Beaton on MXGP of Turkey podium | Todd P8

MXGP 2021
MXGP of Turkey – Round 8

The 2021 MXGP of Turkey ran over the weekend in Afyonkarahisar and saw Jeffrey Herlings take the overall win in the MXGP class, leaving Jorge Prado and Tim Gajser to battle over the remaining podium positions.

In MX2 it was Tom Vialle taking top honours, with Australia’s Jed Beaton finishing third after consistent 3-3 results, behind Maxime Renaux. Fellow Australian Todd Wilson was eighth, with an 11-7 result.

MXGP Race 1

After posting the fastest lap time in Time Practice, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado started the first race with the Fox Holeshot, as he led Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s Glenn Coldenhoff, Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Romain Febvre and Standing Construct GasGas Factory Racing’s Pauls Jonass.

Team HRC’s Tim Gajser and Jeffrey Herlings of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing were side by side on the opening lap and moments later both got around Jonass who dropped to sixth.

Herlings then caught onto the back of Coldenhoff and passed his fellow Dutchman as Gajser set out to do the same. But the Slovenian struggled for 10 laps behind Coldenhoff always coming short of making a pass.

Febvre remained all over Prado for the lead, as Gajser came under fire from Cairoli who got around the Honda rider to move into sixth. He then got around Coldenhoff too and was pushing to get closer to Jonass.

Gajser then caught back up with the 259 of Coldenhoff and passed him on lap 11, as JM Honda Racing’s Henry Jacobi got Brian Bogers of Standing Construct GasGas Factory Racing for eighth to solidify a top 10 result.

After spending the majority of the race in third, Herlings switched it up a gear and was on a charge to close in on Febvre and Prado. It did not take him long as he got Febvre on lap 13 and then just two laps later was in front of Prado.

Jonass started to challenge Febvre too and with three laps from the end of the race was able to get the job done. Herlings was the race winner, with Prado finishing second and Jonass third.

MXGP Race 2

In the second heat it was once again Prado with the Fox Holeshot as he led the race once again while Febvre, Gajser, Jonass and Cairoli followed behind. Herlings struggled further down the field as he passed Kevin Strijbos of Gebben Van Venrooy Yamaha Racing for seventh position.

Herlings then continued to make progress as he got around Coldenhoff and set his sights on Cairoli, while Gajser charged past Febvre to move into second place.

The gap was then 1.366 seconds between Prado and Gajser, as the Slovenian was clear with his intentions of going for the win.

Jonass then had a big crash as he went off the track while battling with Cairoli for fourth, with the Latvian not finishing the race. Cairoli inherited his position as Herlings started to close in too.

Gajser then made another attempt to pass Prado and was able to secure the position and take over the lead on lap nine. Cairoli then caught onto the back wheel of Febvre as the pair traded positions a couple of times before the Italian was able to make it stick and take away third from the Kawasaki rider, as Herlings did the same.

Gajser then led by 2.877 seconds, as Prado was starting to feel the force of Cairoli and Herlings who were catching up fast. Cairoli and Prado had a couple of close calls before making contact, but both remained on the bikes. Eventually Cairoli crashed after, which allowed Herlings through.

With one lap to go, Herlings got his head down and got to work as he was able to pass Prado and secure the top step of the podium. Gajser was the race winner, with Herlings second and Prado third.

With a 1-2 result, Jeffrey Herlings was back on the top step, while Jorge Prado was forced to settle for second and Tim Gajser joining the pair in third. In terms of the championship standings, Gajser leads Prado by 13 points, while Febvre remains third a further four points behind.

Jeffrey Herlings – P1

“Definitely the first race was much easier because I was around fourth of fifth in the start and only had to pass a few guys. Both starts were off today and with the high altitude here we changed some things with the bike, but I think maybe we should go in a different direction. The start was pretty bad in the first race but then I managed to pass Glenn, Romain and Jorge and then it went pretty easy. Second race I was around tenth or twelfth, it was harder to get around the other guys, the last few laps were sketchy between Jorge and Tony as they were fighting for second position. Then Tony crashed right in front of me and then I managed to sneak past Jorge, but Tim was too far away for me to do anything about it. A 1-2 is good, we have some good racing and I look forward to it, I like the track but will definitely work on the starts and try some things. The arm is fine now, in Lommel it was very painful but in Latvia it was already much better, I still had a bit of pain but nothing crazy. I don’t know if you can ever be 100% but I am trying to be the best as I can because the competition is strong. If you look at the championship, the top five guys are really close.”

Jorge Prado – P2

“I think it was a great day. I got two good starts which makes things a lot easier. I led the most laps today so this gives me a confidence boost for Wednesday, the only thing is I was riding the same lines but when Jeffrey passed me in race one and Tim in the second one, I could see where I could improve. Physically I am feeling ok and I am getting better, the bike is working good. It was a pity on the last lap to be passed by Jeffrey, but hopefully on Wednesday we get some good results. There is still a lot of racing left, I need to take it race by race and stay within the top three, that is my goal, and get some race wins if I can. You don’t always get such a good field of riders because of injuries and other reasons but now everybody is ready to go racing so it is nice to race when everybody is fit.”

Tim Gajser – P3

“That was definitely two completely different races today, but I’m glad to have finished on a high note with that victory. In the first race I just got stuck behind another rider for too long and couldn’t find a rhythm. When I did get past, the front guys were too far in front so I couldn’t catch them. In race two, I got a better start and was in third early on. I quickly moved into second and then a few laps later I moved into first. Once I was there, I was able to pull away a bit and control the race until the chequered flag. Overall, it was good and I’m excited to come back on Wednesday and try and get the win here.”

Romain Febvre – P4

“This morning I had a good feeling on the track and I was happy with my third position behind the gate. The first moto I had a good start and tried several times to pass Prado but there were not so many lines to make the difference and I couldn’t really attack him. That helped Jeffrey to come back at me; when he passed me I looked at his lines but three laps from the end I made a small mistake and lost one position to finish fourth. My second start was again a good one; I was behind Prado but my feeling was not so good. I didn’t feel well and I was not at my best physically so I had to be content to secure another fourth position. It could have been better, but if we consider how I felt in the second race it could have been worse. Now I will rest to be ready for the next GP on Wednesday.”

Tony Cairoli – P5

“Overall I’m quite happy because the speed was good. I came back to 5th in the first moto after a bad start. We know that the start is so important on a track like this where it can be difficult to pass. I had good pace but couldn’t get higher than 5th. I was better at the beginning of the second moto and caught the leaders with Jorge and Tim. I was trying hard to overtake Jorge but it was pretty tough. At one moment I was really close but unfortunately when I jumped I saw someone had knocked some haybales into the track and there were in the middle of the way. I crashed pretty hard and lost two places, back to 5th. Not the best day but I’m not hurt and there is still a lot of racing ahead.”

Jeremy Seewer – P6

“As I mentioned in the preview, I am not where I want to be, so I just need to turn up and try and that’s all I can do. If I was better in Timed Practice, I would have had a better day because my starts were amazing today. I was just far outside. I think in both motos, I could have got for the holeshot if I would be on the inside. I lacked energy in the morning, and that was my disadvantage today, going to the gate in P.14. I made the most out of the situation, but in the second moto, the track was one-lined and super hard to pass. Under the circumstances, I collected good points, and I am still here and racing and not feeling too bad, so now I will take a couple of days rest, do some recovery and see where I can improve for Wednesday.”

Glenn Coldenhoff – P8

“My day started good. I got second in Timed Practice and felt good. The track was still very wet and I like those conditions. In the first moto, I got arm-pump on lap-2 and rode tight. It went from bad to worse. I started in third and ended up finishing eighth, which was not good. We tried to work on some things before the second moto. It definitely worked out better, and in the second race, I was feeling quite okay; I could keep the pace with the front guys, but then I made a small crash and I pushed really hard in the end, but the track is very one-lined. Everyone was taking this line which made it very difficult to make some passes.”

Pauls Jonass – P9

“It was a frustrating end to the day after such a good first moto. During the break in the calendar I improved my fitness even more as well as my speed on the bike and I really felt like that showed in race one. Fortunately, I’m ok after my big crash in race two. It was a wild one and I landed on asphalt, which is never good. Luckily, I just have some really bad bruising, so I’ll be back for more on Wednesday. I’ve no doubts about what I can do and I’m excited to be racing again in a few days.”

Brian Bogers – P10

“I have mixed feelings about today. I felt good on the bike and I had a good start in race one in seventh, but I was riding too stiff and making mistakes, so I dropped back to 11th. I had another good start in the second moto but in the first few corners I lost a lot of positions. After that though, my riding was much better and I moved up from 18th to 12th, so I was happy with that one. I think for Wednesday, if I can put the good starts and smooth riding together then I can be much higher in the results.”

MX2 Race 1

In the first MX2 race of the day, it was Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle who grabbed the Fox Holeshot ahead of his fellow teammate Rene Hofer as well as Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Jed Beaton and Kay De Wolf, as well as Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Mattia Guadagnini. While Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing MX2’s Maxime Renaux was further down the field in around eighth position.

Hofer then took over the lead from Vialle, as Renaux managed to find a way through on De Wolf to move into fifth. Vialle then got to work as he caught back up with his teammate and by lap four was back in the driving seat and leading the race.

Renaux then lost a spot to Honda 114 Motorsports’ Ruben Fernandez for a brief moment before getting back around the Spaniard, while Hofer was starting to come under pressure from Beaton and Guadagnini.

Though at the front of the field, Vialle continued to clock the fastest lap times of the race, as Thibault Benistant of Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing MX2 and F&H Kawasaki Racing’s Mathys Boisrame battled for eighth.

Guadagnini finally managed to get around Beaton on lap eight and then five or six laps later was able to get Hofer to get into second. Hofer then faded off as both Beaton and Renaux got around the Austrian, while Fernandez dived down the inside of De Wolf for sixth.

In the end it was Vialle who won the race 5.988 seconds ahead of Guadagnini and Beaton who crossed the line in third.

Australia’s Wilson Todd finished 11th.

MX2 Race 2

In race two it was Renaux with a flying start, as he took the second Fox Holeshot of the day and led the way with Beaton second and Vialle third. Guadagnini got another strong start and so did Gianluca Facchetti of Team Beddini Racing KTM on his first outing with the new team.

Hofer then got around Fernandez for fifth as Vialle tried to get around Beaton, with the Australian quick to respond and claim back his second-place spot.

As Renaux stretched out his lead to 2.490 seconds, Beaton came under fire from Vialle once again, with the KTM rider finally making a pass stick on lap five. Vialle then set the fastest lap of the race as he began to close in on the race leader, Renaux. But Renaux stepped it up a gear himself to set the fastest lap of the race himself, with the two Frenchman clock fast times lap after lap.

While the battle for the win was well and truly on between Renaux and Vialle, Guadagnini was also not letting go of Beaton for third as he started to apply the pressure.

With just a couple of laps from the finish, Vialle went down as he was focused on passing Renaux which handed the Yamaha rider a victory, while Vialle was able to get back on his bike quickly and hold on to second as Beaton was able to keep Guadagnini at bay and finish the day with another third-place finish.

With a 1-2 result, Tom Vialle was on the top step of the podium while Maxime Renaux was forced to settle for second ahead of Jed Beaton in third, as he secured his second podium of 2021.

Wilson Todd moved into the top-10 in Race 2 to claim 7th.

Renaux continues to lead the MX2 championship, maintaining a healthy 37-point lead over Guadagnini who has gained a bit of breathing room to Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing MX2’s Jago Geerts who is a further 15 points adrift.

Tom Vialle – P1

“It’s really good to be back on top after the injury. The summer break was good because I could train and work on the bike also and now to be back is really good. I was happy in the morning to take pole position because it’s not a lot of times that I’ve taken the pole position which was pretty nice. I took two good starts and in the second race I pushed to come back but it was difficult to pass as there were not so many lines and Maxime was riding pretty good. I tried to give my best. For sure to win here is good and to stay here in Turkey is nice, I like the track and it will be a good race on Wednesday.”

Maxime Renaux – P2

“Was two completely different races today. I took two good stars, but in the first race I went too wide which allowed the other riders on the inside, so I had to fight my way through the pack and come back from eighth to fourth. I was riding a little bit stiff and was not happy with the riding. For the second race we changed some things on the bike, I was feeling much more comfortable and took the holeshot and then had the perfect race. For Wednesday I will look to improve on my lap times because it’s important to be on the inside here. I take it race by race, I want to win all the races if I can but it’s pretty hard and I need to think about the championship. I’m also trying to be more clever than before and avoid making stupid mistakes and keep control of the championship.”

Jed Beaton – P3

“It feels really good to be back on the podium. It had been a bit of an up and down year heading into the break so to get this podium and put together two strong races, it’s the perfect start to the second half of the season. I had to really dig deep in that second moto, withstanding pressure for pretty much the whole race, so that one felt really good. The team has been amazing as always and this result sets us up really well for Wednesday. My bike was awesome, my starts were perfect and now we can just focus on the motos in a few days’ time and get back up on the box again.”

Mattia Guadagnini – P4

“I was feeling really good today and my riding was strong because of my rhythm and the line choices. I was happy to finish 2nd in the first moto. My start wasn’t great in the second and I lost time at the beginning but then I spent so much time trying to pass Jed for 3rd. I couldn’t make it and was a bit disappointed to miss the podium but the important thing is that I felt fast and we’ll try to keep this for Wednesday where we’ll hope for even better results.”

Rene Hofer – P5

“In general it was a really good day. It was nice to finally lead some laps again. Unfortunately I suffered some arm-pump in the first moto but I came away with 5th which wasn’t that bad. My start wasn’t too hot in the second moto but I passed some riders right away and I stayed in 5th. My riding was actually really good in that second race so we can build from that for Wednesday.”

Jago Geerts – P6

“I had a difficult timed practice this morning. I felt much better in the races, but with the 18th gate-pick, it was difficult to get off the start. I had to come back from 15th or 16th to finish ninth in race one. That was already a big step in the right direction. I actually got a really good start in the second heat but got cross-rutted and nearly crashed, so I lost around four places there. I made some passes after that, which was better, but I definitely want to try to do better on Wednesday.”

Kay de Wolf – P7

“I’m really happy with today. Seventh overall is another solid result for me and despite making a few mistakes, I felt like I was riding really well and with a good flow. I actually twisted my ankle in race one so that was pretty painful, but we strapped it up for moto two and it was ok once the adrenaline took over. It was a pretty fun track today and I’m looking forward to Wednesday.”

Wilson Todd – P8

“The day wasn’t too bad. The track was OK with some good ruts but you needed a good start to run up front. I spun at the gate the first moto which left me just outside the top ten. The second start was better but I was just a little too far outside from my gate-pick at turn one and got pushed out so had to chase again.“