Gajser doubles up in Switzerland | De Wolf tops MX2

2024 FIM Motocross World Championship
Round 17 – MXGP of Switzerland – Schweizer Zucker

Round 17 of the MXGP World Motocross Championships played out at the Schweizer Zucker circuit in Frauenfeld for the MXGP of Switzerland over the weekend, where red plate holder Tim Gajser seemed to take control of the series again with two brilliant race wins for Team HRC, relegating Jeffrey Herlings and Jorge Prado to the minor podium positions.

It was a similar story in MX2 as Kay de Wolf took his seventh GP win of the season, Simon Laengenfelder celebrating taking the second race victory for Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing and finishing second overall on the day.

MXGP of Switzerland Video Highlights

MXGP – Qualifying Race

Tim Gajser pace on the Swiss grassland surface with the fastest time in both Practice sessions, just ahead of Prado, while home hero Jeremy Seewer was third ahead of Jeffrey Herlings.

There was a strong return to racing for Ruben Fernandez as he launched around the first corner in the lead when the Qualifying Race got underway, just ahead of Seewer, who got the banks of Swiss fans screaming. Maxime Renaux was a good fourth behind Prado, while Herlings and Gajser were down in eighth and ninth.

By lap 3 Seewer had made several attempts to pass Fernandez for the lead, tipped over in a deep rut and dropped to seventh. On the same lap, Renaux passed Gajser and Herlings, the Slovenian sneaking past “The Bullet” on the opening lap. The three title contenders then passed Fernandez and held in those positions for the final ten laps.

The crowd were kept entertained by the recovery of Seewer, who skipped deftly past Fernandez on lap eight and chased Renaux. Romain Febvre, having recently renewed his contract with Kawasaki, recovered from a poor start and passed Alberto Forato for ninth in the closing stages after the Standing Construct Honda man fell from sixth, but would claim the final point.

Fernandez dropped to eighth as the early pace and heat wore him down. Glenn Coldenhoff took sixth for Fantic Factory Racing, and Kevin Horgmo a charging seventh.

Seewer took one final lunge at Renaux but nearly fell again on the last lap, having to settle for fifth behind the Frenchman and console himself with his move up to fourth in the Championship ahead of Renaux’s absent teammate Calvin Vlaanderen.

Jorge Prado took the flag first ahead of Gasjer, Herlings, Renaux and Seewer.

MXGP – Top 15 Qualifying Race Results

MXGP Race One

Maxime Renaux took a stunning holeshot, his first since the opening round in Argentina before the aggravation of his foot injury, Jorge Prado in second, with Josh Gilbert briefly in third. Gajser was clearly on a mission, and charged around them both to take second around the third corner.

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Just after the halfway point of the lap the Slovenian forced his way to the inside of the Frenchman to power into the lead, and from there he simply was not going to be caught.

Home hero Jeremy Seewer, racing his 200th consecutive Grand Prix start, looked fast, putting pressure on Prado, who had been unable to pick his way past Renaux. The Swiss veteran sent the crowd into raptures as he dived inside the Champ on lap six, who veered off-track momentarily in surprise.

Jeffrey Herlings struggling off the gate all weekend but was starting to make his presence felt as he moved forward on a familiar charge through the pack. With a magical show of speed at the end of lap eight, he was able to pass first Prado, then Seewer, within the space of three corners.

With blistering pace he caught Renaux two laps later, dealing with him rapidly before eyeing up the near 15-second gap to the leader.

On lap 14, Prado realised he was in danger of losing serious points to his title rivals, and with sweet moves along the back straight of the track, passed both Seewer and Renaux on consecutive laps to keep the damage to a minimum with a third-place finish.

Seewer kept the fans happy as he advanced to fourth with the aid of a Renaux mistake before the two-lap board, and that was how the top five finished.

Behind them, Romain Febvre held sixth for almost the entire race, ahead of Glenn Coldenhoff, another local favourite Valentin Guillod was eighth, followed by Alberto Foratoand Jan Pancar.

MXGP Race One Results – Top 20

MXGP Race Two

Renaux had one possible answer in race two – get the best start possible. Making it a clean sweep of Yamaha holeshots for the day (spoiler alert – in both classes), the Frenchman gave us a glimpse of what he might serve up in 2025 as he led the first six laps at a pace that the chasing Prado and Febvre could not match.

Gajser recovered from tenth to blast his way into fifth after the first half-lap, with Herlings languishing in ninth at this stage. The Dutchman marched relentlessly forward, demoting Ruben Fernandez, Forato, and Coldenhoff on consecutive laps, before railing around Seewer on lap six.

Prado had closed on Renaux and took the lead from the Frenchman, the Spaniard now sitting in a solid position to win the GP overall. As Febvre and Gajser worked past Renaux, it was Gajser’s turn to dig in as he attacked Febvre and advanced to second on lap nine, just as Herlings had also passed Renaux.

Just as “The Bullet” lost time in trying to make a pass, so Gajser made his move, jumping alongside Prado over the Finish Line at the start of lap 12 and blasting around the outside of the following corner. The Slovenian was in control, and nobody had an answer.

Further back, there were impressive rides throughout the top ten. Andrea Bonacorsi moved forward to claim tenth behind Fernandez who took ninth on his own return from injury. Eighth went to Guillod’s teammate Kevin Horgmo, as Forato pounced on a tiring Renaux to grab sixth from him on the last lap.

Coldenhoff had got himself stuck in some trackside mud and would not finish, while Seewer took fifth in front of his happy local supporters. The final four laps saw a spell-binding charge from Herlings, as he finally got around Febvre for third, then pulled out all the stops to outpace Prado for second with a pass around a heavily rutted 180-degree right-hander.

Gajser kept his pace up to win by just under seven seconds, and the Sunday maximum, his first of the season, puts him up to an amazing 49 Grand Prix wins in his career.

MXGP Race Two Results

MXGP Overall

Gajser’s wins see him double his lead from the start of the weekend to 18 points over Prado who went 3-3 for the weekend and collected 40-points, while Herlings is now 24 further back from the Spaniard, aftering finishing 2-2 and winning 44-points.

Seewer and Febvre rounded out the top-five overall, followed by Renaux, Forato, Horgmo, Guillod and Bonacorsi.

With Gajser approaching the MXGP of Turkiye with a two-year winning streak at that event, the question remains, whether he has grabbed the momentum going into the final three rounds of the year.

Behind Gajser (860), Prado (842) and Herlings (818), Seewer sits on 587 and Vlaanderen on 550 to complete the top five in the overall standings. Febvre is sixth on 527, Coldenhoff seventh on 514, while Horgmo (386), Guillod (329) and Bogers (295) round out the top-10.

Tim Gajser – P1

“I am obviously very happy with how today went, just feeling really good on the bike and being able to show that on the track. A big thank you to all of Team HRC because we continue to work really hard and it’s moments like these that we need to enjoy because that work has come together. Both races, I had some really good lines that allowed me to make the necessary passes and once I got into the lead, I was able to control the rest of the race. I’m really excited to head to Turkey as it’s a track I like and keep this momentum going.”

Jeffrey Herlings – P2

“Today was tough. My start was actually really good in the first moto but somehow I still ended up having to work back from 10th to 2nd. Second moto – I don’t know how – I was almost last. I did a lot of passing and by the time I got to 2nd then Tim [Gajser] had too much of a gap. In the sand you can go for it and make a three-lap sprint but here you push and end-up going backwards. I showed I had great speed again and I think my starts will be better in the next races because of the higher elevation. We’ll see. We’ve also been working on 2025 already and think we’ll also have something really good on the technical side for next year. I like Turkey and I was good in China the last time we went. The end of the season is coming quick and hopefully we can add another win.”

Jorge Prado – P3

“It was a tough day for me; I was struggling a bit in the first moto, dealing with some pain in my leg. Although the second moto was a bit better, I still found myself struggling. Nothing seemed to flow the way I wanted, and everything felt a little harder than usual. It was as if I was fighting against myself more than against the other guys on the track. When you’re not at 100%, it’s tough to beat them. It’s disappointing that we lost some points today, but there are still a few rounds left in the season. My focus now is on getting back to being 100% healthy so I can push hard for the championship!”

Romain Febvre – P5

“The result is what it is, but again today I didn’t have a really good feeling. In the second moto I was fighting for the lead, but I took a stone in my face when I was behind Prado and that split open my lip. I hope that I will not have such a weekend again in the future, especially if we are fighting for the championship.”

Maxime Renaux – P6

“I’d say my return to racing was ok. I had two good starts which is something positive to build from and my sprint speed for the first four or five laps was also really good. With so much time off the bike I’m really sore, but I just need more time on it to get back into race shape. Overall, it’s been a decent first race back and we’ll only get stronger from here.”

Andrea Bonacorsi – P10

“I was consistent this weekend so that was good. The first race was ok, not the best start and then I dropped back a little bit, but after repassing people I crashed and lost the places again so I ended up 12th. My start in Race Two was much better, just inside the top 10 and it was a really big battle and I finished 10th for 10th overall. It was a decent weekend but I want more so the hard work continues ahead of Turkey in two weeks.”

Ruben Fernandez – P11

“I’m pretty happy with how today, considering it was my first race back after a long time. My speed was good, and if it wasn’t for a coming-together in the first moto, I’m sure I could have been fighting for a top 10 in both races. I was able to lead some laps yesterday and that was great and this gives me a great platform to build upon in the last three rounds of the season, on tracks which hopefully I like a bit more than this one.”

Mattia Guadagnini – P12

“I felt that my riding was strong this weekend, but unfortunately, the results didn’t quite reflect that. Despite the challenges, I managed two strong comeback races in the mud, particularly in the second moto where I posted some solid lap times. Coming from 36th to 13th was definitely a highlight. However, I’m not satisfied with the overall result – it’s not where I want to be, especially since I was hoping for a better outcome on a hard-packed surface, which I’m more accustomed to. My starts made things more difficult this weekend, and the big crash with another rider on the first lap of the second moto set me back quite a bit. We’ve got three more chances before the end of the season, so I need to make the most of them!”

MXGP Round Overall

MXGP Championship Points – Top 20

MX2 – Qualifying Race

There was confusion at the MX2 qualifying start line as several gates appeared not to drop evenly. Further investigation revealed that the issue was caused by riders hitting the gate, so the race was allowed to continue.

Lucas Coenen was quickest away ahead of Andrea Adamo, but De Wolf was quickly past the man he intends to succeed as World Champion and took up the chase on his team-mate. Laengenfelder fired around Adamo for third on lap four but could not get close to the flying Husqvarna men out front.

Adamo’s team-mate Liam Everts was right up there in fourth to begin with but made a stunning pass on the Italian on lap seven, cutting from outside to inside on the fast approach to the finish line.

Rick Elzinga held down a solid sixth place, just ahead of his team-mate Thibault Benistant, the winner here last year who was in his first race back from injury.

Mikkel Haarup fought past the Frenchman on lap nine and would also pass Elzinga for sixth as time expired. Elzinga would claim seventh, ahead of his other team-mate Karlis Reisulis, who passed Benistant with three laps to go for eighth. The second Triumph of Camden McLellan took the final point in tenth.

Meanwhile, the tension was building at the front, as De Wolf closed to within a second of his team-mate. It was looking like a showdown between the top two with three laps to go, but just as they caught a bunch of lapped riders, De Wolf’s rear wheel skipped sideways on the face of a jump and he suffered a spectacular crash in front of the fullest bank of fans.

With the bike looking twisted he was able to remount still in second place, and just managed to hold back Laengenfelder for second to the flag. Everts came home in fourth ahead of Adamo.

It was Lucas Coenen, however, who won the RAM Qualifying Race for the seventh time this year.

MX2 – Qualifying Race Results

MX2 Race One

Thibault Benistant claimed the Fox Holeshot Award at the start of race one, with De Wolf second ahead of another Monster Energy Yamaha with Rick Elzinga at the helm.

Lucas Coenen started in a lowly 13th position and had a lot of work to do on the slippery and sloppy circuit, while Oriol Oliver ran as high as fourth in the opening laps. Reisulis was ahead of Laengenfelder, but Liam Everts suffered a small tip over, which would ultimately prove to be costly.

Liam made a forceful pass on Lucas which put the pair in seventh and eighth, and both moved up a spot as Ferruccio Zanchi slipped to ninth. Meanwhile, De Wolf was reeling in early leader Benistant, and just past the Pit Lane straight the Frenchman lost his balance through a tricky rut and fell, allowing both De Wolf and Elzinga through into the top two places.

Two laps later, the mud master that is Liam Everts passed both Laengenfelder and Reisulis to move to fourth, the move on the Latvian being a work of art that wasn’t repeated by anybody all day. The Belgian then took just two laps to close a three-second gap to Elzinga, but the Dutchman suffered bike issues and just after Liam went by into second, he ground to a halt at the side of the circuit.

On the penultimate lap, Lucas Coenen made a mistake and cut out the big, cambered corner, a unique feature to this circuit, and was therefore penalised two positions. This put him eighth in the classification, ahead of Quentin Marc Prugnieres and Camden McLellan.

Zanchi and Reisulis were promoted to sixth and seventh, after a strong charge from McLellan’s teammate Mikkel Haarup earned him a solid fifth from a start outside of the top ten.

Laengenfelder took fourth behind Benistant, which was still an impressive ride on his return from injury, but Everts charged to the rear wheel of De Wolf with three laps to go and very nearly passed the Championship leader. The Dutchman held his nerve to take a narrow win and extend his series lead by 12 points just in that race alone.

MX2 Race One Results

MX2 Race Two

In what was a good day for the blue bikes, Reisulis took the first Fox Holeshot Award of his MX2 career in race two, with Benistant initially behind him but jumping past in the corner after the finish line to take the lead, Laengenfelder chasing both.

On the first full lap, Everts fell, making life difficult for the teenage Belgian, while Reisulis retook the lead from Benistant, a bold move for the team rookie against the established star.

With De Wolf in fourth and Lucas Coenen crashing in a corner on lap three, Laengenfelder was keen to capitalise on his good start and fired inside Benistant on lap five, although it would take him many laps to close in the surprising Reisulis, whose confidence was growing by the lap in much better racing conditions than the first outing.

Benistant, feeling the pace on his return to action, slipped down the order to an eventual eighth in front of Zanchi and Prugnieres. Lucas Coenen recovered to seventh at the flag, nearly catching a disappointed Elzinga for sixth.

Everts had to charge again, and although he was just shy of Haarup’s fourth position, it was enough for the KTM man, in a difficult weekend for his teammates, to claim the third spot on the podium overall.

De Wolf held station in third place, but Laengenfelder finally caught and passed Reisulis on lap 13 to take his fourth race victory of the year, and the Latvian held on for his best race finish of second.

MX2 Race Two Results

MX2 Overall

Just two points separated de Wolf and Laegenfelder for the round overall, 45-43 respectively, with Liam Everts on 38-points, Reisulis on 36, Haarup rounding out the top-five on 34.

De Wolf’s Championship lead looks very strong now at 61, meaning he will carry the red plate even after the MXGP of Turkiye no matter what happens there, as Lucas Coenen will try to bounce back at Afyonkarahisar. That gap is 831 to 770, with Laegenfelder third on 727-points. Everts (681) and Haarup (581) round out the top five.

It’s the return to Turkiye next, after a week’s break for the series, to begin the final three rounds of the season. The battle to clinch the Championships swung towards the series leaders in Switzerland, but it is all still far from done yet!

Simon Laengenfelder – P1

“It feels great to bounce back after the tough weekend we had before. My starts weren’t ideal, but I was really pleased with my riding, especially in the second race. Getting the moto win was a big highlight, and I was really happy with how the bike performed. With this rhythm, I’m excited for the last few races of the season! A huge thank you to the team for their support – they’re doing a really awesome job!”

Liam Everts – P2

“I had some wheelspin on the start and that didn’t help but from around 10th place I just kept moving forward, forward, forward. It was a good moto. I crashed early in the second race and my clutch was bent so I lost time but I’m happy with my riding and also the result. I’m still making mistakes and that’s been the story of the last GPs. The tip-overs are costing me a lot. I’m working on it! I felt good on the track today and also the bike and I was ticking-off the riders one-by-one. I felt competitive and in the flow.”

Kay de Wolf – P3

“It was a great day today. It didn’t start off easily because I was dealing with a lot of pain from yesterday’s crash, but I was determined to fight through it, and I didn’t give up! The second race wasn’t as easy as the first; the pace at the front was really fast, but I brought it home safely, which is the main thing. We gained some massive points in the championship this weekend, and that’s what it’s all about. I’m just so happy, and I couldn’t have done it without this team – they do an amazing job day in and day out, and I really appreciate it. Now, on to the next one in Turkey!”

Thibault Benistant – P6

“I’m actually so happy to be back racing and there are plenty of positives for me to take away from here after being out of action for a few months. I struggled a little bit in Race Two as I’d not raced for so long but with more time on the bike, my feeling on the bike will only get better and better.”

Lucas Coenen – P7

“This weekend had some ups and downs for me. In the RAM Qualifying Race, I am very happy with my performance. From the start, I was in front and stayed there for all 14 laps. It was good to feel in control and to lead the race, especially with strong riders like Kay and Simon behind me. The first moto was more difficult. I finished 8th, which is not what I hoped for, but I kept pushing and stayed competitive. In the second moto, I had some troubles and had to fight hard to keep my position. I am proud that I could recover and keep going. Overall, finishing 7th in the GP is not where I want to be, but there are still some races left. I will keep working hard to get better results.”

Ferruccio Zanchi – P8

“Two top 10 results, my best moto finish of the season – sixth – and the joint-highest GP points tally I’ve had this year, so I have to be happy with this weekend. Getting that sixth was really good and gives me confidence that I am closing the gap to the top guys, so now I need to try and do that in both races. These next three rounds will all be new tracks for me, but I’m excited for them and hoping to keep up the progress.”

Andrea Adamo – P11

“Not the best weekend. Saturday was quite solid but today I missed some confidence and good feeling in the mud. I also missed my starts which is so important in these conditions. I need to improve my speed. A day to forget. We still have three GPs left to do our best.”

Rick Elzinga – P12

“I had a really good jump off the line in Race One with no wheel spin so I came out of the first turn in third. Around halfway I was into second and running with Kay and all was good. Then unfortunately I had an issue with my bike and my race was sadly over. My start in Race Two was also good, but not quite as good as my first one. I was up to fifth pretty quickly and caught a couple of riders but I just couldn’t find a way by. Then, near the end, I got held up by a backmarker and that made me lose a position. But overall, my speed and riding were good today so I can look forward to Turkey in two weeks with confidence.”

Sacha Coenen – P14

“My leg is still giving me problems and that means the righthand corners are difficult. I had a tip-over on the first lap in the first moto. I was just missing power with the right leg. I made as many passes as I could. In the second moto my rhythm was not great at the beginning but much better in the middle of the race and I was quick and having fun on the bike. Things are getting better, and I was already improving after Sweden and the Netherlands so I’m sure I’ll be 100% for Turkey.”

MX2 Round Overall

MX2 Championship Standings