Glenn Coldenhoff is the new MX1 Brazil Champion. The Dutch rider completed a remarkable late-season comeback to snatch the title from Enzo Lopes (Honda Brasil) at the final round of the championship in Brumadinho, on Sunday, September 13th.
The season did not start smoothly for Coldenhoff. However, the Yamaha C6 Bank IMS rider steadily built momentum and arrived at the final round in peak form.
Heading into Brumadinho, Coldenhoff had won eight consecutive motos, a streak that reduced his deficit to just six points behind Lopes. The Brazilian had dominated the early stages of the championship, winning the overall at each of the first four rounds and establishing himself as the title favorite.
In the opening moto, Coldenhoff took control early and never looked back. He set a relentless pace and crossed the finish line more than 15 seconds ahead of Lopes.
The second moto proved more challenging. After starting sixth, the Dutchman immediately went on the attack, passing rider after rider until he reached the front.
Once in the lead, he again pulled away from the field to secure another dominant victory and complete a perfect 1-1 performance on the day, followed by Lopes 2-2 and Paulo Alberto 4-3.
The title decided on a tiebreaker
At the end of the championship, Coldenhoff and Lopes were tied on 407 points. The title was therefore decided by the first tiebreak criterion: number of race wins.
That statistic heavily favored Coldenhoff, who finished the season with 12 moto victories, including 10 in a row, compared to Lopes’ five.
“First of all, what an incredible journey this year has been. The beginning was very difficult. It wasn’t easy coming to race in Brazil and adapting to a new environment, team and culture. I’m very fortunate to have amazing people around me. We were 31 points behind, yet we still managed to finish level on points with Enzo. Congratulations to him because he was a very tough competitor. I fought really hard for this title and I’m incredibly happy. Thanks to the team, everyone supporting me back home in the Netherlands and, of course, the Brazilian fans. I truly feel at home here. I love Brazil!”
