Claiming two impressive race wins at a fast and rutted Swiss track, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Max Anstie wrapped up round 15 of the Motocross World Championship with his second consecutive MX2 class GP victory. Securing 50 valuable championship points at the GP of Switzerland, he climbed to fourth in the MX2 championship standings.
Following his double moto victory last weekend in Belgium, Anstie made light work of the jump filled track at Frauenfeld – Gachnang to keep his winning streak going in Switzerland. Getting a great start in moto one, the Brit took the lead on lap three and never looked back. Involved in a great battle with Jeremy Seewer in race two, Anstie got the best of the Swiss rider to end the GP in the strongest possible way.
Showing impressive speed around the Swiss track, Anstie’s teammate Thomas Covington made a series of mistakes that forced him to settle for an eventual seventh overall in MX2. Suffering from a crash while battling for fourth in moto one, Thomas went on to cross the line in eighth place. Following a poor start in the second moto the American battled his way from the back of the pack to finish 10th.
Conrad Mewse’s weekend started on a high note, with the youngster claiming the holeshot and leading the qualifying race for its first two laps before he dropped to 35th. Unable to secure a good gate pick for Sunday’s motos Conrad was left with a mountain to climb. Battling hard to overcome two mediocre starts the Brit collected 13/8 results to secure 11th overall at the Swiss GP.
Taking advantage of the summer break in the 2016 Enduro World Championship, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Pascal Rauchenecker made a wildcard ride at the GP of Switzerland and was rewarded with an impressive ninth overall in the MX2 class. Battling hard against the series’ regulars, the FC 250 mounted rider secured fifth in moto one and went on to wrap up the GP with 13th in moto two.
Struggling with a finger injury he picked up during the MXGP qualifying race, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Max Nagl was unable to continue his strong run of form in Switzerland. Spending most of the opening moto in ninth position the German lost a place to Tim Gajser two laps before the end to finish 10th. Getting a poor start in moto two Nagl was 13th at the chequered flag for 12th overall.
The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team will return to action at round 16 of the FIM Motocross World Championship at the GP of The Netherlands on August 27/28.
Max Anstie:
“It was an awesome GP and it felt really nice to get my second overall victory. During the last three weeks we’ve raced in three completely different tracks and to me that makes for a real world championship. We had a great battle with Jeremy in both motos here in Switzerland. In the opening moto I got the lead early on and managed to open a small gap for the win. In the second race it was just me and Jeremy battling it out all the way to the finish. He pushed extra hard in front of his home crowd, so it was great I ended up getting another moto win. Climbing to fourth in the series standings is also good. My plan is to take each of the remaining races separately to collect as many points as I can before the finish of the series.”
Thomas Covington:
“I felt the speed was there for me to get on the podium this weekend. Unfortunately, two not so good starts and a few small crashes held me back from that goal. I got a bad jump out of the gate in moto one, but got some good lines in the first two corners to place myself in seventh. I made a few good passes and was even battling for fourth but a crash dropped me to seventh again. In the second race I got a terrible start and had to battle from the back of the pack. I worked my way from completely last to seventh but then another small mistake meant I had to settle for 10th. Overall, it was good to see I have the speed for the podium. I’m just hoping for some better luck next time out.”
Conrad Mewse:
“There were some positives to take out from this GP. The weekend started with me getting the holeshot and then leading the qualifying race for the first few laps. Unfortunately, I had an issue with the back brake and had to make a pit stop. Not getting a good starting position made my life more difficult for Sunday’s races. In both motos I had to battle from the back of the pack. In moto one I finished 13th. It wasn’t a bad race but I got a bit tired towards the end. I felt a lot better in moto two. I kept fighting to end up eighth for 11th overall at this GP. If my starts were better I believe I could have easily earned a place inside the top five. We continue making steps in the right direction and hopefully I can battle for the top again in Assen.”
Max Nagl:
“It was a difficult weekend for me. I hurt the middle finger on my left hand during Saturday’s qualifying race and it was almost impossible to ride afterwards. For Sunday’s motos I had to tape my two fingers together but I couldn’t get a good feeling with the clutch. I did my best in both motos and I’m happy I managed to salvage a few more points for the championship. My plan is to give my hand some time to rest now, in order to be ready to give 100% again in three weeks time in Assen.”
