New Finnish adventures for Honda HRC duo, as Gajser rides again

Ruben Fernandez and Valerio Lata head to the new KymiRing circuit near Kouvola, Finland this weekend for the 13^th round of the 2025 MXGP World Championship, excited to get back in action after a couple of weekends off.

This was the first time in 2025 that there were two weekends off in a row, so the riders and team members have been catching up on a much-needed break, just to recuperate from the gruelling schedule and recharge their batteries for the last eight rounds of the series.

And for the second time this year, it will be a brand-new venue for the riders to perform on, with the motor-racing complex of the KymiRing stepping up to the plate. The track itself has been made within the boundaries of the road-racing circuit and initial reports have suggested it will be a sandy terrain, which is sure to really test the skills of the Honda HRC duo.

For Fernandez, although it was a shame to have a break after his excellent fourth overall in Great Britain, it was also good timing so he can properly recover from the crash he suffered in Germany and allow himself a bit of a break from the demands of world championship level racing. Now though, he is raring to go and try and fight for the podium spots once more and close the gap to third place in the standings, which is currently just 28 points.

This break was also good for Lata who was on the nasty end of another riders’ mistake at Matterley Basin and had to fight through the pain in both motos to score any points. The 19 days since those motos have been utilised to full effect, with physio and rest a high priority so that the youngster will be ready for this round in Finland. Thankfully, things have gone well and with it being a new track for everyone, it gives the #18 a chance to rediscover the form that he was showing before these past couple of unlucky events.

There has also been good news for injured teammate Tim Gajser, who received some positive news from his medical team about his return to action. After receiving the news, Gajser has since ridden his Honda CRF450R for the first time and the session went really well. Of course, there is still some work before the #243 will be back at the races but this was a big step for the five-time world champion.

Things aren’t so bright for the fourth member of Honda HRC, Ferruccio Zanchi, who injured himself in Germany and has been on the sidelines since. After the last set of check-ups, it has now been determined that surgery is necessary on his knee, which means the Italian will miss the remainder of the 2025 MX2 campaign. It is a bitter blow for the #73, who showed such promise early on in the season with a moto win and podium in Cozar, Spain, but who now must focus on recovery so that he’ll be ready for 2026.

TIMETABLE

SATURDAY: 09:30 EMX125 Free Practice, 10:00 EMX250 Free Practice, 10:30 MX2 Free Practice, 11:00 MXGP Free Practice, 11:30 Onboard Camera, 12:20 EMX125 Qualifying Practice, 13:00 EMX250 Qualifying Practice, 13:40 MX2 Time Practice, 14:15 MXGP Time Practice, 15:00 EMX125 Race 1, 15:45 EMX250 Race 1, 16:35 MX2 Qualifying Race, 17:25 MXGP Qualifying Race.

SUNDAY: 09:40 EMX125 Race 2, 10:25 MX2 Warm-up, 10:45 MXGP Warm-up, 11:30 EMX250 Race 2, 13:15 MX2 Race 1, 14:15 MXGP Race 1, 16:10 MX2 Race 2, 17:10 MXGP Race 2.