Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team’s Tim Gajser has placed a strong fourth overall at the MXGP of Latvia. Following a couple of tough rounds, the five-time world champion rebounded with a solid result courtesy of his consistent 5-4 finishes at the sandy circuit of Kegums. At the same time, Maxime Renaux had a challenging weekend at the eighth round of the series, leaving with 17th overall.
With the last two rounds of the MXGP World Championship not going Gajser’s way, the Slovenian was focused on putting those two weekends behind him in Latvia. With his seventh-place finish in the Qualifying Race ensuring a favourable gate pick, the Yamaha YZ450FM rider was looking forward to Sunday’s Grand Prix races.
Completing the opening lap of Race One in sixth, Gajser was well placed for a strong result. However, despite the track offering multiple lines, there was only one main line through many of the corners, which made passing difficult. By race end, the 29-year-old had reached fifth, with his attention quickly turning to Race Two.
Through the opening lap of the second race, Gajser was aggressive as he quickly made passes towards the front of the field. By lap six he had moved into fourth and despite his best efforts, he couldn’t quite catch the leading trio. Placing fourth secured fourth overall on the day and sees Gajser remain fourth in the championship standings.
The MXGP of Latvia proved challenging for Renaux. A huge crash in the Qualifying Race led to a poor gate pick for the Grand Prix races. Starting outside the top 20 in the opening race, the Frenchman fought through to finish 11th. Race Two started much more promisingly with him running as high as ninth until a technical issue ruled him out of the running. On the day, Renaux placed 17th and he now lies sixth in the series standings.
After a mixed day of racing at round eight of the campaign, the team return to action in two weeks’ time in Montevarchi, Italy, for round nine as the series nears its halfway stage.
Tim Gajser
4th MXGP of Latvia, 34-points
4th MXGP Championship Standings, 294-points
“It was another difficult weekend, but there are still positives to take away from it. I was able to put together two consistent motos and finish all of the races, which was important. In the second moto, I felt much better on the bike. I was closer to the riders ahead, I could maintain my pace until the finish, and overall it was a step in the right direction. The last three weeks have been really demanding, so now the focus is on using the weekend off to recover as much as possible and get back as close to 100% as I can for Montevarchi. That’s the goal. I also want to thank the team and everyone around me for their support. During difficult weekends like this, it’s so important to have good people around you who can keep you motivated and help you stay positive. I’m really grateful for all of their hard work and encouragement.”
Maxime Renaux
17th MXGP of Latvia, 10-points
6th MXGP Championship Standings, 261-points
“It was a frustrating weekend for me. The problems started in the Qualifying Race when I landed heavily from a jump and damaged the front wheel, which meant I couldn’t finish the race. That left me with a gate pick right on the outside for Sunday, which made things difficult from the beginning. In the first moto, I didn’t get a good start and struggled to find my rhythm and pace throughout the race. The second moto started much better and I came through the first corner in a strong position, but then I had a small tip-over in the opening laps. Even after that, I was still in a decent position and felt like I could make progress. Unfortunately, I then suffered a technical issue that forced me out of the race. But that’s racing sometimes. We’ll regroup, work hard during the week, and come back ready to fight again at the next round.”
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