Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 team’s Thibault Benistant has finished eighth overall at a fast and furious 18th round of the MX2 World Championship. Competing at the MXGP of Turkiye, the Frenchman delivered improving results through the day – finishing 10th in the opening race, followed by seventh in Race Two.
From the sand of the Netherlands two weeks ago, the team headed to Turkiye for round 18 of the series and faced the high speed, hardpack conditions of the Afyon Motor Center circuit. The weekend didn’t start positively for Benistant, who aggravated a lingering knee injury on Saturday. However, in the Grand Prix races, he dug deep to secure vital championship points.
With the circuit offering little technical variation to separate the riders, it put an extra emphasis on strong starts. In Race One, Benistant started just outside the top 10 and was only able to progress to 10th by the finish.
Benistant took full advantage of a much stronger start in Race Two, quickly moving from seventh into sixth with the top five within reach. As the race neared its conclusion, the 23-year-old lost a place to Liam Everts and crossed the finish line in seventh, securing eighth overall on the day. With two rounds to go, Benistant remains fifth in the championship standings.
The MXGP of Turkiye was also a challenging one for Benistant’s teammates, Karlis Reisulis and Rick Elzinga. Reisulis demonstrated strong pace in both races, although he’d lose positions in the closing stages of each one and ultimately placed 15th overall.
With his confidence high after placing seventh overall two weeks ago, Elzinga was focused on a successful weekend in Turkiye. However, the Dutchman didn’t feel completely comfortable racing on the fast and rutted circuit, and he ended the weekend in 16th overall.
Leaving the 18th round of the campaign, Reisulis remains 12th in the championship with Elzinga 14th.
With another demanding Grand Prix complete, the team now heads to China for the penultimate round of the series, which takes place next weekend – September 13-14.
Thibault Benistant
8th MXGP of Turkiye, 25-points
5th MX2 Championship Standings, 603-points
“Not an easy weekend for me. I’ve been carrying a small knee injury for a little while and I twisted it yesterday. So that made it difficult to race today as I was a little bit hesitant when turning right, as I didn’t want to make it worse. It’s been a hard GP for me and now the focus is on the last two rounds of the season.”
Karlis Reisulis
15th MXGP of Turkiye, 13-points
12th MX2 Championship Standings, 298-points
“In both races I had good starts and my speed was there, but halfway through each one I began to struggle. I’m not sure what the issue is as I’ve been working harder than ever, but this weekend didn’t go my way. I’ll keep working and be ready for China next weekend.”
Rick Elzinga
16th MXGP of Turkiye, 13-points
14th MX2 Championship Standings, 275-points
“It’s been a tough weekend. I didn’t feel comfortable on this track and I struggled with the track in general. Also, my intensity early in the races isn’t where it needs to be and I lose a lot of positions. Then I have to fight my way through and it makes things challenging, but my riding was good so it’s a little frustrating for me.”
Posted on September 7, 2025 by Michael Le Pard
