The MXGP of Argentina saw tens of thousands of enthusiastic fans fill the facility at Córdoba and create an amazing atmosphere for the first round of the 2025 FIM Motocross World Championships.
For sure the picturesque former Argentine venue of Villa La Angostura was a tough act to follow, but the new circuit close to the second most populated city in this massive country provided a different, but equally as brilliant, showcase for top class motocross.
MXGP saw a return to winning ways for former MX2 world champion Maxime Renaux, backing up his qualifying race win for Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP with 2-1 finishes for his ninth career GP win and the retention of the championship leader’s red plate earned on Saturday.
The historic weekend also saw the new Aruba.it Ducati Factory MX Team claim both holeshots and establish itself as a major threat with 4th overall for Mattia Guadagnini.
Former world champions Romain Febvre, who won the opening race for Kawasaki Racing Team, and Honda HRC’s Tim Gajser, completed the podium to start their campaign in typically strong fashion.
The MX2 class was won by reigning world champion Kay de Wolf, who persevered despite a second race crash to take his ninth career GP victory with 1-5 scores.
The Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing rider reclaimed the red plate ahead of second race winner Sacha Coenen, who just took second overall from his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team-mate Simon Laengenfelder, after the German suffered two late crashes from a GP-winning position.
Just like the South American weather however, the racing held several twists of fate and proved just how unpredictable motocross can really be.
If the MXGP of Argentina is anything to go by, the 2025 season could truly be a wild ride.
After morning rainfall had seen Gajser fastest in a wet warm-up session ahead of Febvre and Kehrli Moto Yamaha rider Valentin Guillod, the track had dried rapidly for the first full-length MXGP race of the new season, and was in near-perfect racing condition.
Swiss rider Jeremy Seewer took the first ever holeshot for the Aruba.it Ducati Factory MX Team, but Febvre dived to the inside in the second corner and emerged with a valuable early lead, as Renaux followed his countryman past in the first uphill section to immediately give chase to the Kawasaki man.
Guadagnini was just behind his Ducati team-mate and ahead of Jago Geerts on the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP machine, but Gajser was soon past the Belgian and working on chasing the Italian bikes ahead.
Guillod was unable to show his pace after a first lap crash left his bike in bad shape, and he retired on lap four.
Lucas Coenen, in his first full length MXGP class race for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, also moved past Geerts on the opening lap and was keeping pace with his older adversaries on the edge of the top six.
The Ducati riders held third and fourth for the first two full laps, before the Honda man chopped around the outside of Guadagnini, and quickly closed the gap to Seewer, taking third on lap five.
Renaux was edging closer to Febvre for the lead, but just as on Saturday the pair were evenly matched.
The Yamaha man pushed the limits to catch his fellow Frenchman, and on a downhill section he applied an accidental handful of throttle, which fired him off the edge of the track.
In an amazing show of skill, he managed to stay in control, on two wheels, and fired back onto the circuit to resume his pursuit.
At nearly half-distance, Guadagnini surprised many by catching Seewer, and taking advantage of a lapped rider being directly in his team-mate’s path, he took fourth place and pulled away from the Swiss veteran.
Fantic Factory Racing’s Glenn Coldenhoff put on a late charge, catching and passing a struggling Coenen, before working past Seewer with three laps to go to claim fifth.
The rookie held on for 7th ahead of Geerts, Honda HRC’s Ruben Fernandez, and Kawasaki Racing Team new boy Pauls Jonass.
Guadagnini’s fourth was his best result for well over a year, as Gajser took a solid third and Renaux second spot, three and a half seconds shy of an exultant Febvre, who took the championship lead by two points before race two.
Renaux knew he had to strike back, and rocketed out of the gate to vie for the lead with Guadagnini as they dived into turn two. The holeshot went in fact to Guadagnini who claimed that honour, meaning that Ducati hold a 100% holeshot rate for the two GP race starts so far.
The Italian’s lead was short-lived as the red plate holder seized his chance to put the Ducati between himself and Febvre, with Guillod showing in a stunning fourth, passing Coenen to get there.
Gajser soon also outpaced the Belgian as Febvre launched his attack on Guadagnini, the Kawasaki’s back wheel spitting sideways in one attempt, even on the much dryer and hotter second race surface.
On the second lap, the battle for second swung back and forth, as Gajser passed Guillod for fourth, all as Renaux was pulling away from the pack with the fastest lap for the whole day.
On lap three, with Gajser getting closer, Febvre finally got through to second, and the Slovenian followed him past just two corners later.
As the temperatures climbed into the thirties, the top five of Renaux, Febvre, Gajser, Guadagnini, and Guillod held their positions to the flag, and Coenen only yielded to a determined Kevin Horgmo, who took sixth for Team Honda Motoblouz SR Motul, and finally a resurgent Coldenhoff, who had fallen straight after passing Jonass for that position earlier in the race.
The Latvian brought the second Kawasaki home in ninth ahead of new Fantic Factory Racing rider Andrea Bonacorsi.
His team-mate Coldenhoff took fifth overall behind an ecstatic Guadagnini in fourth, while Guillod celebrated a fantastic bounce-back from his first race crash with fifth in race two.
Gajser never stopped charging and worried Febvre’s rear wheel in the final lap, but the Frenchman held firm for second overall ahead of the Slovenian, and is just one point off the series lead after the opening round.
Renaux’s race win sealed his first race and GP victory since Switzerland in April 2023, and keeps the red plate firmly in place on the Monster Energy Yamaha.
France’s drought of GP victories in 2024 has been broken immediately in the new season, and it’s actually a French 1-2 in the world championship as the series heads back to Europe for round two.
Maxime Renaux: “You never know what to expect at the first GP of the season, so to come out and win feels great. It’s also special to take my first red plate in the 450 class, but the championship is the big picture, and I know the competition is strong. Physically, I’m in the best shape I’ve been, and the bike is working better than ever. Now, it’s about keeping the momentum going.”
Romain Febvre: “I felt good all weekend – probably my best start to a season ever. The fitness, the bike, everything is in place, and I’m happy with how I’m riding. It took me some time to make passes, but overall, I’m just one point off the lead and in a good place. The track was technical, with more bumps and rocks today, but I really enjoyed racing here and hope we come back.”
Tim Gajser: “Leaving here with a solid third-place finish is a good way to start the season. The speed was there, but my starts made it tough to fight for the win. We were all running a similar pace, so it wasn’t easy to close the gap. With 19 rounds to go, there’s a long way ahead, and I hope we all stay healthy for a competitive season – it’s great for us, for motocross, and for the fans.”
RESULTS & STANDINGS AFTER ROUND 1:
MXGP – Grand Prix Race 1 – Top 10 Classification:
1. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), 34:51.272; 2. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:03.550; 3. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:06.060; 4. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, Ducati), +0:42.369; 5. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Fantic), +0:47.728; 6. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Ducati), +0:50.042; 7. Lucas Coenen (BEL, KTM), +0:53.946; 8. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:54.755; 9. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Honda), +1:00.620; 10. Pauls Jonass (LAT, Kawasaki), +1:05.489
MXGP – Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification:
1. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), 35:40.365; 2. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:04.260; 3. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:06.216; 4. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, Ducati), +0:48.464; 5. Valentin Guillod (SUI, Yamaha), +0:54.712; 6. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, Honda), +0:57.146; 7. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Fantic), +0:59.156; 8. Lucas Coenen (BEL, KTM), +1:05.461; 9. Pauls Jonass (LAT, Kawasaki), +1:07.053; 10. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, Fantic), +1:09.126
MXGP Overall – Top 10 Classification:
1. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 47 points; 2. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 47 p.; 3. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 40 p.; 4. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, DUC), 36 p.; 5. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, FAN), 30 p.; 6. Lucas Coenen (BEL, KTM), 27 p.; 7. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KAW), 23 p.; 8. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 22 p.; 9. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, FAN), 21 p.; 10. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 20 p.;
MXGP – World Championship – Top 10 Classification:
1. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 57 points; 2. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 56 p.; 3. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 48 p.; 4. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, DUC), 40 p.; 5. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, FAN), 35 p.; 6. Lucas Coenen (BEL, KTM), 27 p.; 7. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, DUC), 25 p.; 8. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, HON), 25 p.; 9. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KAW), 25 p.; 10. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 22 p.
MX2 – Grand Prix Race 1 – Top 10 Classification:
1. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), 35:16.483; 2. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, KTM), +0:08.992; 3. Cas Valk (NED, KTM), +0:30.085; 4. David Braceras (ESP, Honda), +0:53.078; 5. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, Triumph), +0:54.343; 6. Guillem Farres (ESP, Triumph), +0:56.987; 7. Valerio Lata (ITA, Honda), +1:00.823; 8. Liam Everts (BEL, Husqvarna), +1:06.366; 9. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), +1:07.114; 10. Rick Elzinga (NED, Yamaha), +1:26.340.
MX2 – Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification:
1. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 34:07.634; 2. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), +0:14.680; 3. Liam Everts (BEL, Husqvarna), +0:27.725; 4. Mathis Valin (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:33.840; 5. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:35.819; 6. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, KTM), +0:39.702; 7. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), +0:42.669; 8. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, Triumph), +0:42.972; 9. Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM), +0:47.213; 10. Thibault Benistant (FRA, Yamaha), +0:57.719.
MX2 Overall – Top 10 Classification:
1. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 41 points; 2. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 37 p.; 3. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, KTM), 37 p.; 4. Liam Everts (BEL, HUS), 33 p.; 5. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, TRI), 29 p.; 6. Cas Valk (NED, KTM), 28 p.; 7. Guillem Farres (ESP, TRI), 25 p.; 8. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 23 p.; 9. Valerio Lata (ITA, HON), 23 p.; 10. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 22 p.
MX2 – World Championship Classification:
1. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 49 points; 2. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 46 p.; 3. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, KTM), 44 p.; 4. Liam Everts (BEL, HUS), 36 p.; 5. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 32 p.; 6. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, TRI), 29 p.; 7. Cas Valk (NED, KTM), 28 p.; 8. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 27 p.; 9. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 26 p.; 10. Guillem Farres (ESP, TRI), 25 p.
Photo courtesy Infront Moto Racing
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