Red Bull KTM Factory Racing journeyed to a hot and demanding Shanghai for the second-ever Grand Prix of China and to the impressive Shanghai International Off-road Circuit where Jeffrey Herlings jumped back onto the MXGP podium with 3rd overall. In MX2 Andrea Adamo took a top five finish in the condensed event due to weather warnings in the region. Words: Red bull KTM
- MXGP flies to China for the first time since 2019 and Jeffrey Herlings uses his factory KTM 450 SX-F to record a 3-4 scorecard – despite a rib injury – and collects his fourteenth podium result of the season
- Andrea Adamo pushes hard around the fast hard-packed course and through the half-day format to score 6th and 5th positions for 5th overall in MX2
- Liam Everts earns a 4th from the first moto but then crashes in the second and suffers a neck injury and ranks 9th on the day. Sacha Coenen misses the trip to the orient to focus on recovery from his upper thigh problem
- The twentieth and final round of MXGP will take place at a new Grand Prix venue in Cozar, Spain in two weeks and for the fourth and last event on the Iberian Peninsula this season
The second MXGP at the Shanghai International Off-road Circuit was reduced to a one-day format due to adverse weather conditions. A typhoon warning in the region obliged qualification and races to be shifted from the Sunday/Monday schedule to just Sunday morning and with a single Free/Timed Practice session to decide the start gate in place of the usual RAM Qualification heat. The site itself is modern and primed for world championship racing and houses a long, quick and hard-pack track featuring a loose and sandy top layer of terrain.
Jeffrey Herlings was the only member of the Red Bull KTM rider roster with experience of the 2019 Chinese Grand Prix but the Dutchman was dealing with painful cracked ribs and the burn to his arm after his crash in Turkey last weekend. Herlings managed P5 in Timed Practice for the gate. Liam Everts was 3rd quickest while and Andrea Adamo was 8th fastest in MX2. Sacha Coenen was forced to miss the long trip east to concentrate further on recovery and rehab from his upper thigh injury.
In the first MXGP race Herlings moved up from a top six position on the first lap to grab 3rd by the flag. In the second moto he also cautiously built his speed and recovered ground to place 4th and ensured his fourteenth trophy of the campaign. Everts battled for the top three in the first MX2 moto and was narrowly beaten to the line by championship leader Kay de Wolf. In the second moto he crashed awkwardly after a mid-race tangle and needed hospital treatment for a cervical injury. The extent of the damage and Liam’s planned recouperation will be updated through KTM Factory Racing social media channels. Andrea Adamo was pushing to get away from the gate in P12 but regained positions for a solid 6-5 on the day.
Herlings is 3rd in the MXGP World Championship and sits 48 points behind new leader Jorge Prado after Tim Gajser had a technical issue in the first moto. He trails Gajser by 41 with a maximum of 60 points up for grabs this season. Herlings has already confirmed a top three ranking for 2024.
Everts is 4th in the MX2 table while Adamo holds 6th and Coenen 8th. The series finale, the Grand Prix of Castilla la Mancha, will take place on September 28-29 and will be followed by the Motocross of Nations at Matterley Basin in the UK.
Jeffrey Herlings, 3rd and 4th for 3rd overall in MXGP: “The silly crash in Turkey meant I broke two ribs and although I could ride today it was anything but nice! The championship was out of the picture so I just wanted to do what I could and go home safely. It was a short trip and tough for the body but I’m a big fan of the one-day format. It’s been good to come here. It’s a world championship so we should be here and it’s positive for the brands. It was a good event and the track was nice. My ultimate goal was to finish the season this year and go the whole way for the first time since 2017 without missing one race and we’re almost there.”
Andrea Adamo, 6th and 5th for 5th overall in MX2: “The weekend was OK but the plans changed a lot and the one-day format was strange and meant everyone had to adapt. I prefer the two days and it was hot and a lot to deal with in one morning here. Anyway, not too bad, not amazing and we’ll focus on getting better in Spain and ending the season strongly.”
Image: Red Bull KTM / Ray Archer
