MXGP

AFYONKARAHISAR (Turkiye) – 6 September 2024 - The 2024 MXGP of Turkiye officially kicked off with a vibrant welcome ceremony on the main stage of the Afyon Moto Festival, adjacent to the paddock area. A large and enthusiastic crowd gathered to celebrate the eighteenth round of the FIM Motocross World Championship, marking the start of an exciting weekend of racing.

The ceremony was attended by the entire paddock collective, including riders from the MXGP, MX2, WMX, and EMX250 categories including who joined the festivities to experience the local culture and sample traditional Turkish delicacies. The event created a joyful atmosphere as fans and competitors alike embraced the unique spirit of the championship.

A poignant minute of silence and an homage to the late Mr. Bekir Yunus Uçar, President of the Turkish Motorcycling Federation who passed away few weeks ago made for emotional moment for everyone present.

All the riders attending the ceremony then jumped on the stage of the Afyon Moto Festival for a  nice family photo to begin the racing weekend in style.

The official key figures took the stand to officially welcome everyone to the MXGP of Turkiye. Among those addressing the audience were Infront Moto Racing COO Daniele Rizzi, FIM/CMS Director Antonio Alia Portela, Afyonkarahisar Deputy Governor Ali Uysal, Afyonkarahisar Deputies Hasan Arslan, Mehmet Taytak, Hakan Şeref Olgun, Afyonkarahisar Mayor Burcu Köksal, Türkiye Motorcycle Federation President Ogün Baysan, and Senior Sport Journalist Atilla Gökçe. Each expressed their enthusiasm for the return of the MXGP to Afyonkarahisar and their appreciation for the continued support from the local community and authorities.

An official family photo was then organised with the all the officials present to this great event capturing a moment of unity and celebration that was warmly received by the audience. The positive energy and excitement set the tone for what promises to be a thrilling weekend of world-class motocross racing.

TIMETABLE 

SATURDAY: 9:30 WMX Free practice, 10:00 EMX250 Free practice, 10:30 MX2 Free practice, 11:00 MXGP Free practice, 12:30 WMX Qualifying practice, 13:05 EMX250 Qualifying Practice, 13:40 MX2 Time Practice, 14:15 MXGP Time Practice, 15:00 WMX Race 1, 15:45 EMX250 Race 1, 16:35 MX2 RAM Qualifying Race, 17:25 MXGP RAM Qualifying Race.

SUNDAY: 09:45 WMX Race 2, 10:25 MX2 Warm-up, 10:45 MXGP Warm-up, 11:30 EMX250 Race 2, 13:15 MX2 Race 1, 14:15 MXGP Race 1, 16:10 MX2 Race 2, 17:10 MXGP Race 2.

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

Afyonkarahisar

AFYON (Türkiye) 6 September 2024 – The final trilogy of the MXGP World Motocross Championships begins this weekend at the Afyon Motor Sports Center for Round 18, the first of a two-week Eastern experience that starts with the MXGP of Türkiye!

The MXGP class sees the clash of two titans of Türkiye, as the only two winners at this circuit in the premier class go head-to-head, as four-time victor Jeffrey Herlings tries to close the points gap to the Tim Gajser, who has a two-year winning streak at Afyon that he would like to extend to clinch his 50^th career GP victory!

Reigning World Champion Jorge Prado is also right in the hunt to retain his title and needs this GP to gain on Gajser himself!

With extreme results we could see a Champion crowned in the MX2 class, but it is still all to fight for between the duelling teammates Kay de Wolf and Lucas Coenen, and as usual there are a host of contenders for the GP win, including last year’s winner Liam Everts and in-form German Simon Laengenfelder!

This event will also see the final round of the WMX Women’s Motocross World Championship, with the title to be decided between Dutch series leader Lotte van Drunen and Spanish flyer Daniela Guillen!  The WMX races will be covered by CBS and TV3 in Spain as they have been all season long!

Turkish broadcaster TRT Sport Yildiz will cover the full weekend LIVE throughout Saturday and Sunday.  Check our listings below for the full list of TV channels that will air LIVE and delayed action of the MXGP of Türkiye, as well as the 26-minute Behind The Gate magazine show featuring the best moments from the races, exclusive interviews and more.  All of this footage will be available on MXGP-TV.com and via our TV magazine partners following the Grand Prix.

As always, MXGP fans can follow the races LIVE throughout the weekend. All you need to do is log onto www.MXGP-TV.com Saturday and Sunday, from wherever you are in the world.  The final three rounds of both Championships promise to bring us a spectacular finish and go to the wire! Don’t miss a wheel turn!

USA CANADA

CBS Sports Network

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MX2 Race 2 – 14:00 ET – Delayed

Sunday September 8 th 2024 – MXGP Race 2 – 15:00 ET – Delayed

Sunday September 8 th 2024 – WMX Race 2 – 16:00 ET – Delayed

LATIN AMERICA

Direct TV

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 CET LIVE

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 – CET LIVE

BRAZIL

Bandsports

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 – CET LIVE

MEXICO

FOX SPORTS Mexico

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 CET LIVE

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 – CET LIVE

BELGIUM 

PLAY SPORTS OPEN
Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 CET LIVE

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 – CET LIVE

ESTONIA

Go3
Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 CET LIVE

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 – CET LIVE

FINLAND

MAX

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 – Finnish timing - LIVE

FRANCE
 

AUTOMOTO TV LA CHAINE 

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MX2 Race 1 – 14:00 CET Delayed

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 – CET LIVE

LA CHAINE L’EQUIPE

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 CET LIVE Streaming

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 – CET LIVE Streaming

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 – CET LIVE Streaming

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 – CET LIVE Streaming

EUROSPORT 2

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 CET LIVE

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 – CET LIVE

ITALY

RAI SPORT

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MX2 Race 2 – 18:30 – CET Delayed

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MXGP Race 2 – 19:30 – CET Delayed

EUROSPORT 2

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 CET LIVE

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 – CET LIVE

LATVIA

TV3 Sport Open

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 CET LIVE

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 – CET LIVE

LITHUANIA

Go3

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 CET LIVE

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 – CET LIVE

SLOVENIA

Sport TV1

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 CET LIVE

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 – CET LIVE

SPAIN

TV Galicia

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 – CET LIVE

TV3

Saturday September 7 th 2024  – WMX Race 1 – 14:50 Local time – LIVE

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – WMX Race 2 – 09:35 Local time LIVE

TURKIYE

TRT SPOR YILDIZ

Saturday September 7 th 2024  – WMX Race 1 – 14:50 Local time – LIVE

Saturday September 7 th 2024  – EMX 250 Race 1 – 15:40 – Local time LIVE

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – WMX Race 2 – 09:35 Local time LIVE

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – EMX 250 Race 2 – 11:25 – Local time LIVE

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 CET LIVE

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 – CET LIVE

ASIA

Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand
 

EUROSPORT ASIA

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 CET LIVE

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 – CET LIVE

INDIA and Subcontinent (Bhutan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives)
 

VIACOM  - Jio Cinema

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MX2 Race 1 – 15:30 IST – Streaming

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MXGP Race 1 – 16:30 IST – Streaming

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MX2 Race 2 – 17:30 IST – Streaming

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MXGP Race 2 – 19:30 IST – Streaming

INDONESIA
CHAMPIONS TV

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 CET LIVE

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 – CET LIVE

VIDIO

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MX2 Race 1 – 12:00 CET LIVE

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MXGP Race 1 – 13:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MX2 Race 2 – 15:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday September 8 th 2024  – MXGP Race 2 – 16:00 – CET LIVE

PACIFIC / AUSTRALIA
 

STAN SPORTS

Sunday September 8 th – MX2 Race 1 – 20:00 AEST – LIVE

Sunday September 8 th – MXGP Race 1 – 22:00 AEST – LIVE

Sunday September 8 th – MX2 Race 2 – 23:00  AEST – LIVE

Sunday September 8 th – MXGP Race 2 – 00:00 AEST - LIVE

26min Behind-the-Gate Magazine Partners:
 

AMERICA

Latin America             Direct TV                                 Thursday after each MXGP 8:30pm

Mexico                        FOX Sports                              Thursday after each MXGP 8:30pm

USA                             BEiN USA                                 TBA

EUROPE

Albania                        GP1                                         Thursday after each event at 20:15

Austria                        GP1                                         Thursday after each event at 20:15

Baltics                          TV3 Sport Open                      Thursday after each MXGP

Belgium                       Play sports                              tba

Belgium                       SPORT TEN                              tba

Bosnia                         GP1                                         Thursday after each event at 20:15

Croatia                        GP1                                         Thursday after each event at 20:15

Finland            MTV                                        During the week after the event

Hungary                      GP1                                         Thursday after each event at 20:15

Kosovo                        GP1                                        Thursday after each event at 20:15

Montenegro                GP1                                         Thursday after each event at 20:15

Northern Macedonia  GP1                                         Thursday after each event at 20:15

Portugal                      SPORT TV                                Tuesday after the event        

Romania                      Look Sport                               Wednesday after each event

Serbia                          GP1                                         Thursday after each event at 20:15

Slovenia                      Sport TV                                  Tuesday after the event

INDIA and Subcontinent (Bhutan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives)
 

VIACOM 18                                                                        Wednesday after the event

INDONESIA                  Champions TV

                                    Moji

                                    Vidio

AUSTRALIA

Australia                      Stan Sport                               Wednesday after each event

WORLDWIDE

Worldwide                  Motorvision                            During the week after the event

Worldwide                  Redbull TV                               Race Craft and Vlog

Worldwide                  YouTube – MXGP TV               16 days after the event.

MXGP of Turkiye LIVE MXGP-TV.COM Timetable 

TIMETABLE 

SATURDAY: 9:30 WMX Free practice, 10:00 EMX250 Free practice, 10:30 MX2 Free practice, 11:00 MXGP Free practice, 12:30 WMX Qualifying practice, 13:05 EMX250 Qualifying Practice, 13:40 MX2 Time Practice, 14:15 MXGP Time Practice, 15:00 WMX Race 1, 15:45 EMX250 Race 1, 16:35 MX2 RAM Qualifying Race, 17:25 MXGP RAM Qualifying Race.

SUNDAY: 09:45 WMX Race 2, 10:25 MX2 Warm-up, 10:45 MXGP Warm-up, 11:30 EMX250 Race 2, 13:15 MX2 Race 1, 14:15 MXGP Race 1, 16:10 MX2 Race 2, 17:10 MXGP Race 2.

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

FIM Europe

Afyonkarahisar

AFYON (Türkiye) 5 September 2024 – The FIM Motocross World Championship starts the final trio of events of the series, as the MXGP of Türkiye welcomes round 18 to the Afyon Motor Sports Center in the mountainous countryside to the west of the country, roughly 450km to the south-east of the capital, Istanbul.

This will be the eighth MXGP event to be held in the Republic of Türkiye, with the first being held in 2009 at Hezarfen, in the district of Istanbul, won by Antonio Cairoli in MXGP and Zach Osborne in MX2.  Since then, MXGP came back to the country in 2018 to Afyonkarahisar and has run here every year apart from 2020, returning to run two events in 2021. 

The MXGP class has only seen two winners at Afyon in those six GPs.  Jeffrey Herlings won all four Grands Prix for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing from 2018 to 2021 but hasn’t raced here since. The last two GPs in Türkiye have both been won by Tim Gajser for Team HRC, who comes to this event after extending his Championship points lead with a double race win at the MXGP of Switzerland.

In the MX2 division, points leader Kay de Wolf from Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing seriously helped his cause with overall victory in Frauenfeld, when a dire day for Lucas Coenen left him with a 61-point gap to chase down to his teammate. If the gap stays over 60 after the following round in China, De Wolf will be Champion a round early.  Neither rider has seen the podium in Türkiye, however, as the GP was won last season by Liam Everts for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, after race wins for Simon Laengenfelder and Kevin Horgmo.  Laengenfelder sits third in the 2024 series for Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing but lies 104 points behind.

There will be a world title decided in Türkiye however, as the FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship comes to a conclusion with the year-long battle between De Baets Yamaha star Lotte van Drunen and Daniela Guillen on the RFME Spain National Team GASGAS. They go to Afyon just 17 points apart, meaning that if Lotte wins Saturday’s race, then she will clinch the title if Daniela is fifth or worse. It is therefore highly likely to go to the very last day! Lynn Valk is 44 points off the leader, so she has an outside mathematical chance of the title for Schmicker Racing KTM. Courtney Duncan is unable to defend her title for F & H Racing Team but will feel good at a circuit where she has won four of the five WMX events ever held.

This weekend sees the penultimate round of the EMX250 Championship fight between points leader Mathis Valin for Bud Racing Kawasaki and Valerio Lata for Beddini GASGAS Factory Juniors. The gap is only 11 points between them, and Cas Valk of the Gabriel SS24 KTM is only another eight further back. This one should go right to the wire!

Tim Gajser’s domination of the MXGP of Switzerland presented by iXS leaves him in a very strong position in the three-way battle for World Championship honours, but it is still far from over. Reigning MXGP World Champion Jorge Prado now has an 18-point deficit to make up in order to take a second straight title for Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing, and his most recent success here was in MX2, back in 2019. Herlings is another 24 points behind and admitting that he “needs some luck” to claim his sixth world title, sitting 42 behind Gajser.

The Dutchman has won six individual races at Afyon compared to the Slovenian’s three, while Romain Febvre has taken two race wins and two overall podiums for his current Kawasaki Racing Team. Maxime Renaux of the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP team is the only other MXGP race winner here, taking one in 2022 to add to his race wins in MX2 from each of the previous two seasons, although he is yet to win overall here, finishing third in 2023.  Kevin Horgmo of Team Ship to Cycle Honda Motoblouz SR has got great memories from last season, as he won the second race in MX2, his only race victory at GP level so far.

Most of the top ten Championship positions are not too closely fought, as Jeremy Seewer currently lies in fourth place for Kawasaki Racing Team, 37 ahead of Calvin Vlaanderen, who will be fighting to return, for Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP, from a knee injury which kept him out of the Swiss round.  Febvre is only 23 behind Vlaanderen in sixth, and 13 ahead of Fantic Factory Racing’s Glenn Coldenhoff.

Vlaanderen’s teammate Jago Geerts continues his recovery from injury and returns to a track where he was third in MX2 last season.

It’s possible for a bit of history to be made in Türkiye, as Gajser’s Swiss win put him on 49 career GP victories, one short of the former all-time record of Belgian legend Joel Robert, who is currently fifth in the all-time GP win list.

Who will come out on top in the battle of titans in Türkiye, the first of the final trilogy of races to decide the World MXGP Championship?!

MXGP - World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 860 Points;   2. Jorge Prado (ESP, GAS), 842 Points; 3. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 818 Pts; 4. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, KAW), 587 Pts; 5. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM), 550 Pts; 6. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 527 Points; 7. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, FAN), 514 Pts; 8. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, HON), 386 Pts; 9. Valentin Guillod (SUI, HON), 329 Pts; 10. Brian Bogers (NED, FAN), 295 Pts.

Main Photo: MXGP Start Turkiye 2023

Bottom Photos: 1. Tim Gajser ; 2. Kevin Horgmo

The MXGP of Switzerland presented by iXS proved to be a crucial one for Kay de Wolf, who secured his seventh GP win of the season, and saw his teammate Lucas Coenen lose massive ground with seventh overall.  This makes the gap between them 61 points, more than a maximum score over a GP weekend.  In fact, if De Wolf scores a maximum in Türkiye, and Coenen fails to score completely, then the World Championship will go to the Dutchman here, if he also gains 16 more points on Laengenfelder! 

There is little to say about either man’s record at the Afyon Motor Sports Center, as Kay did not race here last year, and Lucas scored just nine points across all three races!  The 2024 red plate holder did just miss the podium in 2022, and was top ten across all four races in 2021.  Neither rider raced here during their EMX careers.

In contrast, Simon Laengenfelder took the first race victory in Türkiye last season, but a sixth in race two denied him a chance of the overall podium. The German still sits third in the Championship after his win in race two at Frauenfeld, and is mathematically still able to be Champion, but it’s looking unlikely.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammates Liam Everts and Reigning MX2 World Champion Andrea Adamo have both been on the podium in recent races, although they still have Mikkel Haarup of Monster Energy Triumph Racing between them in the points standings, sitting in fifth, 11 ahead of Adamo. Liam took his third career GP win here last season through consistent 3-2 finishes, with Adamo 9-5 as he defended his Championship lead.

Nobody else lining up in MX2 this weekend has won a GP in Türkiye, as Tom Vialle won each of the three GPs before Everts’ success.  With Jorge Prado winning in 2019, it means that the Red Bull KTM team has taken the last five MX2 GP winner’s trophies away from Afyonkarahisar!

The amazing action of MX2 is likely to continue in Türkiye as the season starts to reach its conclusion and those team contracts start to get signed up!

MX2 - World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 831 Points; 2.  Lucas Coenen (BEL, HUS), 770 Pts;  3. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 727 Points;  4. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 681 Pts; 5. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, TRI), 581 Pts; 6. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 570 Pts;  7. Rick Elzinga (NED, YAM), 511 Pts; 8. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 456 Pts; 9. Camden McLellan (RSA, TRI), 337 Pts; 10. Ferruccio Zanchi (ITA, HON), 317 Pts.

Main Photo: MX2 Start Turkiye 2023

Bottom Photos: 1. Kay de Wolf ; 2. Liam Everts

Don’t miss your chance to watch the MXGP of Türkiye this weekend on MXGP-TV.com!

All the photos from the MXGP of Türkiye will be available HERE.

You can find the complete results HERE.

TIMETABLE 

SATURDAY: 9:30 WMX Free practice, 10:00 EMX250 Free practice, 10:30 MX2 Free practice, 11:00 MXGP Free practice, 12:30 WMX Qualifying practice, 13:05 EMX250 Qualifying Practice, 13:40 MX2 Time Practice, 14:15 MXGP Time Practice, 15:00 WMX Race 1, 15:45 EMX250 Race 1, 16:35 MX2 RAM Qualifying Race, 17:25 MXGP RAM Qualifying Race.

SUNDAY: 09:45 WMX Race 2, 10:25 MX2 Warm-up, 10:45 MXGP Warm-up, 11:30 EMX250 Race 2, 13:15 MX2 Race 1, 14:15 MXGP Race 1, 16:10 MX2 Race 2, 17:10 MXGP Race 2.

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

FIM Europe

Afyonkarahisar

MONACO (Principality of Monaco) 5 September 2024 – Infront Moto Racing is thrilled to announce the online release of issue #131 of the MXGP Magazine! This edition brings you all the latest action and exclusive content from the world of motocross.

Our Rider of the Month is none other than Jeffrey Herlings. Despite a challenging start to the season, Herlings has demonstrated his resilience and skill with a remarkable series of victories and incredible comebacks in the latest races. His performance has earned him a well-deserved spot on our cover!

In this issue's Racing Catch Up, we recap the most exciting moments from the recent rounds in Sweden, The Netherlands, and Switzerland, highlighting the best of the three events and the standout performances from the riders.

Our Special Feature this month focuses on Ducati, as they make their first appearance in the MXGP scene, offering readers an inside look at this iconic brand's entry into the world of motocross.

Additionally, don't miss our Podcast with Moto3 rider Tatsu Suzuki, who visited us in Maggiora for an exclusive recording session, sharing his insights and experiences from the MotoGP circuit.

The Vintage Bike section takes a nostalgic turn, featuring the iconic 1994 Vertemati ridden by motocross legend Joel Smets, while our Hall of Fame pays tribute to Thomas Traversini, celebrating his outstanding contributions to the sport.

All this and more awaits you in the 131st edition of MXGP Magazine, available for FREE on the Apple Store or Google Play. Read it HERE!

Users who have already downloaded other issues on their iOS device can automatically download the new issue by opening the News Stand and clicking on the cover of the MXGP Mag. Readers using an Android device can download the magazine for free using this app: http://bit.ly/IssuuOnAndroid.

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

MXGP Mag Issue 131
 

It isn’t often you see Red Bull KTM Factory rider Jeffrey Herlings settling, but with a huge points disadvantage and both Tim Gajser and Jorge Prado ahead of him, and just three rounds remaining, “The Bullet” is realistic and knows that winning the 2024 MXGP championship is probably not going to happen.

Having won five World title already and losing two or three due to injuries, you can feel for the Dutchman, but he is satisfied just to end the season in one piece and enjoy these final three rounds in Türkiye, China and Spain.

“I am already third in the championship,” Herlings said. “I have a big advantage over Calvin in the points, like 200 points or something. For me third place is almost safe, and its just a shame. I had a DNF, two or three start crashes and luck has not been on my side. I have had some real bad starts, that didn’t help. Over the complete year, for sure the last couple of months, I have matched the speed of Jorge and Tim. I am really close, but I need some luck.”

Sweden last weekend saw the KTM man finish with 2-2 results and second overall. Consistent and good speed didn’t win him the Grand Prix, and now he looks forward to the next rounds and looking at trying to get his sixth World title in 2025.

“Both times once I got the second, the bird was gone. I had the speed, I had the speed all day to win, but it doesn't bring me anything, you know! So anyway, two-two on a track, I'd say I don't fancy so much, it's not too bad. So, no, I mean, this is the track last year I struggled the most and now this year I felt like my bike setup was much better my riding was good I was really at good speed so yeah just couldn't get out of start like almost always so you know it is like it is but looking forward to Türkiye and China I think those tracks for the inside gates will suit me a bit better so looking forward to them”

As for Türkiye, Herlings is yet to lose there, and although he has missed the last two years there, he will arrive at that beautiful country with confidence and the goal to stay undefeated. He also won in China in 2019 and feels as though he will have a great chance to take victory again in Asia, after leaving Indonesia a couple of months ago with the win in Lombok II.

“I have never lost in Türkiye. I won there in 2018, I won there twice in 2019, and I won in 2021 twice, so I have won four out of four in Turkiye and I won the only race we have done in China.”

Whatever happens in these final three rounds, you can be sure Herlings will return in 2025, excited and happy to have finished a full season without injury, something that has hardly ever happened in his very successful career.

Photo Credit : Ray Archer