The 17th round of the FIM Motocross World Championship in Frauenfeld, Switzerland, brought both challenges and highlights for the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP and MX2 teams. Although the team wasn’t at full strength due to the last-minute withdrawal of Calvin Vlaanderen and the unfortunate early exit of Jago Geerts during qualifying, the return of Maxime Renaux and Thibault Benistant was a major boost. Both riders, despite their lack of race fitness after extended absences, performed admirably, securing three holeshots between them and showing flashes of their top-tier talent.
However, the standout performance of the weekend came from 18-year-old Karlis Reisulis. As a newcomer to MX2 and the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 team, Reisulis took the holeshot in Race Two and led for an impressive 12 laps before finishing in second place. This career-best result highlighted his raw speed and potential and made it a clean sweep for Yamaha in terms of holeshots at the Swiss Grand Prix.
Yamaha Motor Europe’s Off-Road Racing Manager Alexandre Kowalski reflects:
Thibault Benistant takes the holeshot in MX2 Race One!
Renaux & Benistant Rapid on Return
“I think both Maxime and Thibault made a positive return. For both of them, the plan was to come back easy and smooth and to evaluate their health and physical condition. It was really positive to see Thibault fighting with the top guys in MX2 right away. Of course, Thibault struggled a bit near the end of the races, but it is to be expected to lack some endurance. The top riders have been fit, healthy and racing at this level all year, so we did not expect him to return from injury and be up there for the entire race. But the speed is already there, so from here he will just need to rebuild his physical fitness and endurance and then he will be back where he belongs. For Maxime, his return was impressive. To come back from a very complicated injury that has been problematic for a very long time, the main aim for Maxime was to test his foot and to work on some small techniques while racing like the position of his feet on the bike. Overall, it was successful and the result from the weekend was positive given the circumstances.”
Karlis Reisulis leading MX2 Race 2
Rookie Reisulis Breaks Through!
“Karlis’s performance was one of the biggest highlights in Switzerland. Although it is tough to come so close to the podium and miss it by just 2-points, he can be proud of what he achieved this weekend, taking a holeshot, leading 12-laps and finishing second as an 18-year-old rookie is a great achievement. It is also nice to see his progress. Since joining the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 team at the end of June, he has made a big step forward both on and off the bike. He is showing that he has the potential to be a title contender in the future.
Rick Elzinga also had a strong first race but was unable to finish due to a rare technical issue, which was a pitty indeed. But he had good speed all weekend.”
Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP rider Andrea Bonacorsi in action
Bonacorsi battled hard
“For Andrea Bonacorsi, the weekend was a bit more challenging. Frauenfeld is a very compact and small track with very deep ruts, so it was crucial to start near the front as there were not many places to pass. Unfortunately, Bona was squeezed on both starts, so he had to work hard to come back through the pack to finish the weekend in the top ten, which he managed to do, showing that his physical condition is very good.”
Jago Geerts made a brief appearance at the Swiss GP
Vlaanderen & Geerts are on the mend
The obvious low of the weekend was the absence of Calvin Vlaanderen, and Jago Geerts in the end too. For Calvin, it was necessary for him to prioritize his health to ensure he makes a full recovery. We hope to have him back for the final three rounds, but we will monitor the situation, following Calvin’s feeling and the medical advice. And for Jago, he was hit by another rider on the first lap of the Qualifying Race and was pinned under his bike, which burnt his skin. It came as another unfortunate setback for him as he had only just returned from a tough injury at the start of the year. For Jago, this was his first season on the 450, and it has been a challenging one. For him, the main priority is for him to take the time he needs to regroup and rebuild his confidence, and we hope to see him back on the bike soon.”
The MXGP of Switzerland also marked the conclusion of MXGP’s final triple-header before the upcoming double-header in Turkey and China, which will lead into a weekend off before the season finale in Spain.
