Wet Uddevalla tests Team HRC

After an impressive display in yesterday’s qualification race on dry terrain in Uddevalla, Sweden, when Tim Gajser was able to finish second, the rain hit the track overnight and throughout the day, making things very difficult for both Gajser and teammate Ruben Fernandez as they finished just inside the top 10.

The rain created a very one-lined track, which meant passing was at a premium and also increased the importance of getting a good jump out of the gate. Unfortunately, Gajser wasn’t able to capitalise on his second gate-pick and instead had to make as many passes in the first few chaotic corners to give himself a chance of a decent points tally. In race one, that meant getting up to eighth, before an uncharacteristic mistake dropped him down to 13^th. Stuck behind riders he’d normally have no problem passing, he was only able to make it up to 10^th by the chequered flag in a frustrating race for the Slovenian.

Race two was a similar pattern, without the mistake, as Gajser was able to get up to fifth by the end of the first lap. However, with no further passes happening inside the top eight for the duration of the moto, it was another race that left the #243 feeling like he left some points on the table.

For Fernandez, the main goal coming into the weekend was to survive as best he could, given he spent his time since Finland recovering from the incident that saw him not line up for the second moto. A seventh place yesterday gave him a lot of confidence and he carried that through with two really impressive motos, as he went six-eight for eighth overall, strengthening his fifth place in the 2023 MXGP Championship standings.

Next up for the riders will be Arnhem in the Netherlands, which is a new track for the series, but one which will be a typical Dutch sand facility that a lot of riders have practiced at over the years. Apparently there have been changes made to bring it up to GP standards, so it will be interesting to see how all the riders adapt, where thankfully the weather is meant to be a lot nicer for this upcoming weekend.