Read what a host of MXGP riders had to say about their weekend at the MXGP of Turkiye.
MXGP
Jorge Prado: “I really needed this victory. I was so unlucky in the first moto, my pants opened on the first lap, and then in the last ten minutes the lens came off the frame of my goggles. It’s a shame to have so much bad luck when it was a moto think I could have made passes and gone for the win. Then I came back strong in the second moto with a strong start. I made a little mistake and Gajser passed me – but I reacted straight away to regain position. We gained more points this weekend, and that is the goal right now. Let’s go on to the last two rounds of the season – to make a last big push, and see how it ends!”
Tim Gajser: “After winning the qualification race I was excited to go racing today, but I didn’t quite have the same feeling on the track today. What they did overnight didn’t really make the track better and it was very one-lined and I couldn’t make the pass in that second race. Still, I can’t be too disappointed as I’m still leading the championship with two rounds remaining and I’m confident I can get the job done. A big thanks to all the team for all their effort and we’ll keep building for China next weekend.”
Jeremy Seewer: “With a start like that it always makes life easier. I’ve been feeling good all weekend but I even surprised myself today; those top-three have been so fast this year so to beat them was an achievement. I took the holeshot in race one and soon got a gap so I could relax and play with the track. I kept pushing for half the race, then I could move into cruise mode to control the race. My riding was good in the second race too but I got squeezed after the gate and had to ride through the pack. I almost caught Glenn, which would have given me P2 overall, but the most important success this weekend was that moto win; We’ve been working for this and the hard work finally paid off.”
Romain Febvre: “At the start of the first race another rider hit me and I crashed in the start straight; I was dead-last and came back pretty well with a good speed, but on this track it’s so difficult to pass that I lost time just to come back in the top-ten. Then it was more difficult, even if my lap times were just one second slower than the leaders even while I was behind other riders. It’s a shame as I was sure that a good result was possible, and I used a lot of energy in this comeback. Second moto my start was good; I was immediately fourth and I was able to follow the leaders for the first ten minutes but then they made the gap.”
Maxime Renaux: “It was a bittersweet day for me today. I had a very good first race to finish second, but then early on in Race Two I fell and my chance for a podium was gone. But overall, I’m happy about my weekend and finishing second in the first race is really positive. Now it’s onto China next weekend.”
Jeffrey Herlings: “I believe Jorge, Tim and me were the fastest guys this weekend but they both finished on the podium and I crashed in the first moto and lost a lot of time, as well as burning my arm on the exhaust. In was in quite some pain. I had to come from last for P10. I managed to be good in the second moto but it was almost impossible to pass on this track. We just followed each other. No podium today. I’m looking forward to China. The season is coming to an end and two races to go. Realistically the championship is going to be very difficult but we’ll do what we can.”
Glenn Coldenhoff: “The weekend didn’t start well; I had a huge crash in free practice and was really sore. I could barely walk, but we did some checks, and fortunately, there was no major damage. It was still really hard to bend my knee, especially on Saturday. Finishing 12th in the qualifying race wasn’t ideal going into Sunday’s races. I had to start far on the outside, as they closed a lot of gates on the inside with fewer riders here. It was tough to get a good start, but I managed it pretty well. I had to take some painkillers because my knee and also my neck hurt a lot in warm-up, so in the end, going 6-5 in the races was pretty good. I would have signed up for that result straight away after yesterday. I felt I had decent speed. In the past two weeks, we worked a lot on the bike, especially on the suspension, and I felt like it helped me out big time. I think we took a big step forward and can be happy. It was quite a positive weekend – in terms of the bike, speed and my riding. That boosts my confidence going into China, where I got a moto win and second overall the last time we raced there. We still have two more chances to get on the podium this season, plus the Motocross of Nations, of course.”
Andrea Bonacorsi: “I’ve had a really good weekend here in Turkey. I felt good on the bike and my riding was good, so it’s been quite decent. I had a great first race to finish fifth and then I was running fifth for a long time in Race Two until my footpeg hit a rock in a deep rut and it damaged it. I could still ride but not how I would have liked, so I dropped to eighth for eighth overall.”
Ruben Fernandez: “Difficult day today, although I had some good speed in that first race before the crash, riding in sixth place until the very last lap. That was disappointing and I think that affected me a bit in race two but I kept fighting as much as I could and 10th overall is still okay and something I can build upon. Without that crash, it would have been a really good day, but even with it, I can take a lot of positives from the weekend and I am looking forward to China and seeing what I can do there and trying to finish this season strong.”
Mattia Guadagnini: “This weekend was all about staying consistent and pushing through. In the first moto, I struggled a bit to break into the top 10 but managed a solid 12th place, earning important points. I knew I had to step it up in the second moto, and I was able to improve, finishing 10th. It’s not where I wanted to be, but I’m happy with the progress and points. Now, I’m looking forward to giving my all in China and finishing the season strong!”
Image: GasGas / Juan Pablo Acevedo
