Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team’s Tim Gajser has finished third overall at the MXGP of Andalucia in Spain. The strong result marks the five-time world champion’s first trip to the podium for Yamaha, and with Maxime Renaux finishing fourth, it underlined a positive day of racing for the team.
Across the Grand Prix weekend in Almonte, Gajser delivered improving race results, starting with his eighth-place finish in Saturday’s MXGP Qualifying Race. In Race One, the Slovenian slotted into seventh behind Renaux as the duo focused on working their way forwards. With the sandy track now quite dry and one-lined, passing opportunities were limited, and Gajser could only reach sixth at the finish.
Ahead of the second race, the track crew had worked on the circuit and this played into Gajser’s hands. Together with some minor revisions to his Yamaha YZ450FM, the 29-year-old excelled in Race Two. From eighth on lap one, he was into third by mid-race; however, by this time the leading riders were just out of reach to mount an attack. Crossing the line in third secured a trip to the overall podium for Gajser, who now sits sixth in the series standings after two rounds.
Renaux also delivered strong results in Spain. In the opening race, the former MX2 World Champion quickly found his flow, and together with his superior fitness, he moved into fourth in the closing stages.
In Race Two, Renaux’s start wasn’t quite as strong as in Race One, but as the track broke down and became even more challenging, the Frenchman was on form. In the closing stages of the race, he advanced from 10th to sixth within a handful of laps and ended the race just a few seconds adrift of fifth. On the day, Renaux placed fourth overall – a result that moves him up to fifth in the MXGP World Championship standings.
With a successful Grand Prix in Spain now complete, Gajser and Renaux will return to racing next weekend at the MXGP of Switzerland.
Tim Gajser
3rd MXGP of Andalucia, 35-points
6th MXGP Championship Standings, 74-points
“It was another weekend of fighting for us, but the work we put in really paid off and the result was even better than last time. Overnight we made some changes and kept working from the first session through to the races. I feel like we’re moving in the right direction. There’s still room to improve, but the progress is clear. I want to say a big thank you to the whole team, because in the challenging moments it’s important to stay united, and that’s exactly what we did. To be back on the podium after two rounds is a great feeling, and hopefully we can keep building from here.”
Maxime Renaux
4th MXGP of Andalucia, 33-points
5th MXGP Championship Standings, 75-points
“It was a solid day here at the Spanish GP. Of course, I’m a bit disappointed to miss out on the podium, but we scored good points in the Qualifying Race, which is important for the championship. I feel like I still have more to give in the upcoming races. The goal now is to keep improving quickly and move in the right direction, because I believe I have what it takes to fight at the front.”
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