The MXGP of Switzerland welcomes Honda HRC Ruben Fernandez as well as Yamaha duo Maxime Renaux and Jago Geerts for round 17 at the Schweizer Zucker circuit in the northeastern city of Frauenfeld. All three have been sidelined for a while due to injuries, but now they received the green light to race this weekend.
Ruben Fernandez #70 – MXGP
After missing the entire season due to a leg injury sustained at the opening round in Argentina, the Spaniard will make his long-awaited return. Fernandez won the International of Sariego on Monday, and now is heading to Frauenfeld alongside his teammate Tim Gajser.
“I am very excited to be back amongst the paddock, and going racing again in the MXGP class. It has been a long road to get here, and even with this, I know the journey isn’t over, but this is another important step in my recovery process, so that eventually I can get back to winning GPs. Now though, the goal is much lower and I just want to get through the weekend without any incidents, get the first-race nerves out of the way and just get used to being back on the start-gate with these guys. A big thank you to all the people who’ve helped me get back to this point and I’m looking forward to seeing everyone at the races once again.“
Maxime Renaux #959 – MXGP
Renaux returns after withdrawing from the second round of the season in Madrid, Spain, to undergo another operation on his problematic right foot. After months of rehabilitation, the 24-year-old Frenchman has finally been cleared to ride again. Although he hasn’t been back on the bike for long, Renaux is eager to return to racing. Despite lining up as last year’s MXGP of Switzerland winner, he approaches this weekend with no expectations, focusing on gradually rebuilding his race intensity and endurance while minimizing risk.
“The recovery is going well. Obviously, it was not easy to undergo another surgery for the injury from 2023, but we had to because the first surgery was not correct. I still need more time to get back to 100%, but it’s already much better than it was in 2023. I’m feeling good on the bike, even though I’ve only had two weeks of riding, so I know I’m coming into the Swiss GP without a lot of hours on the bike, but I feel like I have enough to go racing. I’ll just dive in the deep end and build from there. There are no expectations going into the weekend; I’ll line up aiming to race clean, without too much risk, just to get some racing under my belt. 2025 starts here, so this is a starting point for my 2025 season prep. I won in Switzerland last year, so I’m going there with good memories, and I look forward to being back.”
Thibault Benistant #198
The 22-year-old Frenchman, who won last year’s MXGP of Switzerland, is looking forward to being back on the track. While he is not yet 100% and has only recently resumed training, his goal this weekend is to gradually regain race intensity and endurance, focusing on steady progress rather than immediate results.
“The recovery went quite well, although it took some time. We waited the minimum amount necessary, but I’m definitely not at 100% yet. Still, I feel good on the bike and really enjoy riding again. I like the track—it’s full of ruts and bumps, which I actually enjoy. My only expectation is to have fun being back on track.”
