Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings has set a new all-time Grand Prix win record with a comprehensive 1-1 moto haul in Madrid, Spain and the sixth round of the 2023 FIM World Championship. Across a rough and rutty hard-packed course south of the capital, Herlings was dominant with his KTM 450 SX-F for his second triumph in a row, his third of the season, a first 1-1 of the year and the 102nd of a career that began in Red Bull KTM colors in 2010.
Words | Press Release
The climate for qualification was hot and sunny and the weather remained stable and therefore demanding on Sunday. Jeffrey Herlings came to Spain on the positive momentum of his victory from the Portuguese GP the previous weekend. The win had brought Herlings level with the all-time record of 101 career triumphs, and the Dutchman already boasts the most checkered flags by any rider and well over 7000 career points accumulated. He took 2nd position in the RAM Qualification Heat, missing P1 by just one second. In the first moto he patiently set his pace and moved up from 3rd to 1st by the midway stage. The second outing was similar and he made three positions in typically attacking style to head the pack by the final ten minutes of the moto.
“I’m super-happy to improve my moto wins total and take the GP win record outright. The rest of the guys have really stepped it up this season – Jorge is riding awesome – and they are really pushing, so I did not expect this would come so soon. It is still anyone’s game on any particular Sunday. To have won three from six until now is something I wouldn’t have imagined. My starts got a bit better, not great though, and top five positions were enough today. In the second moto I could always see a leader in front of me, so I could rely on that, even though it was tough to pass here because there was only really one fast line. In the end I could control the moto. I enjoyed the fans here; they were amazing for their home heroes. I hope I can win a couple more world titles in my career and then I’ll lay on the beach knowing I’ve done enough!”
