The 2023 FIM Motocross World Championship concludes this weekend with the 19th round of the campaign in Matterley Basin for the MXGP of Great Britain.
The well-known British circuit near Winchester will be present on the Calendar for the sixth time in a row and will be hosting the 13th MXGP event in its history.
The first apparition of the venue was in 2006 when Stefan Everts and David Philippaerts won in MX1 and MX2 respectively. The venue was also used to host the Motocross of Nations (MXoN) that same season.
Since then, Antonio Cairoli is the most prolific rider on this track with five GP wins in MXGP (2011, 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2019).
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings comes just behind with four victories (2014 and 2016 in MX2, 2018 and 2020 in MXGP).
From the ones who will take the start this weekend, Team HRC’s Tim Gajser is the one who the most with two victories in 2016 and 2022 in MXGP.
In 2022, the MXGP of Great Britain was the opening round of the campaign and it was Gajser who clinched the victory in front of Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado and Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team’s Jeremy Seewer, 2nd and 3rd respectively.
In MX2, Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Simon Laengenfelder won for the first time of his career ahead of Tom Vialle 2nd and Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 Team’s Jago Geerts 3rd.
The last Grand Prix in Italy witnessed the crowning of Prado and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Andrea Adamo as the MXGP and MX2 World Champions respectively.
They finally made it happen on the penultimate Grand Prix of the season in Maggiora.
However the second and third place in MX2 are still in play between Geerts, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Liam Everts and Laengenfelder who have only four points that separate them all. This last round will be intense.
This weekend in Matterley Basin will also see the ultimate rounds of the EMX250 and EMX125 categories.
While in EMX250, Hutten Metaal Yamaha Racing Team’s Andrea Bonacorsi secured the European title in the penultimate round in Turkiye, the fight for the EMX125 European title will still be on between the first in the Championship MJC Yamaha Official EMX125’s Janis Reisulis and 737 Performers GasGas rider Mathis Valin, second.
However, Reisulis has already one hand of the trophy as Valin trails by 37 points.
Many things can still happen but if Reisulis continues on his recent form (he won the past three rounds), he could be crowned after race one.
MXGP CLASS
Prado is the 2023 MXGP World Champion and his performance at the Grand Prix of Italy has propelled him to the top to win his first MXGP Championship in his career.
The first race was key in that he battled with his first rival Kawasaki Racing Team’s Romain Febvre until the French rider got an issue with his bike and had to retire from the race which benefited to Prado to win it all.
The Grand Prix of Great Britain will be less stressful for Prado and may well giving him wings to perform even better, mainly to prepare for the MXoN coming soon.
Febvre has unfortunately experienced a very tough weekend as he saw his hopes of fighting until the very last race for the championship win vanished with a mechanical issue.
The Frenchman will now look forward to perform well in Matterley Basin to put himself in the best conditions before the MXoN on home soil.
Seewer showed again that he is always fighting for the top as he won the MXGP of Italy, thanks to his speed and consistency.
The Swiss rider also secured the 3rd place in the championship which is a good achievement despite not being the one to lift the mighty trophy. He will arrive in Kawasaki next season with plenty of confidence.
Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team’s Glenn Coldenhoff showed good flashes of speed in Maggiora but it was not enough to clinch a podium and settled for the 8th overall.
This last GP would be another perfect opportunity for the Dutch rider to get a first GP win this season and get positive results before the MXoN.
The momentum for Team HRC’s Rubén Fernández is the opposite as the Spanish is regaining confidence after his injury sustained in Finland and displayed great speed in Maggiora, setting the fastest lap of the weekend and getting his first podium since Germany.
Fernandez can also battle for the fourth place in the championship as he is 43 points behind Coldenhoff.
Team Gebben Van Venroy Yamaha Racing’s Calvin Vlaanderen has been a model of consistency this season and the MXGP of Italy didn’t change that fact with Vlaanderen going 7th overall.
The Dutchman is guaranteed at least the 6th place in the championship. His head will be turn to the MXoN, but he knows that it will pass by performing well in Matterley Basin.
Pretty much guaranteed the 7th place in the championship, SM Action Racing Team Yuasa Battery MXGP’s Alberto Forato was one of the heroes of the weekend during his home Grand Prix of Italy.
Forato won his first race of his career in MXGP with the qualifying race and narrowly missed the first podium of his career on the Sunday.
It is still a great achievement as he got his best finish with the fourth overall.
Ship to Cycle Honda SR Motoblouz’s Valentin Guillod clinched another top 10 for the season as he displayed a solid riding in Italy.
The Swiss rider fulfils his objective of top 10 as he is 9th in the championship although the last round in Great Britain will decide if he finishes 9th or 10th as Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team’s Maxime Renaux is going to come strong this weekend to get the best momentum and rhythm before the MXoN.
Renaux, who underperformed in Maggiora with a 16th overall, will need to show a lot of determination in Great Britain to fight for a podium finish.
MRT Racing Team Beta’s Ben Watson finds himself in 15th position in the championship before heading to his home Grand Prix.
However, the British best rider could well win several position if he performs well in front of his home fans and could get closer to the top 10 which would be a good achievement before going to the MXoN.
MX2 CLASS
Andrea Adamo is the new MX2 World Champion after a season of consistency and amazing racings that placed Adamo at the top of the championship mid-way in the season.
What an epic moment it was for the young Italian to finally get his hands on the trophy for the first time in his career on home soil of all places.
Adamo responded present despite the huge tasks that was in front him before the MXGP of Italy and finished on the third step of the podium.
Belgium’s Jago Geerts his getting back to his best and proved it with an excellent Grand Prix victory in Italy, his 7th of the season.
Although the Belgian will be nourishing some remorse about this season due to his injuries that hindered his chances of winning the championship that was promised to him, he may still get onto the second place while preparing himself for the MXoN.
Geerts will give everything at Matterley Basin to reach his 100% fitness.
Adamo’s closest rival before Italy and his team-mate, Belgian Liam Everts, unfortunately didn’t perform to his usual standards, maybe due to the pressure and crashed in the second race which definitely handed the MX2 championship to Adamo.
Everts will need to regroup quickly as the battle for the 2nd place will rage on in Matterley Basin between him, Geerts and Simon Laengenfelder.
Laengenfelder is unstoppable since his comeback from injury as he clinched another podium in Italy.
The German is now also in the battle for the second place in the Championship as he is levelled with Everts and only four points behind Geerts.
The MXGP of Great Britain will be the big decider for the final podium of the season and will offer some thrilling battle.
Another place will be decided this weekend between Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Lucas Coenen, F&H Kawasaki Racing Team’s Kevin Horgmo and Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Kay de Wolf as they will fight for the 5th place.
Coenen, who is fifth in the championship, has 17 points on Horgmo and 27 points on de Wolf.
Despite finishing in 7th place in Italy, Coenen displayed his amazing talent with a huge comeback in race two. The pressure will be now to maintain his fifth place and ride solidly without doing any mistakes.
Horgmo is getting better and better and has been fighting for the top spots during the second part of the season.
His form is excellent at the moment and could gain a position in the championship.
On the other side, both riders will have to deal with former leader’s red plate holder de Wolf who is really gaining momentum and rhythm with a great fourth place overall in Maggiora.
The objective for the Dutch rider is also to raise his fitness to be as competitive as possible and come back to the top. That will be interesting to see him riding elbow to elbow with his closest rivals for a symbolic but important fifth place.
Photo courtesy Infront Moto Racing
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STANDINGS AFTER ROUND 18 of 19:
MXGP – World Championship Top 10 Classification:
1. Jorge Prado (ESP, GAS), 890 points; 2. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 807 p.; 3. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 719 p.; 4. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 655 p.; 5. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 612 p.; 6. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM), 565 p.; 7. Alberto Forato (ITA, KTM), 490 p.; 8. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 456 p.; 9. Valentin Guillod (SUI, HON), 334 p.; 10. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 314 p.
MX2 – World Championship Top 10 Classification:
1. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 779 points; 2. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 706 p.; 3. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 702 p.; 4. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 702 p.; 5. Lucas Coenen (BEL, HUS), 558 p.; 6. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, KAW), 541 p.; 7. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 531 p.; 8. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, HUS), 523 p.; 9. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 493 p.; 10. Rick Elzinga (NED, YAM), 377 p.