Now in his 14th year of racing Grand Prix motocross, Italy’s Antonio Cairoli showed he wasn’t done winning yet.

Qatar was a track that the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team rider has never won at, but in race one Cairoli came out swinging by grabbing the holeshot and leading every lap to the finish. Race two he found himself behind the reigning champion, Team HRC’s Tim Gajser.

Gajser had the lead well into the race but Cairoli managed to close the gap and pass Gajser to win his second race of the day claiming the first overall of the season.

Gajser finished 2nd overall on the day after having battled with Team HRC team-mate Evgeny Bobryshev in race 1. Cairoli later in the press conference said, “I am very happy with both races, it was a very spectacular race, it was very nice to battle with Tim and hopefully we can have more races together.”

Meanwhile Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Clement Desalle performed well in both races going 2-4 for 3rd overall.

“I’m happy to start the season with a podium … I’m looking forward to next weekend,” said Desalle.

Bobryshev had a strong showing as well with a 4-7 good for 4th overall. Finishing out the top five was Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s Romain Febvre. The former champion had issues in the first race of the day finishing 10th but he was able to rebound by grabbing the holeshot and finishing 3rd in race 2.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings didn’t have the debut in MXGP he expected seeing he has not completely recovered from injury but he scored necessary points and he is excited to race in Indonesia at the second round of the FIM Motocross World Championship.

MX2 CLASS

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Pauls Jonass not only won his first GP but also became the first racer from Latvia to win and did so in style. The young Latvian had the perfect weekend winning every race he entered.

Consistent pressure was applied by Kemea Yamaha Official MX Team’s Benoit Paturel in both races, but Jonass held off the hard charging Frenchman.

Another rider who applied pressure to Jonass was LRT KTM’s Julien Lieber. Lieber was right on the rear wheel of Jonass in race 1 until a mistake cost him valued time and positions. Race 2 he positioned himself near the front once again and this time he was mistake free, good enough for a 3rd overall.

At times the race for the top was a five way battle which Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Thomas Kjer Olsen competed in. The Husqvarna rider had to settle with a 4-4 for 4th overall, a result he looks to better next weekend.

Meanwhile newly recruited HRC MX2’s Michele Cervellin missed the start of race one but somehow worked his way up the field all the way to the chequered flag through both races, getting him a hard fought 5th place.

Photo by Ray Archer

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RESULTS AND STANDINGS:

MXGP Race 1 Top Ten:

1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 35:02.202; 2. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:08.904; 3. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:12.554; 4. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:22.042; 5. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:23.434; 6. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Husqvarna), +0:26.076; 7. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), +0:29.380; 8. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Husqvarna), +0:33.072; 9. Jordi Tixier (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:34.933; 10. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +0:39.219

MXGP Race 2 Top Ten:

1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 35:00.353; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:04.918; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +0:23.375; 4. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:25.782; 5. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Husqvarna), +0:30.096; 6. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:31.689; 7. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:33.559; 8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +0:47.517; 9. Jordi Tixier (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:49.816; 10. Max Anstie (GBR, Husqvarna), +0:57.389

MXGP Overall:

1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 50 points; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 42 p.; 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 40 p.; 4. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, HON), 32 p.; 5. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 31 p.; 6. Gautier Paulin (FRA, HUS), 31 p.; 7. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 31 p.; 8. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KAW), 24 p.; 9. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 19 p.; 10. Max Anstie (GBR, HUS), 19 p.

MX2 Race 1 Top Ten:

1. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 35:24.348; 2. Benoit Paturel (FRA, Yamaha), +0:01.759; 3. Julien Lieber (BEL, KTM), +0:20.039; 4. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:23.565; 5. Samuele Bernardini (ITA, TM), +0:32.017; 6. Michele Cervellin (ITA, Honda), +0:37.177; 7. Jorge Prado Garcia (ESP, KTM), +0:45.685; 8. Thomas Covington (USA, Husqvarna), +0:47.621; 9. Vsevolod Brylyakov (RUS, Kawasaki), +0:51.025; 10. Darian Sanayei (USA, Kawasaki), +0:52.396.

MX2 Race 2 Top Ten:

1. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 35:32.077; 2. Benoit Paturel (FRA, Yamaha), +0:01.015; 3. Julien Lieber (BEL, KTM), +0:03.245; 4. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:07.884; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki), +0:12.395; 6. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, Suzuki), +0:19.322; 7. Brent Van doninck (BEL, Yamaha), +0:26.397; 8. Michele Cervellin (ITA, Honda), +0:33.930; 9. Vsevolod Brylyakov (RUS, Kawasaki), +0:34.083; 10. Alvin Östlund (SWE, Yamaha), +0:35.200.

MX2 Overall:

1. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 50 points; 2. Benoit Paturel (FRA, YAM), 44 p.; 3. Julien Lieber (BEL, KTM), 40 p.; 4. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 36 p.; 5. Michele Cervellin (ITA, HON), 28 p.; 6. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, SUZ), 25 p.; 7. Vsevolod Brylyakov (RUS, KAW), 24 p.; 8. Jorge Prado Garcia (ESP, KTM), 24 p.; 9. Darian Sanayei (USA, KAW), 20 p.; 10. Alvin Östlund (SWE, YAM), 19 p.