Penultimate MXGP of the year sees Team HRC head to China

The 19th round of the 2024 Motocross World Championship, sees the Team HRC trio of Tim Gajser, Ruben Fernandez and Ferruccio Zanchi head to Shanghai, China as the series nears its exciting conclusion. With Gajser currently 14 points up in the standings, he knows that six strong races here and in Spain for the final round, and he’ll seal his sixth world title, but as always, the Slovenian will be hunting for the victory in order to finish the season in style.

This time out, the action will be taking place on Sunday and Monday, giving the riders and all the team members one extra day to prepare themselves and the machines for the ordeals of what should be a hot weekend in the Chinese region. The racing is also scheduled to be one hour earlier (local time) than usual, as is typical with the flyaway events, but neither of these two timetable changes should affect the riders and it’ll be business as usual when the helmets go on.

For Fernandez, the aim is to continue his upwards trajectory since he returned from injury and after another impressive outing in Turkiye, the Spaniard is motivated to keep pushing and make sure that he is as close to 100% as possible by the time the final GP – in his home country – comes around. Now though, his focus is on China and although it’ll be a new experience for him, he will trying to achieve his goal of three good races over the two days.

It’ll also be a new challenge for Zanchi, who is adapting well to life in the world championships. The rookie only missed a couple of early rounds through injury and has since acquitted himself really well to the demands placed upon him in this gruelling calendar. Last time out in Turkiye, he got his first holeshot and although it didn’t go to plan after that, he now knows that it is possible and is another piece in the puzzle that’s been slotted into place.

With temperatures above 30C and possible thunderstorms likely at some point over the two days, all three riders will enter China prepared for anything and motivated to prove a point as the 2024 campaign approaches its conclusion.