Welcome back to our new-brand GP Reel session coming to you from the arrow track of Frauenfeld on a singular Monday which will be taking place in the third round of the MXGP World Championship after a day off due to Easter celebrations. From warm-up session reports to the final race reports of the day, you’ll find it all right here. Updates are posted in chronological order, so be sure to scroll down for the latest info. For more updates follow us on Twitter: @mx1onboard
MORNING REPORT
Back to Saturday, the main storyline was the track. The new Frauenfeld circuit presented a design under the standards we`re used to it. Instead, it seems more like an old-school-type track from the 80s with a lack of big jumps and a lot of turns. The soil is hard-pack but with a lot of deep ruts everywhere. Some sectors are one-lining men like the back-to-back turns before the pit lane and just after the finish line.
As for the RAM Qualifying races, both were full of battles. In the MXGP class, Prado made a late pass over Febvre on the final lap in order to keep their unbeatable Saturday performance and extends his points lead to 10 over Jeffrey Herlings who ended up third over Alberto Forato and Maxime Renaux. One to watch today is Jeremy Seewer. The local hero showed his flamboyant style to climb to sixth position after a bad start and a crash in the first stages of the race. He looks fast, but the mistakes are still there…Today we will see if he is capable to turn around the results and leave his hometown with his first GP win of the season, which will be perfect to take valuable points after two rough rounds. Now, the Swiss are down eight in the standings with a 48 points deficit in contrast to Red Plate holder Jorge Prado.
In the MX2 class, Thibault Benistant took his first RAM Qualifying Race over Kay de Wolf -the only rider to beat Geerts in a race so far – who hold the position against the attacks of Geerts. Both, Monster Energy Yamahas Benistant and Neestan Husqvarnas de Wolf had a great boost of confidence for today while Geerts will be a little bit alert. On the other hand, Mikkel Haarup made a great first-day view on his new team taking a respectable seventh. While Simon Langenfelder finished outside the top ten due to a crash, and Lucas Coenen was DNF after crashing twice.
Overall, not much drama, but a lot of expectations to see what could happen today. The first set of races will start at 13:15 (Local time) with the MX2 class being the first on hitting the track. More updates coming soon!
WARM-UP
Riders rode the track one more time before the real races starts. In the MX2 class, the lap times were pretty similar to what we saw at the Time Practice on Saturday. However, this time Simon Langenfelder was the one to set the fastest lap (1:34.829) with a small gap of 0.00.01 over Van de Moosdijk! This is the closest gap I´ve ever seen…Not so far in third place was Race Qualifying winner Thibault Benistant with a 1:34.864.
Spaniard Ruben Fernandez topped this session (1:33.712) for half a second over Herlings+522, Seewer+572, and Renaux+663. Prado, who already secured the pole after his QR win, just rode calm for a couple of laps and ended P22.
MX2 RACE 1
It was a dramatic way to start the day. As the gates fell, it was Jago Geerts who took the holeshot over Roan Van de Moosdijk, while Thibault Benistant squeeze into the first corner to emerge in third place. Then came: Andrea Adamo, Rick Elzinga, and Kay de Wolf. Deep down, Lucas Coenen went out the track in the first corner after starting from the outside gate.
Geerts starts to develop a good gap over his rivals as the first laps went on. Behind the Belgian Roan Van de Moosdijk, Thibault Benistant, and Andrea Adamo stayed separated from each other
Not so much action during the first laps, except for Rick Elzinga who had his hands full. From the start to the end, the young Dutchman tried to hold P5 from the attacks of Kay de Wolf, Liam Everts, and Simon Langenfelder. At the same time, Lucas Coenen was climbing position from outside the top 10. Elzinga tried so hard to maintain the fifth place, but he dropped to 11, while Coenen made his way back to sixth.
In the late stages, all seems quiet as Geerts was managing a good gap. However, he had a crash which left Roan Van de Moosdijk in first. Geerts went over the bars just before the pit lane. And then starts to drop position, being passed by Kay de Wolf, Andrea Adamo, Simon Langenfelder, and Lucas Coenen, ending in a frustrating seventh place. Completing the top 10 were Everts, Horgmo, and Pancar.
This was the first race win of the season for Van de Moosdijk, and his second career win since Lommel 2020. Now, he leads the overall coming into the second race.
MXGP – RACE 1
Just like in the Qualifying race, Jorge Prado grabbed the holeshot and didn´t waste any time on build a gap over his rivals. His teammate Mattia Guadagnini got a great start in second over Maxime Renaux. Following them were Jeffrey Herlings and Romain Febvre.
On the other hand, Jeremy Seewer starts the day on the wrong foot. He went over to the bars just at the start of the race. It was a long way for the Swiss to get the 20th place to save 1 point at least.
After a few laps were completed, Renaux made his pass to second. Then Guadagnini tipped over and went down, allowing Febvre to move up to third. Meanwhile, Jeffrey Herlings seems uncomfortable as he couldn´t keep the pace in the first positions and went from third to sixth after being passed by countryman Calvin Vlaanderen and then for Ruben Fernandez who completed te top 5. Swiss Valentin Guillod push in the last laps and made his way up to seventh over Glenn Coldenhoff, Mattia Guadagnini, and Benoit Paturel in ten.
So far, Prado hasn´t won a second moto this season. Perhaps today will be the exception and becomes the GP winner at the end of the day. Will see…
MX2 – RACE 2
In the second race things were a little bit different in contrast to race 2. This time Andrea Adamo grabbed the holeshot over Monster Energy Yamaha`s trio of Thibault Benistant, Jago Geerts, and Rick Elzinga. Liam Everts and Simon Langenfelder were rounding the top 5. Lucas Coenen starts outside the top ten, as well as his teammate and race 1 winner Roan Van de Moosdijk.
Adamo was caught by Benistant who checked out. The Italian couldn´t follow him, and then drop one more position by Jago Geerts. Both Yamaha riders pulled away from the KTM rider.
Geerts starts to push over his teammate in order to take the lead. However, he ended up crashing again in the same sector as the first race 1. The incident allowed Benistant to secure a comfortable lead while Adamo took second while Geerts regrouped in third. The top 3 remained in those positions for the rest of the race.
Behind them, Kay de Wolf made his way to fourth passing Simon Langenfelder in the last lap, with Liam Everts coming in sixth over Kevin Horgmo. Roan Van de Moosdijk ended eight after coming alive in the last stages, but it wasn´t enough to take a podium spot. Jan Pancar and Emil Weckman completed the podium. Lucas Coenen couldn´t reply to his first moto performance and ended up 16.
The overall went to Thibault Benistant. Andrea Adamo and Kay de Wolf completed the podium.
MXGP – RACE 2
Jorge Prado rocketed once the gates dropped over Jeffrey Herlings, and Frenchman duo Maxime Renaux and Romain Febvre. This time Seewer keep on two wheels and start in fifth while Fernandez was sixth.
Renaux, after starting in a better position than he did in race 1, starts to work in Prado. The Frenchman didn´t let the Spaniard escape as he made the pass for the lead in the first laps. Back behind, Febvre did the same with Jeffrey Herlings, moving to third position.
Once at the front, Reanux rode steady and calm, while Romain Febvre found his way to pass Prado. The trio reminder in these positions for the rest of the race, but it was an intense battle with distances moving back and forth until the checkered flag. For moments, Renaux was under attack by Febvre, as same as Prado who push from third place. Meanwhile, Jeffrey Herlings was in a steady fourth place as well as Jeremy Seewer rounded the top 5.
Alberto Forato and Calvin Vlaanderen passed Ruben Fernandez. And the top ten was completed by local hero Valentin Guillod, and Ben Watson.
