The FIM Motocross World Championship flies across the sea to Lombok, in Indonesia, this weekend for the eleventh round of the 2023 season and the second part of the double header in Indonesia.
The Selaparang circuit will host a Grand Prix for the first time and following the success of the MXGP of Sumbawa-Indonesia we can expect a lot of excited fans for the first MXGP event on the beautiful island.
The MXGP of Lombok-Indonesia that marks the back-to-back Indonesian Grand Prix is expected to be an amazing experience for the whole MXGP Paddock that will prolong the Asian adventure and especially for the riders who will all arrive on equal footing at a circuit they do not know or have raced on before, which will be very interesting to witness.
The Selaparang circuit will be similar to Sumbawa – Samota and can be classed as a hard pack although it is a mix of dirt and sand, a type of track that the riders seem to enjoy a lot which will be great to deliver an incredible show.
The MXGP of Lombok-Indonesia marks the 11th round of the season and will test riders’ resilience with this back-to-back event under very hot and humid conditions.
Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado comes to Lombok-Indonesia as a solid leader after getting an excellent second place last weekend in Sumbawa-Indonesia.
Prado won the first race and finished 3rd in the second one; continuing to win races week in week out and show outstanding consistency which propelled him this season to the top of the Championship. Prado will want to keep his momentum as he heads to Lombok.
Freshly second in the Championship, Kawasaki Racing Team’s Romain Febvre joined the Grand Prix winner list in 2023 only last weekend in Sumbawa-Indonesia.
The Frenchman was a head above the pack as he dominated every session during the weekend and was leading when he crashed in the first race to go 2-1.
Febvre is getting his flow and his speed back making him a threat at every race mainly as he also worked hard on his starts which he showed by clinching both holeshots in Sumbawa-Indonesia.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings lost one position to Febvre as he didn’t compete last weekend and will still not be riding this weekend.
Still fourth in the Championship is Team HRC’s Rubén Fernández (pictured above) who hangs on to that position, although he stayed a bit quieter than in Germany where he achieved a podium finish.
Fernandez went 6th overall as he wasn’t able to push much higher during the races but still gets a good number of points to enter into the second Indonesian stop as 4th. He will give his all and make sure that Swiss rider Jeremy Seewer will not be catching him up.
Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team’s Seewer is 5th in the championship and only 3 points behind Fernández as he got a podium in Sumbawa – Indonesia after missing it by little in Germany.
Seewer looks in great shape and able to endure this baking Indonesian heat as he managed to keep pushing hard in the second race of the Sumbawa Grand Prix to overtake leader’s red plate holder Prado for second.
He will be one rider to watch this weekend as the Swiss showed time and time again his resilience and determination.
His team-mate, Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team’s Glenn Coldenhoff is sixth in the Championship and managed another great performance on the back of his Podium in Germany.
Coldenhoff went 4-5 for 4th overall and has found the consistency that eluded him in the beginning of the season. The ‘Hoff’ is now riding increasingly at the front which allows him to push for podium places.
Solid seventh is still Team Gebben Van Venroy Yamaha Racing’s Calvin Vlaanderen who has shown in Sumbawa-Indonesia that the heat did not bother him as he went 6-4 for 5th overall.
Vlaanderen is a rider that expresses his talent very well at the moment and displayed the speed necessary to be fighting with top riders in the Championship.
Vlaanderen still ride after his first podium and the second Indonesian header in Lombok could well be a good chance for him to shine.
SM Action Racing Team Yuasa Battery MXGP’s Alberto Forato showed that he is resourceful with a 7-8 for 8th overall.
The No.8-ranked rider in the Championship dug deep to come from the back in race one to get into the top 10. His qualities are obvious as he got us used to see his great skills throughout the season. His double overtakes in one move in race one in Sumbawa by splitting two riders was another example of what he is capable of doing.
Ninth in the championship, Ship to Cycle Honda SR Motoblouz’s Valentin Guillod showed how fast he can be when he found himself second behind Febvre in race two last weekend.
Although he made some mistakes later in the race to finish ninth, the Swiss who is a privateer, managed another top 10 with a 9th overall which installs him solidly into the top 10 so far.
Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP’s Mitch Evans managed to respond present as he went 9-7 for 8th overall. The Australian performed well and keeps improving his fitness.
He had good starts over the weekend which will be handy when he will be able to maintain his good speed over the whole races. It is another top 10 that puts him in a good headspace to attack the MNC MXGP of Lombok-Indonesia.
Unfortunately, MRT Racing Team Beta’s Alessandro Lupino, will not be taking part in the MXGP of Lombok – Indonesia. The Italian crashed in race one last weekend and missed the second race and will have to sit the second Indonesian round to come back stronger.
Photo courtesy Nuno Laranjeira
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STANDINGS AFTER ROUND 10 OF 19:
MXGP – World Championship Top 10 Classification:
1. Jorge Prado (ESP, GAS), 505 points; 2. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 404 p.; 3. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 386 p.; 4. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 374 p.; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 371 p.; 6. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 346 p.; 7. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM), 324 p.; 8. Alberto Forato (ITA, KTM), 256 p.; 9. Valentin Guillod (SUI, HON), 229 p.; 10. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, GAS), 203 p.
MX2 – World Championship Top 10 Classification:
1. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 439 points; 2. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 434 p.; 3. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 417 p.; 4. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 381 p.; 5. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 381 p.; 6. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, HUS), 373 p.; 7. Lucas Coenen (BEL, HUS), 315 p.; 8. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 295 p.; 9. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, KAW), 268 p.; 10. Jan Pancar (SLO, KTM), 217 p.