Gajser with second gate pick for MXGP of Lombardia
Team HRC’s Tim Gajser came through the field to record a second place finish in the qualification race at the MXGP of Lombardia on what was a hard and bumpy Mantova track. Brian Bogers also battled through to a 15th finish as both riders made numerous passes as the rain stayed away here in Italy. Unfortunately storms are forecast overnight so the riders could very well wake up to a totally different track for the races tomorrow but both riders are confident that they will be able to pilot their Honda CRF450RWs to some good finishes whatever the conditions.
For Gajser, second place was a fair reflection on the day after he set the fastest lap in timed practice. He didn’t get the best jump out of the gate in the qualification race though and that meant he spent the first few laps working his way through the pack, but he did so with good speed and racecraft to make sure he had a good gate pick for the races. First place was a little out of reach by the time he did make it into second but he knows that with a better start, he can easily follow up his victory at the MXGP of Trentino, with another victory here, just like he managed in 2016.
Like many riders, Bogers was surprised at just how hard pack the track was in places and he believes that a bit of rain might make the race track a better surface for passing as more lines will develop. As it stands, he’ll be looking to repeat his top 10 race result from Pietramurata at the last round and begin a solid run of consistent results in these next few rounds.
Races begin tomorrow on Sunday 12th May at 14:15 local time for the MXGP class, after a morning warm up at 10:45am.
Tim Gajser 243
It was a good day today, being fastest in the timed practice and then finishing second in the qualification race. I didn’t get the best start though and by the time I worked my way into second place, there was quite a big gap to first place. I then tried to find some fast lines and just get a good rhythm on this surface which is different than usual. The track has harder bumps than the last time we came here, when it was definitely a lot softer. Maybe if it rains tomorrow it will help make the track develop some more lines which will allow some more passing. I think the start will be crucial though and if I get a couple of good ones, I believe I can get my Honda CRF450RW up to the front.
Brian Bogers 5
I found it hard today to get going after first getting on the track at 1pm, which is quite late. The results were pretty close in timed practice and although I was in 16th, I was just over a second away from the top 10 so I knew it would be a tight qualification race. Unfortunately I didn’t get a good start so I had to work through and I thought I rode well for the first five minutes. Then I got a little bit of arm pump and I ended up finishing 15th, which wasn’t great but it is okay for tomorrow when the real points are on the line.
Marcus Pereira de Freitas
It was good to see Tim show his speed again after this long break in the schedule. He is riding with real confidence and it was great to see him post the fastest time in timed practice. He wasn’t quite able to reach that level in the qualification race but we know that tomorrow is a new day and we still believe he can close the gap at the top of the MXGP championship even further. Unfortunately Brian has to recover from a bad start and that really made it a difficult race for him because the track was so hard to pass on. Hopefully he’ll get out of the gate better tomorrow and repeat his moto result from the last GP when he got ninth.
Qualifying Race
| Pos. | Rider | Num | Nation | Team | Constructor | Time/Gap |
|---|
Rider standings
| Pos. | Rider | Num | Nation | Points | Team | Constructor |
|---|
Location Information
Ottobiano, Province of Pavia, Italy - View in Google Maps
