MX2

 VILLA LA ANGOSTURA (Argentina) 9 March 2024 – The much-anticipated 2024 MXGP World Championship burst into life at the incredible Villa La Angostura circuit for the YPF Infinia MXGP of Patagonia-Argentina.  Five-time World Champion and the most successful rider ever at this circuit, Team HRC spearhead Tim Gajser, took a commanding gate-to-flag victory in the MXGP RAM Qualifying Race, after Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing pilot Lucas Coenen emerged from a thrilling battle to win in MX2.

With sporadic rain showers sprinkling the track to add to the loose and slippery nature of the surface, the MX2 riders hit the track first in free practice, and there was a surprise for many as Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing rookie Marc-Antoine Rossi topped the timesheets at the end of the session!  He was demoted to third in the Time Practice session, that decided the gate pick for the RAM Qualifying Race, by the Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing pairing of Lucas Coenen and Kay De Wolf.

In MXGP’s early running it was Kawasaki Racing Team rider Romain Febvre who was fastest in both practice sessions, instantly displaying his adoration for this circuit, which was answered by the packed hillsides of fans who cheered wildly as he hit the track first in the session.
 

The RAM Qualifying Race in MXGP saw a fighting holeshot from Tim Gajser who fought back Febvre and a spirited challenge from Standing Construct Honda’s Pauls Jonass, who had finished second-fastest to the Frenchman in the Time Practice session. In the mid-pack, however, there was a first-corner collision between last year’s winner Ruben Fernandez and Monster Energy Yamaha MXGP Racing rookie Jago Geerts, which also collected the JK Yamaha of Isak Gifting!  Gifting is good to race tomorrow, while Fernandez is waiting on a medical check-up before making a decision. Geerts re-started but crashed again three laps later, and will sadly be unable to ride tomorrow.  

The same is unfortunately true of the unfortunate Brent van Doninck, who crashed his JM Racing Honda in the second corner. We wish them both all the best for a speedy recovery.

Ivo Monticelli, on his return to full-time MXGP racing, started in the top five for MRT Racing Team Beta, but had to yield to passes from Geerts’ teammate Monster Energy Yamaha MXGP Racing's Maxime Renaux, who came under pressure from the #1 plate holder, Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado! The Champion took advantage of a slight mistake from Renaux to make a forceful move into 4th place! Further back, Monticelli nearly collided with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing star Jeffrey Herlings over the finish line jump, giving the Dutchman extra motivation to move into 6th on the very next corner.  

Febvre’s new teammate at Kawasaki Racing Team, Jeremy Seewer made a late move past Monticelli to claim 7th, but it was Gajser all the way as he celebrated his first ever points-paying RAM Qualifying Race win ahead of Febvre and Jonass.

Tim Gajser: “It went good! Actually I was struggling a bit in Time Practice as the track was tough and I didn’t race here last year too, so I guess that is also why in the beginning I had some issues. But in the race today, I got a good start and started up front. I made a little gap and then controlled the race. I was really enjoying it a lot. The first RAM Qualifying Race win of the season and hopefully the first of many more to come. It’s good to start like that but tomorrow is a big day with many points on the table so it will be important to stay calm and get two good starts.”

MXGP – RAM Qualifying Race – Top 10 Classification: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), 24:43.663; 2. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:06.489; 3. Pauls Jonass (LAT, Honda), +0:07.798; 4. Jorge Prado (ESP, GASGAS), +0:15.457; 5. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:18.382; 6. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:19.133; 7. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Kawasaki), +0:22.701; 8. Ivo Monticelli (ITA, Beta), +0:37.331; 9. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Yamaha), +0:45.134; 10. Valentin Guillod (SUI, Honda), +0:49.449

MXGP - World Championship - Top 10 Classification: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 10 points; 2. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 9 p.; 3. Pauls Jonass (LAT, HON), 8 p.; 4. Jorge Prado (ESP, GAS), 7 p.; 5. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 6 p.; 6. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 5 p.; 7. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, KAW), 4 p.; 8. Ivo Monticelli (ITA, BET), 3 p.; 9. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM), 2 p.; 10. Valentin Guillod (SUI, HON), 1 p.;

Main Photo: Tim Gajser

Bottom Photos: 1. Romain Febvre; 2. Pauls Jonass

The MX2 RAM Qualifying Race saw a stunning fight between many of the leading pre-race favourites, but it started with a Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 1-2 as reigning Champion Andrea Adamo and Sacha Coenen fired around the first corner just ahead of Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing rookie Marc-Antoine Rossi. 

Monster Energy Triumph Racing, in their first World Championship points-paying race, had seen Mikkel Haarup get 5th fastest in Time Practice, and he was moving up the order until a crash in the wave section, and a further one around the second corner, dropped him to 19th at the finish. 

The two Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing teammates Kay de Wolf and Lucas Coenen had given themselves a tough job with poor starts, but both came flying through the pack, De Wolf catching and banging bars with Adamo, who was riding superbly to keep them at bay.  L.Coenen would not be denied however, and in a thrilling move took 2nd from his teammate through a section of jumps, the two flying together in unison!

He finally made his move to take the lead from Adamo with less than two laps remaining, and De Wolf pounced on the Champion as well to grab 2nd! It got close again between the two men in white, but in the end it was Coenen who took his 3rd career RAM Qualifying Race Win to claim the Championship leader’s red plate for the first time in his young career! Adamo had to settle for 3rd ahead of Simon Laengenfelder and Thibault Benistant.

Lucas Coenen: “The red plate?! I better not start thinking about it because otherwise I would think too much. It was really good, although I messed up my start which was not great but after that I just kept going, I passed, and passed many riders,  and then I managed to pass Kay (de Wolf) at the end. Overall it was good race,  I stayed calm and passed the rider in front of me one by one and won the race. But tomorrow is another day!”

MX2 – RAM Qualifying Race – Top 10 Classification: : 1. Lucas Coenen (BEL, Husqvarna), 24:46.567; 2. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:01.434; 3. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), +0:07.695; 4. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GASGAS), +0:09.463; 5. Thibault Benistant (FRA, Yamaha), +0:10.622; 6. Marc-Antoine Rossi (FRA, GASGAS), +0:29.223; 7. Hakon Osterhagen (NOR, Honda), +0:39.612; 8. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, Yamaha), +0:41.644; 9. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), +0:42.708; 10. Ferruccio Zanchi (ITA, Honda), +0:46.105

MX2 - World Championship - Top 10 Classification : 1. Lucas Coenen (BEL, HUS), 10 points; 2. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 9 p.; 3. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 8 p.; 4. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 7 p.; 5. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 6 p.; 6. Marc-Antoine Rossi (FRA, GAS), 5 p.; 7. Hakon Osterhagen (NOR, HON), 4 p.; 8. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, YAM), 3 p.; 9. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 2 p.; 10. Ferruccio Zanchi (ITA, HON), 1 p.;

Main Photo: Lucas Coenen

Bottom Photos: 1. Kay de Wolf; 2. Andrea Adamo
 

TIMETABLE (Local Timing UTC-3)

SUNDAY: 10:25 MX2 Warm-up, 10:45 MXGP Warm-up, 12:15 MX2 Race 1, 13:15 MXGP Race 1, 15:10 MX2 Race 2, 16:10 MXGP Race 2.

MXGP OF PATAGONIA-ARGENTINA QUICK FACTS:

Circuit length: 1670m

Type of ground: Hard Pack

Temperature: 14°

Weather conditions: Cloudy

LINKS

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MXGP of Patagonia-Argentina
  

VILLA LA ANGOSTURA (Patagonia-Argentina) 6 March 2024 – The 2024 FIM Motocross World Championship blasts into action at the opening round of the 20-GP season, taking place at Villa La Angostura for the YPF INFINIA MXGP of Patagonia-Argentina. 

This will be the 8th time that the circuit has hosted an MXGP event and the 4th time that it has kick-started the season! The first time MXGP went to Villa La Angostura was in 2015, which consecutively hosted the MXGP of Patagonia-Argentina since then and only missed the 2020 and 2021 years due to Covid. The track and venue are amongst the favourites with the whole paddock, with everyone enjoying the incredible welcomes from the Argentinian people and the scenic Andean backdrop. 

In 2023, Villa La Angostura hosted the first round of the campaign and saw the first ever RAM Qualifying Races that counted for points towards the World Championships on the Saturday afternoon. It was suspected that the rule change to make the Saturday RAM Qualifying Race count for points would benefit Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado, whose amazing starting technique put pressure on his title challengers all season long, and the Spaniard met those expectations with the Saturday race win to instantly fit the Championship leader’s red plate onto his machine.

Team HRC’s Rubén Fernández won the overall Grand Prix on the Sunday with 5-1 finishes compared to Prado’s 1-6 scores, but Jorge kept the red plate due to his advantage from Saturday.  That would go on to be a regular occurrence all season!

The 2024 season starts with an amazing line-up.  For only the second time in history, two five-time World Champions will start the season together to race for a sixth title, and for the first time ever, with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings and Team HRC's Tim Gajser, they are both under 30 years old! Also, unlike 2004 with Stefan Everts and Joel Smets, neither one of them is reigning Champion as Prado will carry the #1 plate on the only MXGP Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing machine.

Gajser and Herlings have both stayed on the same machinery, HRC Honda for the Slovenian, and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing for the Dutchman.  Frenchman Romain Febvre, second in last year’s Championship despite winning 6 Grands Prix to Prado’s 2, remains with KRT and continues his nine-year quest for a second world crown after winning in 2015.

Romain is joined in Kawasaki Racing Team team by 2023’s 3rd-placed rider, Jeremy Seewer. With 5 Silver medals to his name as well as the Bronze from last year, he will be hoping that the green machine will make the difference to finally get some Gold on his shelf.

While Herlings is the sole MXGP rider for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, Team HRC continues with Ruben Fernandez, who never got to the top step again in 2023 but still managed 5th in the series.  Glenn Coldenhoff, changes machinery but is effectively with the same team as Louis Vosters’ Dutch outfit takes over the reins of the Fantic Factory Racing effort, alongside fellow Dutchman and MXGP rookie Roan van de Moosdjik.  If Coldenhoff were to win a Grand Prix on the Fantic, he would become only the third rider in Motocross history, after Yves Demaria and Alessandro Puzar, to win Grands Prix on five different brands of motorcycle throughout his career.

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP promote third-year MXGP man and 2021 MX2 World Champion Maxime Renaux to team leader after the Frenchman won his second GP on a 450, before a foot injury put him out of title contention.  He did come back in time to represent Team France at the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations, winning his class and helping his nation to a famous home victory.

He is joined on the team by the most successful non-Champion on the grid, four-time MX2 Championship runner-up Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s Jago Geerts. With 24 GP wins to his name (the same total as both Antonio Cairoli and Tom Vialle managed in their MX2 careers), Geerts made a superb showing at the 2022 Monster energy FIM MXoN, his 450 debut and he is likely to be a threat!

The third rider on the squad is two-time GP winner Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s Calvin Vlaanderen, who moves onto factory machinery for the first time in his career. Can it bring him into regular podium contention? The Dutchman will be hoping so!

Sadly, Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing have lost their MXGP rider Mattia Guadagnini to a shoulder injury sustained in pre-season testing.  The MRT Racing Team BETA squad once more field British hope Ben Watson, this time with the returning Ivo Monticelli under the same awning. The Italian who didn’t race the MXGP series last year missed being in the big leagues! The Swiss rider Valentin Guillod remain with Team Ship To Cycle Honda Motoblouz SR, who also welcome Norwegian Kevin Horgmo up from MX2, where he took his first heat win last season.

Standing Construct Honda MXGP hold onto our sixth World Champion in the line-up, 2017 MX2 title winner Pauls Jonass, but welcome the popular Italian Alberto Forato to the squad after he finished 7th in the 2023 Championship.  JM Honda Racing continue with Brent van Doninck, whilst Swedish star Isak Gifting moves up to the 450 with JK Racing Yamaha.  Shaun Simpson’s Gabriel SS24 KTM squad will join the series full-time with Josh Gilbert also making his first attempt at a full Grand Prix season.  Slovenian Jan Pancar moves up from MX2 on his own Tem JP253 KTM Racing Team effort.

Main Photo: 2023 MXGP Start Patagonia-Argentina

Bottom Photos: 1. 2023 MXGP World Champion Jorge Prado; 2. Jago Geerts, 2023

2023 MXGP of Patagonia-Argentina MXGP Top 3:

1. Ruben Fernandez 
2. Jeffrey Herlings
3. Jorge Prado

6 World Champions – 16 Titles between them!

Jeffrey Herlings – 5 titles - 2012-13 & 2016 MX2; 2018 & 2021 MXGP

Tim Gajser – 5 titles – 2015 MX2; 2016, 2019-20 & 2022 MXGP

Jorge Prado – 3 titles – 2018-19 MX2, 2023 MXGP

Romain Febvre - 1 title – 2015 MXGP

Maxime Renaux – 1 title – 2021 MX2 

Pauls Jonass – 1 title – 2017 MX2

In MX2 last year, Jago Geerts dominated the GP by winning all three races.  Andrea Adamo surprised on his debut for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing with two third places for 2nd overall with Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 Team’s Thibault Benistant rounding out the podium.

MX2 saw four first-time GP winners in 2023, with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Liam Everts claiming 3, eventual champion Adamo claiming two, and Husqvarna pairing Kay de Wolf and Lucas Coenen taking one apiece.

In 2023, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing once more brought in riders to the team and turned into GP winners and gained yet another Championship, their 20th in MX2, with Andrea Adamo.  Liam Everts put up a spirited chase towards the end of the season with three GP wins.  Both riders return for the team in 2024, as does Sacha Coenen, but Liam has picked up a thumb injury in February which will keep him out of Argentina, possibly returning for round two in Spain. 

Thibault Benistant stays with Yamaha Factory Racing MX2, as does 2022 EMX250 Champion Rick Elzingaand his successor to that title, Andrea Bonacorsi. Bonacorsi was amazing on a 450 at the Monster Energy FIM MXoN, claiming 3rd in the Open class and helping Italy onto the podium.

Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing have a fast line-up with GP winners Kay De Wolf and Lucas Coenen, both returning for the team and looking to carry their speed into 2024, after injury hampered both of their title campaigns last season. De Wolf was one of several riders who got hurt just as they started to hit their stride. Coenen could also be the real threat, often looking faster than anybody in the class last year, especially in the sand. 

The third Austrian factory squad, Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing, has its own title contender in Simon Laengenfelder. He eventually claimed the Bronze medal right at the final round from Everts, and sits on three GP wins like the Belgian. He’ll be hoping to do his talent some justice in 2024. He's joined by a French rookie with some star power, the mercurial Marc-Antoine Rossi.  A multiple winner in EMX who took a fine 8th as a wildcard at his home round MX2 GP debut, his swagger and personality could prove to be a big hit in GP racing.  

Another rookie, Italian Ferruccio Zanchi, joins the mighty Team HRC on their new MX2 project, and he has already shown great speed in the pre-season with a surprise win.  Yet another rookie, French kid Quentin Prugnieres, races for F&H Racing Team in 2024 after also impressing at the French GP last year.

The exciting news on the team front is the first new project from a British side in decades, with Monster Energy Triumph Racing bringing their new TF250-X machine to Grand Prix racing.  With promising Dane Mikkel Haarup and South African Camden McLellan, a former EMX85 Champion, they have a solid rider line-up, and Haarup has been right amongst the established contenders in pre-season internationals.  The slick new black machines could very well be a successful package!

The Fantic Factory Racing Team graduates to GP racing after several years in EMX, and they field second-year Spaniard David Braceras alongside fast but unfortunately recently injured Dutch teenager Kay Karssemakers. 

Among a very hot young pack of MX2 stars, the all-English-speaking Bike It Kawasaki squad of Floridian Jack Chambers and Englishman Bobby Bruce could also be ones to watch on what should be the leading green machines in the paddock.

Main Photo: 2023 MX2 Start Patagonia-Argentina 

Bottom Photos: 1. 2023 MX2 World Champion Andrea Adamo; 2. Simon Langenfelder, 2023

2023 MXGP of Patagonia-Argentina  MX2 Top 3:

1. Jago Geerts
2. Andrea Adamo
3. Thibault Benistant

6 Grand Prix Winners – 13 Wins between them!

Liam Everts – 3

Simon Laengenfelder – 3

Thibault Benistant – 3

Andrea Adamo – 2

Lucas Coenen – 1

Kay De Wolf – 1

The races will be broadcasted LIVE on MXGP’s streaming service www.MXGP-TV.com, while results throughout the weekend will be available  HERE.

All the photos from the YPF INFINIA MXGP of Patagonia-Argentina will be available HERE.

TIMETABLE (Local Timing UTC-3)
 

SATURDAY: 10:45 MX2 Free Practice, 11:15 MXGP Free Practice, 13:20 MX2 Time Practice, 14:00 MXGP Time Practice, 15:25 MX2 RAM Qualifying Race, 16:10 MXGP RAM Qualifying Race.

SUNDAY: 10:25 MX2 Warm-up, 10:45 MXGP Warm-up, 12:15 MX2 Race 1, 13:15 MXGP Race 1, 15:10 MX2 Race 2, 16:10 MXGP Race 2.

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

MXGP of Patagonia-Argentina
 

VILLA LA ANGOSTURA (Patagonia - Argentina) 6 March 2024 – The 2024 FIM Motocross World Championship kickstarts in Argentina as MXGP arrives at Villa La Angostura for the opening round of the series on 09-10 of March!

Checkout the Timetable and entry lists for the YPF INFINIA MXGP of Patagonia-Argentina below:

TIMETABLE

MXGP ENTRY LIST

MX2 ENTRY LIST

Harry Norton is very much a young man in a hurry. Having arrived in Europe a few years ago, the Australian was teamed up with another unknown in Tom Vialle, Norton the mechanic and Vialle the rider, and together they scored a MX2 World Championship.

With that success, Norton was then moved into the role of technical responsible for the Red Bull KTM Factory team and then late last year, given the position as team manager, taking over that position from Antonio Cairoli, who had moved onto Ducati, as team manager.

It wasn’t all plain sailing for Norton though, as he tried to figure out the different weather, different culture and being involved in a series that was something he had never worked in before. MXGP isn’t child’s play, although Norton has clearly stepped into his own little playground and having fun with it.

“I had never been to Europe,” Norton said. “I had travelled a bunch in US and Canada, like for personal stuff, but I had never been to Europe. My boss in Australia Rob Twyerould, he has been to Europe many times and I think he has been with KTM more than 20 years. I said to him one day, Rob, I need to get out of here. I need to move to the next thing. I am not fussed if I go to Europe or America, but I want to make that step. I ended up here, in Europe.”

For sure, his arrival in the later stages of winter back six years ago, Norton felt overcome with excitement, but also surprise at the difference to his lifestyle back in Australia. What did stand out though, was the machinery he would be working on, and that was more than enough to make those cold nights in Austria a little warmer.

“It was a massive culture shock. Moving from Australia to Austria also. I would say living the Belgian life is easier than Austria, it was a big culture shock mate. However, I came here with a super open mind, and I just wanted to learn, have fun, work on some cool bikes. I have always been interested in the process of how teams work. That was one of the big reasons I wanted to come here. I love the process of, why are teams successful and the Red Bull KTM factory team was and still is, pretty successful group of people.”

Being team manager means having his eyes on the whole group and making sure that everyone is run smoothly. From the riders, the mechanics and also the position he left to become team manager, the technical responsible job.

“As team manager I work with all the riders. Only team manager and we have eight mechanics on the team and Stefan Simpson, who looks after a lot of the technical things in the team. Doing a lot of the organization. He isn’t coming to as many GPs as a typical technical responsible normally would, but he will be on control of a lot of the organizing of the technical side and working behind the scenes. Our team is a little different than most, as we have two workshops in two countries, so we have a lot of logistics and Stefan is behind all that.”

Now, as the team packs their bags and gets set to board a plane to Argentina, the real pressure will arrive, as the Red Bull KTM factories MXGP efforts prepare to chase the MXGP and MX2 World Motocross Championships. Living the dream is something that Norton is living right now, but the hard work has just begun.

Photo Credit : Ray Archer

Feruccio Zanchi is set to ride in his MX2 Rookie Year as he is the new face of Team HRC in MX2. The Italian youngster will lead the renewed CRF250R programme for 2024.
After showing his talents in EMX250 last season, Zanchi will be one to watch and can become a serious MX2 contender with the factory team

Photo Credit : ShotByBavo

Ahead of the 2024 FIM Motocross World Championship, join Red Bull KTM Factory Racing at Red Sand as Jeffrey Herlings, Andrea Adamo, Liam Everts, and Sacha Coenen style it up for the cameras and enjoy a little downtime before the serious business starts.

The opening YPF INFINIA MXGP of Patagonia-Argentina promises to big!

Photo Credit : Ray Archer