MX Grand Prix Preview
Brazil
The FIM Motocross World Championship has crossed the Atlantic ocean to celebrate the seventh Grand Prix of the 2013 season in the beautiful and spectacular facilities of Beto Carrero, the biggest amusement park in Latin America located in the south of Brazil.
The Brazilian MXGP
will be the third overseas event of the season and the spectators will be able
to see one more time the MX1 and MX2 riders racing together in SuperFinal,
where Jeffrey Herlings will give his best to finish among the top three of the
race.
The FIM has recently informed that from this Grand Prix until the rest of the
season the obligation for a rider to achieve a time equal to at lest 108% of
the average time of the top 10 recorded during the Pre-Qualifying Practice is
suspended on a provisional basis and the Race Direction is entitled and encouraged
to prevent any riders whose performance in the practices does not match the
average competition level from participating in the event.
MX1
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli is looking forward to taking
part in the Brazilian Grand Prix and racing in the spectacular lay out of the
track, which is surrounded by several grandstands that give the impression of
racing in a stadium. Cairoli lands in Brazil being the leader of the MX1 series
but having missed the overall victory from the likes of Gautier Paulin in the
last two events, so the Italian is thirst of victory and determined to improve
his last year’s eighth position.
Second in the MX1 standings keeps on being Kawasaki Racing Team’s Gautier
Paulin, but after his last two consecutive Grand Prix victories he has reduced
his difference with Cairoli and he is now 38 points behind the Italian. Paulin
has admitted that he is feeling better than ever and a proof of that are not
only the results, but also the way he raced against Cairoli and Desalle
imposing an incredible rhythm.
Rockstar Energy Suzuki World’s Clement Desalle, who was the red plate holder
after the first Grand Prix of the season, is currently third in the standings
15 points behind Paulin. In the last two Grand Prix, the Belgian rider has been
riding with the front group always fighting for the top three positions, but
the consequences of the big crash he suffered in the last lap of the Portuguese
Grand Prix might make him struggle this weekend. Desalle managed to finish the race
and ended on the third step of the podium, but he has not been able to train
with his bike until Tuesday even if he had no major injury from the crash.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Ken De Dycker has lost consistency in the last
Grand Prix and he knows that he really needs to do well this weekend in Brazil.
The Belgian rider was second in the MX1 standings after the MXGP of Trentino,
but after the races in Bulgaria and Portugal he has dropped down to the fourth
position of the Championship. However, De Dycker is confident that he can do
well this weekend even if he finished out of the top ten last year in Beto
Carrero.
Rockstar Energy Suzuki World’s Kevin Strijbos holds the fifth position of the
MX1 point standings thanks to his consistent results, being his second position
in the first race in Bulgaria his highlight of the season so far. Strijbos is
determined to do well this weekend and try to obtain his first podium finish of
the season.
Tommy Searle is getting more and more used to his new 450cc and he is now sixth
in the point standings just three points behind Strijbos. The British rider is
looking forward to racing this weekend at Beto Carrero because it is a track
where he succeeded to finish on the top of the podium last year.
Max Nagl, who missed the first two Grand Prix of the season due to a stomach
problem, is getting his speed and his rhythm back and he is looking forward to
racing again for the top three positions. The German is seventh in the MX1
classification and he is followed by Rui Gonçalves and David Philippaerts.
Jeremy Van Horebeek is completing the top ten.
Evgeny Bobryshev has travelled to Brazil to take part in the Brazilian Grand
Prix, but everything will depend on how he will feel on Saturday, as he still
has some pain from his fractured fibula.
Home rider Wellington Garcia is one of best Brazilian riders of the moment and
this weekend he will major his talent with the best MX riders in the world.
Currently, Garcia is leading the National series, so his main goal is to finish
among the top ten this weekend.
2012 MX1 Podium
1. Christophe Pourcel
2. David Philippaerts
3. Kevin Strijbos
2012 MX1 POLEMAN: Antonio
Cairoli
All the Grand Prix Photos will be available here
MX2
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s
Jeffrey Herlings is focused on keep on winning all the MX2 heats, but this
weekend he has an additional challenge which is finishing among the top three
in the SuperFinal. In the previous Grand Prix Herlings’ lap times were faster
than the MX1 riders, but the Dutch rider knows that the start will be crucial
for him to be fighting for the top positions. In any case, Herlings is
confident as he is now leading the MX2 championship with a comfortable 81
points advantage.
His teammate Jordi Tixier missed the podium in Portugal for just one point, but
he is still second in the championship, 36 points ahead of Glenn Coldenhoff.
Tixier had a difficult Grand Prix last year in Brazil, but he is determined to
do well this weekend and finish on the podium once again.
Standing Construct KTM´s Glenn Coldenhoff keeps on being third in the point
standings, but he needs to be more consistent if he wants to keep Jose Butrón
behind him, as the Spanish rider is just five points behind the Belgian.
Coldenhoff has showed several times that he has the speed to be fighting for
the top positions – he was fourth in the second heat in Portugal – but he lacks
consistency to finish on the podium.
Fourth in the MX2 championship is KTM Silver Action’s Jose Butrón, who is
travelling to Brazil with the good memories from last year in Beto Carrero when
he obtained his maiden MX2 podium. This year the Spanish rider has already been
on the third step of the podium in three occasions and he mentioned in Portugal
that it is time now for him to start fighting to finish second.
Monster Energy Yamaha’s Christophe Charlier has been trying to finish on the
podium since the beginning of the season, but his best result has been an
overall fourth place. Last year Charlier succeeded in finishing second in the
Grand Prix of Brazil, so he might be able to finish among the top three this
weekend and improve his fifth position in the championship.
Dean Ferris arrives in Brazil fully motivated to do well because he got all his
confidence back in Portugal when he finished on the second step of the podium.
The Australian started the season on the podium in Qatar, but an injury forced
him to stay away from the tracks for several weeks. At the moment Ferris is
fully fit and determined to be back among the top three of the MX2
championship.
Max Anstie is another rider who could be fighting for the top positions at
every Grand Prix, but there is always something that stops him from finishing
at the top. At the moment Anstie is seventh in the standings, followed by Jake
Nicholls and Alessandro Lupino. Mel Pocock is completing the top ten of the MX2
class.
2012 MX2 Podium
1. Tommy Searle
2. Christophe Charlier
3. Jose Butrón
2012 MX2 POLEMAN: Jeffrey
Herlings
All the Grand Prix Photos will be available here
