After an absence of eight years, the MXGP World Motocross Championship heads to Hyvinkaa, Finland, where Team HRC’s Tim Gajser will be looking to wrap up his fifth world title. Needing just 35 points from the two races, the Honda CRF450R rider will be hoping for more than that, as he looks to add to his 13 race wins, and eight overall GP victories on what has been another outstanding season for the Slovenian.

2014 was the last time the GPs raced the sandy Hyvinkaa surface, with only a few guys remaining from that event. Gajser was one of them as he went three-three for third in the MX2 class, but for teammate Mitch Evans, it will be another completely new experience. The young Australian was at his best last weekend in Sweden, winning the qualification race, and but for a small mistake on lap one of race one, would definitely have been challenging for the podium spots. However, his fourth in race two was his best result of the season and a definite sign that he is getting better and better as the season draws to a close. Including Finland, there are three rounds left and he’ll be hoping to get on the podium in at least one of them, to try and finish this 2022 campaign on a high.

Gajser is also looking to get back to the form that saw him win six of the first seven rounds, and if he replicates that, he’ll be crowned MXGP champion for the fourth time in his career (2016, 2019, 2020) with his total of five titles (2015 MX2), including four in the premier class, moving him into the top four greatest riders of all-time. It would be an amazing accomplishment for a rider who is only 25 years old and with plenty of time ahead of him, his place in the pantheon of greats is only going to get more-established.

First things first though, he still has a job to do this weekend and that involves getting his setup right for a track he hasn’t raced for almost 10 years. First up will be a free practice session at 11:20 on Saturday morning, to get used to the terrain and just make sure the Honda CR450R is performing as it should. Then the pair have to put down a hot-lap in timed practice, to give them a good gate-pick for the Saturday afternoon qualifying session. A good result in that will see them take to the line for the two motos (14:15 and 17:10), where both Gajser and Evans will hopefully be battling for the podium positions.

Tim Gajser 243

It was nice to get onto the podium in Sweden, even if I would have liked to have got the victory. Hopefully the Hyvinkaa track will allow a bit more passing, but it is cool to be going back there after a long absence. In 2014 I got a podium so I’m hoping to do that again, but it’ll feel like a new venue after not riding there in eight years. It’s crazy to think that there are only three rounds left now, so my target is to finish the season strongly and try to put my Honda CRF450R on top of the box as many times as possible.

Mitch Evans 43

Despite my best moto score, I was still a bit disappointed with the overall result, however I’m trying to look at it positively as a sign of how far I’ve come this season. Fourth in race two is now the target to beat and that starts this weekend in Finland, which will be a new track for me but I was riding well in Lommel in the sand so that should be similar to what we’re about to race on this weekend. With six motos left, I really want to get on the podium this year and I’m feeling confident I can make that happen.

Marcus Pereira de Freitas

HRC General Manager - MXGP

After a Saturday in Sweden when we went one-two, the Sunday finishes weren’t quite as good, but we are still happy that both riders performed well in that second moto and have had good preparation for Finland this weekend. It has been a long time since we’ve been there, so it will be a nice challenge for everyone, as sand has produced some really interesting results this year. The aim is to get both riders on the podium and we’ll do everything we can to make that happen.

MXGP 2022

Rider standings

Pos. Rider Num Nation Points Team Constructor
1 Gajser Tim 243 SLO 645 Team HRC - MXGP Honda
2 Seewer Jeremy 91 SWI 530 Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team Yamaha
3 Prado Garcia Jorge 61 SPA 496 Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing GasGas
4 Coldenhoff Glenn 259 NDL 478 Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team Yamaha
5 Renaux Maxime 959 FRA 466 Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team Yamaha
6 Fernandez Ruben 70 SPA 354 Honda 114 Motorsports Honda
7 Bogers Brian 189 NDL 351 Standing Construct Husqvarna Factory Racing Team Husqvarna
8 Vlaanderen Calvin 10 NDL 325 Gebben Van Venrooy Yamaha Racing Yamaha
9 Jonass Pauls LAT 306
10 Evans Mitch 43 AUS 264 Team HRC - MXGP Honda
11 Van Horebeek Jeremy 89 BEL 254 Beta SDM Corse MX Team Beta
12 Watson Ben 919 GBR 243 Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP Kawasaki
13 van Doninck Brent 32 BEL 206 Riley Racing Yamaha
14 Forato Alberto 303 ITA 204 SM Action Racing Team Yuasa Battery GasGas
15 Tixier Jordi 911 FRA 197 JT911 KTM Racing Team KTM
16 Jacobi Henry 29 GER 187 JM Honda Racing Honda
17 Beaton Jed 14 AUS 167 F&H Racing Team Kawasaki
18 Febvre Romain FRA 147
19 Guadagnini Mattia ITA 145
20 Östlund Alvin 161 SWE 102 JK Racing Yamaha Active Yamaha
21 Koch Tom 226 GER 75 KTM Kozak Team KTM
22 Kjer Olsen Thomas 19 DEN 73 Team Diga-Procross KTM
23 Guillod Valentin 92 SWI 73 iXS MXGP Team Yamaha
24 Monticelli Ivo ITA 50
25 Paturel Benoit FRA 38
26 Roosiorg Hardi 75 EST 32 Sahkar KTM Racing KTM
27 Lapucci Nicholas ITA 31
28 Lupino Alessandro 77 ITA 18 Beta SDM Corse MX Team Beta
29 Sihvonen Miro FIN 18
30 Charlier Christophe 23 FRA 17 Wildcard Rider Yamaha
31 Zaragoza Jorge 99 SPA 12 Wildcard Rider Honda
32 Rolando Nicolas 144 URU 10 Wildcard Rider Suzuki
33 Genot Cyril 105 BEL 9 Honda SR Motoblouz Honda
34 Villaronga Sergio CHI 6
35 Philippaerts David 15 ITA 6 Wildcard Rider Kawasaki
36 Arco Dario ARG 6
37 Leok Tanel EST 6
38 Jasikonis Arminas 27 LTU 6 Gebben Van Venrooy Yamaha Racing Yamaha
39 Brumann Kevin 87 SWI 6 hostettler Yamaha Racing Yamaha
40 Martin Humberto VEN 5
41 Kullas Harri FIN 5
42 Haavisto Jere FIN 5
43 Toro Lautaro ARG 4
44 Trossero Marcos Gabriel ARG 4
45 Carrasco Agustin ARG 4
46 Zonta Filippo 200 ITA 4 Wildcard Rider GasGas
47 Sterry Adam GBR 3
48 Galletta Pablo 117 ARG 3 Wildcard Rider Yamaha
49 Locurcio Lorenzo VEN 2
50 Tropepe Giuseppe ITA 1
51 Cabarcos Francisco 112 ARG 1 Wildcard Rider Suzuki
52 Drdaj Dusan 188 CZE 1 Wildcard Rider GasGas
53 Van der Mierden Sven NDL 1
Location Information

Pohjoinen Yhdystie 112, 05880 Hyvinkää, Finland - View in Google Maps