MXGP
MXGP – #1 – Jorge Prado: “I am super happy how everything is going right now. Honestly this weekend has gone so well – I feel good about the bike, and we made some key improvements from last year. I feel like a better rider now than I ever have before – and I’m super happy to leave Argentina with the red plate and the win. Starting the season on the right foot is fantastic. I want to say a huge thankyou to all my team at RedBull GASGAS Factory Racing, as well as everyone beyond me – my trainer, my family – everyone that is putting work into this! Let’s keep rolling and gain more results like this!”
Romain Febvre: “I’m happy to start the season like this; I didn’t have any specific expectation coming here. I tried to close the gap to Jorge five laps from the end of the second moto but the track was getting really rough by then and I nearly went over the bars; a lot of guys got hurt this weekend and experience told me “it’s enough”. I didn’t win a moto but I was fast both days; this is the first time I’ve been on the podium here and I have ended the weekend just three points from the red plate. It’s important to stay consistent all year and not make any mistakes. I’ve been trying a few new things the last few weeks and I think I have found the best way to work; now we fly back to Europe and I’ll continue to work on my physical condition for Spain.”
Tim Gajser: “I am very happy with my riding today and to win two of the three races over the weekend is a good way to start the season. I probably rushed a bit too much in the first race and made that mistake but it was good to be able to make some passes and get back up to fifth. Then in race two, I got a much better start and was able to control the race and that is a nice feeling on what is quite a difficult track. Now we have Spain coming up and I hope to go for the win there as well.”
Pauls Jonass: “3-4=4th overall at the MXGP of Argentina. Happy with the riding and feeling on the bike. Thanks to the Standing Construct team and all supporters! We will keep working.”
Maxime Renaux: “It’s been a really tough weekend here in Argentina. I was not 100% but as always, I pushed as hard as I could. It was a pity to have a small crash early on in race two, but I finished strong, and I know I can be better. With everything considered, I’m happy with my weekend and I’m glad to finish round one with good points.”
Jeremy Seewer: “This weekend was better than any other on the 450 since we’ve been coming here so that alone is a really positive start to the season. I started quite slowly yesterday but the second moto today was good. I was good out of the gate but I got squeezed a little at the first turn or I might even have taken the holeshot. I came here looking for my rhythm, nothing crazy, and the first three were gone, but I was right there on speed for top four. I still have plenty to learn on the new bike but I made no mistakes, no crashes, just steady so I’m happy to go home with this result and look forward to the tracks in Europe where we set up the bike. We have a lot more to show with this bike!”
Glenn Coldenhoff: “Despite the start of the weekend being a bit slow, in the end we found solutions for the race. I was 12th in Saturday’s qualifying race because of a collision on the first lap. On Sunday, there was quite some action, I was 6th in the first moto while in the second one I didn’t feel comfortable, I couldn’t push and I just couldn’t feel it. I finished 8th which is not what we are working for but still, I am happy because it’s a very sketchy track and not one of my favourites. We will take both results and look forward to the Spanish GP because I know I can do very well there. I’m very motivated and I’m very happy with the bike and the team.”
Jeffrey Herlings, 8th and 7th for 8th overall in MXGP: “It is what it is today. Not too bad but we also gave away some points. We qualified 6th and had an 8th and 7th today. Not where we want to be but hopefully we’ll be better in Spain because I won there last year and also in 2021. I think the track will suit me more, better than this one, which was quite sketchy. It’s nice to watch here but tricky for racing.”
Calvin Flanders: “I’m not overly happy with my weekend as I struggled a little bit with arm pump yesterday and in race one today. I’m just missing some race time, really, and a bit of speed, but that will come in time. Things improved as the weekend went on and I’m really happy with my bike and its set-up. There are plenty of positives to take away from this weekend, so I’m focusing on those as we move on to round two.”
Ruben Fernandez: “I’m really disappointed to miss this round, but it was the right decision as I wasn’t really healthy enough to ride at the level I want to. I could have probably tried but I wanted to be smart and the season is long so the plan is to be ready for Spain in a couple of weeks, which is a home GP for me and one I always look forward to.”
MX2
#74 – Wolf Kay: “It’s really nice to have the red plate on my bike at this stage of the season – even though it maybe doesn’t mean much, with so many races to go with 19 rounds, but I’m really happy with that. I was struggling in the beginning of the weekend, but I kept improving – which is something that we focused on during winter training; doing long motos and then going for a sprint in the end. Overall it was a positive weekend, and all the hard work paid off. Winning a GP is amazing of course and now I’m looking forward to heading to Spain now and battling for more wins.”
MX2 – #516 – Simon Längenfelder: “I was feeling great all weekend. At a track like this – and a venue like this – with all the beautiful nature surrounding the venue; it’s a great place to come. I really enjoyed riding here this weekend! The first race was a bit better than the second I would say. I just took my time to work through the pack and get the win. In the second moto it was a little more tricky. After the halfway point of the race, the track got a bit sketchy. We made solid preparations over the winter – and I think they are paying off now. Riding motocross is the best thing there is, so I’m just enjoying it!”
Mikkel Haarup: “Yeah, it’s been a really amazing start to the season! A podium is perfect and a great way to start the year for myself, and Monster Energy Triumph Racing. My qualifying race was not so good, but I knew that I had the speed to run in the top three today. All through the off-season we have been building and building and what we’ve achieved today is the result of a lot of hard work by everyone involved. I felt comfortable on the bike all weekend and that was really important on a tricky track like this. Today we’ve shown what this bike is capable of and overall, I’m really happy with my performance.”
Thibault Benistant: “All weekend I haven’t felt 100% and today was a little frustrating. My first race went well, but between races I didn’t feel good at all. Then I had a bad start to race two and it took me a while to get going and find a good rhythm. But, finishing in the top five is a good result for a bad day, so now it’s onto round two.”
Andrea Adamo, 8th and 5th for 5th overall in MX2: “So-so weekend. We showed some pretty good speed on Saturday but things were not really on-point today. We need to work on a few areas but this is only the first Grand Prix of twenty. We have to keep building and aim for improvement every race. We want to fight for podiums and wins so the goal is to be closer to that in Spain.”
Ferruccio Zanchi: “It was a good start for me with Team HRC, and I’m very happy to be leaving with sixth overall. Even though my starts weren’t the best, I made a lot of passes throughout the weekend which really builds my confidence and it was good to be consistent across the three motos. I am already looking forward to Spain in a couple of weeks, where hopefully I will continue with this kind of riding.”
MX2 – #28 – Marc-Antoine Rossi:“I have just finished my first MX2 World Championship race here in Argentina, which was also the first overseas race of my career, and what an experience! Starting from Saturday, I placed 1st in free practice, 3rd in time practice, and 6th in qualifying. On race day in Moto one, I started at the front, leading the race for almost 20 minutes. A small mistake cost me a top 3 finish, and I ended up 4th. Moto2 was challenging; I started in the top 10 and made a comeback, but at one point, I felt tired and didn’t push any further, finishing 12th for a 6th overall. Not a bad start at all. Thanks to the entire Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing team for supporting me from day one. Time to head back and train in Spain!”
Sacha Coenen, 6th and 10th for 8th overall in MX2: “The weekend was quite OK. Not the best but my speed was OK and my feeling also. We just need to put all the things together at once for the right result. My starts were good and that was very positive. We’ll keep fighting for what we know we can achieve.”
Camden McLellan: “That’s the weekend wrapped up in Argentina and it’s safe to say that there were a lot of nerves and a lot of excitement all weekend. The track was really rough, but my bike felt dialled all day and I’m happy to be going home healthy. It’s been a great day for the team with Mikkel getting up on the podium, so I’m pleased for him and everyone at Monster Energy Triumph Racing. See you in Spain!”
Rick Elzinga: “I’m happy to complete round one, especially after only three weeks on the bike before this race. I feel like my level of riding was pretty good and each time out on track I felt better and better. I had really good starts all weekend, which is important, and my pace kept improving as well. I’m happy with my consistency and I’m looking forward to building on this result.”
#96 – Lucas Coenen: “So the weekend didn’t go as planned, that’s for sure. On Saturday, I was P2 in free practice and then secured pole in the timed practice. Overall, I had good speed. In the first moto, the start was good – I was in P3 and managed to take the lead. But before even half a lap had passed, in the blink of an eye, the front washed away in a corner. I felt like I hurt my wrist really badly – and although I tried to continue, the pain was really bad. I pulled out of the race and worked with the physio to get it fixed. I told myself that if I wanted to be a title contender, I needed to do the second moto regardless of the pain. Unfortunately, three corners before the end, the bike slid away from me again. With the speed I had, I could have been P1, but I will put this behind me and focus on the rest of the season.”
Jack Chambers: “Most important is that I’m healthy. This was a tough track, particularly as I’ve been riding a lot of deep sand tracks with ruts to turn on in Florida; nothing like this. I need to work on the starts; I was coming from the back in both motos. I feel my fitness is way better than last year but I haven’t raced since the Nations last October; I was just missing the race craft and felt a bit of nerves. But we have a good base moving forward. We fly to Madrid tomorrow; I’ll be ready for that one so I’ll be looking for redemption in Spain.”
Andrea Bonacorsi: “This is my first time racing here in Argentina and it’s quite a fast and tricky track. But it was a good learning experience, and this year is all about learning for me. I’m not overly happy with my performance but we’ll keep working and focus on the upcoming races.”
David Braceras: “The first GP is over. Saturday was my first race after my injury and, despite being a bit tight, it was a solid day as I finished 13th in the qualifying race. On Sunday I felt much better. The first moto didn’t start well but I got to tenth place in the first lap, then I dropped a little bit because of a crash and I couldn’t get up fast. I finished 21st. Second moto didn’t start well either, but I felt much bette r after a change on the suspensions and I finished in 13th place. I was close to the top ten so it’s positive even if it’s not where I want to be but step by step we’ll get there.”
Bobby Bruce: “It was tough but we enjoyed it. This was my first race since June last year. The weekend started off good with P10 in practice and I was up there in Qualifying but I had a crash first lap and lost the rear brake. In the first race today I was running sixteenth but crashed, and and I was P13 for a long time in the second moto but I just couldn’t hold on to it. But we leave here healthy and I’m looking forward to Madrid.”
Lead Image: GasGas MXGP/Juan Pablo Acevedo
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