GP win was unbelievable but I’m a believer, and I will never stop until the last lap and last corner!”

Photo courtesy KTM

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