Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team’s Tim Gajser has finished third overall at the MXGP of Andalucia in Spain. The strong result marks the five-time world champion’s first trip to the podium for Yamaha.
Across the Grand Prix weekend in Almonte, Gajser delivered improving race results, starting with his eighth-place finish in Saturday’s MXGP Qualifying Race. In Race One, the Slovenian slotted into seventh behind Renaux as the duo focused on working their way forwards. With the sandy track now quite dry and one-lined, passing opportunities were limited, and Gajser could only reach sixth at the finish.
Ahead of the second race, the track crew had worked on the circuit and this played into Gajser’s hands. Together with some minor revisions to his Yamaha YZ450FM, the 29-year-old excelled in Race Two. From eighth on lap one, he was into third by mid-race; however, by this time the leading riders were just out of reach to mount an attack. Crossing the line in third secured a trip to the overall podium for Gajser, who now sits sixth in the series standings after two rounds.
«It was another weekend of fighting for us, but the work we put in really paid off and the result was even better than last time. Overnight we made some changes and kept working from the first session through to the races. I feel like we’re moving in the right direction. There’s still room to improve, but the progress is clear. I want to say a big thank you to the whole team, because in the challenging moments it’s important to stay united, and that’s exactly what we did. To be back on the podium after two rounds is a great feeling, and hopefully we can keep building from here.»
