2022 MXGP Round Five
MXGP of Trentino
The FIM Motocross World Championship reached Trentino over the weekend, marking round five of the championship and it was Team HRC’s Tim Gajser and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle who took top honours, with perfect score sheets. A new reversed track layout made for some intense racing as the leaders had to work hard for their victories.
It was a challenging weekend for the Aussie competitors, with Mitch Evans showing his improvement by leading a good portion of that qualification race, after a holeshot, before ending up with third gate-pick, in prime position for race day.
That form continued onto race-day with Evans in fifth into turn one, but intense pressure from his fellow competitors saw the Aussie drop to 10th by the finish line.
In race two, unfortunately Evans wasn’t able to make such a good start and was down in 13th by the end of lap one. However, he was determined to once again break into the top 10 and achieved that goal with a finishing place of ninth, for an eventual ninth overall. Evans now sits 12th in the standings just two-points outside the top-ten.
Mitch Evans – P9
“While perhaps the end results weren’t as good as I hoped, I am still very positive about how things went this weekend. I showed in the qualification race, and in moto one today that I have the speed to run with the guys up the front so now I have to put myself in the position to do that regularly. I also have to extend that speed for the full 35 minutes, but I don’t think I’m too far away from that and I’m excited to get to Latvia after another week of work. Thanks to the team for all their help and for helping me make these steps every race.”
F&H Kawasaki Racing Team’s Jed Beaton once again showed his track craft to advance to seventh on the opening lap of race one with clever line-choice and he maintained that position with top-six lap times for half the race.
However the on-going effects of the shoulder injury he sustained at round two of the series forced him to slow his pace, eventually finishing 15th. The second moto followed a similar pattern with a 14th place finish and he remains tenth in the championship standings.
Jed Beaton – P15
“It’s the same as last week; I’m still struggling with the shoulder. I don’t have any pain but there’s just no strength after a bit of riding. When I’m racing the first ten-fifteen minutes I’m up the front battling, but then it drops off. It’s a little difficult for me to accept at the moment but it is how it is; now we have two weeks to try to get it sorted as best we can before the next GP.“
2022 MXGP of Trentino Highlights Video
MXGP Race 1
MXGP race one was an explosive one, with Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Glenn Coldenhoff grabbing the first Fox Holeshot from Team HRC’s Tim Gajser, Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado, Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jeremy Seewer and Team HRC’s Mitch Evans.
Seewer was looking strong in the opening laps as he looked to be closing in on Prado, who fought to not lose grip on the leaders, while Gajser and Coldenhoff got themselves into an intense battle for the win as they traded in who took the fastest sector and lap times of the race, lap by lap. On one occasion, Gajser was fastest in sector one, while Coldenhoff went purple in sector two, then Gajser again in three and Coldenhoff in four – that is how close the racing really was at the front.
After 11 laps, that were full of nail-biting action, close passes and plenty of moments that almost ended in tears, Gajser was able to find a way past the #259 of Coldenhoff to finally get himself into the lead. After doing so, the Slovenian settled into his own pace as he got comfortable in the front, while Coldenhoff had Prado looming in the shadows.
Further down the order there was also some nice battles coming from Gebben Van Venrooy Yamaha Racing’s Calvin Vlaanderen who fought his way through the field. After getting a mid-pack start, the Yamaha rider passed F&H Kawasaki Racing’s Jed Beaton on lap seven and then on lap 14 got around Evans to secure sixth in the race.
In the closing stages, Prado started to gain a little on Coldenhoff as Gajser got comfortable in the lead. In the last three laps, Prado tried to pass the factory Yamaha rider, though could not find an opportunity and was forced to settle for third as Gajser won.
MXGP Race 2
In the second race, Prado bounced back with a Fox Holeshot as he led Gajser, Seewer and Bogers. Seewer once again displayed his fearlessness as he jumped the triple to get himself into second, but Gajser was fast to react.
Race one Fox Holeshot winner, Coldenhoff, did not get so lucky in race two, as he went down in the first corner.
Prado’s time in the lead did not last a full lap, as he stalled his bike which saw him drop down to fifth as Gajser took control of the lead. Seewer remained second ahead of Bogers and Renaux who joined the fight for P2. Seewer did crash but managed to stay ahead for the time being.
Further down the field, SM Action Racing Team YUASA Battery’s Alberto Forato passed Standing Construct Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Pauls Jonass on lap two, and then set his sight forward as he was able to get around Bogers, who crashed, then Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP’s Ben Watson on lap five, before catching up to Prado.
For six laps, Forato consistently applied the pressure onto Prado and showed better speed at times that the Spaniard ahead and even setting the fastest lap of the race on the seventh lap. But it was not meant to be for the Italian who then crashed on lap 11.
In the final laps, we saw Seewer and Renaux locked in a close battle as the Frenchman looked to solidify his spot on the podium after his struggles in Portugal. This was also an opportunity for Prado who also got closer to the pair and joined the fight for second position once again.
On lap 15 Renaux went by his teammate as Prado was looking to do the same, but Seewer managed to keep hold of third by the chequered flag as Gajser won the race.
It was Gajser’s first 1-1 of the season, as he enjoyed the moment on the top step of the podium with the roar of his fans who gathered in huge crowds! Renaux celebrated his comeback to the box with second overall, with Prado down on the third step.
After five rounds, Gajser now has 236 points to his name as he continues to lead the MXGP championship, while Prado is second 33 points behind and Renaux third on 184 points.
Next, we head to Kegums for the MXGP of Latvia on the 23rd and 24th of April.
Tim Gajser – P1
“It was a great weekend. I was enjoying the whole event, especially after two years of a ‘quiet Arco’, this year was different, it was nice. I got two good starts, riding was good in both races, after half the race I was leading them and controlling them so it was a good feeling. A big thank you to all the fans who travelled here today, they are amazing. I’m feeling really good at the moment, I’m really looking forward to going to Kegums, I really like that track. I’m just going to train hard and be there in two weeks. Can’t wait!”
Maxime Renaux – P2
“It was really good. This podium feels super special for me because after last weekend doubts starting to come, it was good to bounce back and get back on the podium. I knew the move on my teammate in the second race was really decisive because I was fighting for the podium places and I could make it really smart and smooth, so I’m really happy and I enjoyed that podium so much.”
Jorge Prado – P3
“It was a tough weekend for me. The team did a great job this weekend and really made me comfortable. I was pushing for second in the first moto, but just could not pass and it was the same in the second moto. I was happy to get a clear track early in the second moto, but I made a mistake in the third sector. I think that would have been a very good moto – I was feeling good!”
Brian Bogers – P6
“I am feeling really good at the moment. Everything is going very well and I feel so strong on the bike. I think that it was possible to be on the podium today – the speed was there. I messed up the start in the first moto, but coming back to eighth was good. I cost myself some positions with a mistake in the second one, but the riding was still really good. I am happy with that.”
Ben Watson – P11
“I’ve always felt good here in the past, and even won a GP here in MX2 two years ago, but something was missing yesterday. I always try to stay positive; everything leaves you and you have to enjoy it when you get on the bike so today was a new day. I gated well in the first race but I just braked too late and missed the first corner. On the second lap I crashed and hit my head quite hard so I was quite slow to get up but once I got comfortable I rode pretty good; the result was nothing but the feeling was not too bad. For the second race we decided to go with the scoop tyre because the start was ripped and, even though the track is hard and slick, there was something to turn on everywhere. I sacrificed a few milli-seconds around the track to get a great start; in fact if I had been further to the inside after Qualifying I would have holeshot. It felt good to be up there with the lead-pack; I was able to ride my own race and it came automatically. I didn’t feel anything heavy and I wasn’t going over my limit to stay there. Now I need to go in steps; I hadn’t ridden with those guys at that level so far this season so it was good to turn the season round and now I look forward positively to the rest of the GPs.“
2022 MXGP of Trentino Results
| Pos | Rider | Nat. | Bike | R1 | R2 | Total |
| 1 | Gajser, Tim | SLO | HON | 25 | 25 | 50 |
| 2 | Renaux, Maxime | FRA | YAM | 18 | 22 | 40 |
| 3 | Prado, Jorge | ESP | GAS | 20 | 18 | 38 |
| 4 | Seewer, Jeremy | SUI | YAM | 16 | 20 | 36 |
| 5 | Coldenhoff, Glenn | NED | YAM | 22 | 10 | 32 |
| 6 | Bogers, Brian | NED | HUS | 13 | 16 | 29 |
| 7 | Van Horebeek, Jeremy | BEL | BET | 14 | 13 | 27 |
| 8 | Fernandez, Ruben | ESP | HON | 10 | 14 | 24 |
| 9 | Evans, Mitchell | AUS | HON | 11 | 12 | 23 |
| 10 | Tixier, Jordi | FRA | KTM | 9 | 11 | 20 |
| 11 | Watson, Ben | GBR | KAW | 3 | 15 | 18 |
| 12 | Koch, Tom | GER | KTM | 8 | 9 | 17 |
| 13 | Vlaanderen, Calvin | NED | YAM | 15 | 0 | 15 |
| 14 | Van doninck, Brent | BEL | YAM | 5 | 8 | 13 |
| 15 | Beaton, Jed | AUS | KAW | 6 | 7 | 13 |
| 16 | Forato, Alberto | ITA | GAS | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| 17 | Östlund, Alvin | SWE | YAM | 2 | 6 | 8 |
| 18 | Jacobi, Henry | GER | HON | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| 19 | Roosiorg, Hardi | EST | KTM | 0 | 5 | 5 |
| 20 | Zaragoza, Jorge | ESP | HON | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| 21 | Sihvonen, Miro | FIN | HON | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 22 | Jonass, Pauls | LAT | HUS | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| 23 | Guarise, Ismaele | ITA | KTM | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 24 | Lefrancois, Charles | FRA | HON | 0 | 1 | 1 |
2022 MXGP Standings
| Pos | Rider | Nat. | Bike | Total |
| 1 | Gajser, Tim | SLO | HON | 236 |
| 2 | Prado, Jorge | ESP | GAS | 203 |
| 3 | Renaux, Maxime | FRA | YAM | 184 |
| 4 | Seewer, Jeremy | SUI | YAM | 160 |
| 5 | Coldenhoff, G. | NED | YAM | 141 |
| 6 | Bogers, Brian | NED | HUS | 126 |
| 7 | Van Horebeek, J. | BEL | BET | 126 |
| 8 | Fernandez, R. | ESP | HON | 125 |
| 9 | Forato, A. | ITA | GAS | 94 |
| 10 | Beaton, Jed | AUS | KAW | 82 |
| 11 | Watson, Ben | GBR | KAW | 82 |
| 12 | Evans, M. | AUS | HON | 80 |
| 13 | Jonass, Pauls | LAT | HUS | 76 |
| 14 | Vlaanderen, C. | NED | YAM | 75 |
| 15 | Tixier, Jordi | FRA | KTM | 75 |
| 16 | Olsen, T. | DEN | KTM | 73 |
| 17 | Jacobi, Henry | GER | HON | 59 |
| 18 | Van doninck, B. | BEL | YAM | 47 |
| 19 | Koch, Tom | GER | KTM | 41 |
| 20 | Östlund, Alvin | SWE | YAM | 30 |
| 21 | Lupino, A. | ITA | BET | 11 |
| 22 | Rolando, N. | URU | SUZ | 10 |
| 23 | Guillod, V. | SUI | YAM | 10 |
| 24 | Roosiorg, H. | EST | KTM | 8 |
| 25 | Villaronga, S. | CHL | HON | 6 |
| 26 | Arco, V. | ARG | SUZ | 6 |
| 27 | Martin, H. | VEN | HUS | 5 |
| 28 | Zaragoza, J. | ESP | HON | 4 |
| 29 | Trossero, M. | ARG | YAM | 4 |
| 30 | Toro, Lautaro | ARG | KTM | 4 |
| 31 | Sihvonen, Miro | FIN | HON | 4 |
| 32 | Carrasco, A. | ARG | YAM | 4 |
| 33 | Monticelli, I. | ITA | HON | 3 |
| 34 | Galletta, P. | ARG | YAM | 3 |
| 35 | Jasikonis, A. | LTU | YAM | 3 |
| 36 | Lapucci, N. | ITA | FAN | 3 |
| 37 | Guarise, I. | ITA | KTM | 2 |
| 38 | Paturel, B. | FRA | HON | 2 |
| 39 | Lefrancois, C. | FRA | HON | 1 |
| 40 | Cabarcos, F. | ARG | SUZ | 1 |
| 41 | Zonta, Filippo | ITA | GAS | 1 |
MX2 Race 1
In the first MX2 race of the day, the first Fox Holeshot went to Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle who led Big Van World MTX Kawasaki’s Mikkel Haarup, Hitachi KTM fuelled by Milwaukee’s Isak Gifting, Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Thibault Benistant and SM Action Racing Team YUASA Battery’s Andrea Adamo.
Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jago Geerts started in around 11th, while F&H Kawasaki Racing Team’s Kevin Horgmo crashed on the second lap, falling down to 26th.
Haarup then set the fastest lap of the race as he looked to get closer to the leader, though Vialle responded by the following lap to go faster than the Dane. Adamo then passed Benistant for fourth, as Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Mattia Guadagnini got around Hutten Metaal Yamaha Racing’s Rick Elzinga.
Geerts was making his way forward as he got by Benistant for fourth on lap seven, while Vialle and Haarup continued to trade the fastest laps. Just behind them, Gifting crashed out of second which allowed Adamo through to the position, as Geerts edged closer.
The Belgian managed to close in on the Italian and on lap 17 he moved up to second. Benistant was still there in fifth, while Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Kay de Wolf made his way up to sixth by the chequered flag.
For much of the race we witnessed a very close battle between Vialle and Haarup, with Haarup not backing down from the regular winner. On his last push for the win during the last few corners, Haarup went off track and had to abort mission to keep second.
Vialle won race one ahead of Haarup, Geerts, Adamo and Benistant.
MX2 Race 2
In race two, it was again Vialle with the Fox Holeshot, this time ahead of Benistant, Elzinga and de Wolf, while Adamo struggled out of the gate. The Italian later came into pitlane and was left with a DNF after a very strong opening heat.
de Wolf was quick to pass Elzinga for third and then less than a lap later he was in second after getting around Benistant, though the Frenchman did not make it so easy on the Dutchman.
Geerts meanwhile made his way up the order after a top five start, as he caught onto his teammate Benistant. Geerts may have pushed too hard as he fell out of fourth place but got going again quickly in fifth. Geerts then got caught and passed by Guadagnini and Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Simon Längenfelder, this pushed him down to ninth.
Geerts’ race went from bad to worse as he crashed big once again, this time retiring from the race. This was very costly for his championship lead.
While at the front, Vialle set the fastest lap of the race as de Wolf remained close. But what was impressive was Horgmo’s fastest lap of the race on lap 12 as he looked to put a strong result on his scorecard today.
With just a few laps to go, Haarup was showing incredible pace as he pushed to pass Elzinga in order to get himself on the podium. There were a couple of very close moments, and moments where Haarup almost crashed, but the Dane was able to keep it upright and also get the pass done on the final lap!
Vialle won the race ahead of de Wolf, with Benistant third ahead of Guadagnini and Horgmo.
A perfect 1-1 score gave Vialle his third back-to-back GP victory and also the red plate! De Wolf was second, securing his second podium of 2022 ahead of Haarup who continued to impress everyone with his third GP podium on the bounce.
Vialle now leads the championship and is 14 points clear of Geerts who is second ahead of Haarup who is a further 25 points behind.
Tom Vialle – P1
“A great day for me. I felt good today, especially in the second moto. Kay was behind me for a long time but I focused and pushed when I needed to. The bike was working amazing today and for that I want to thank the team. We did a great job and now have the red plate; it’s always nice to have it on the front of the bike!”
Kay de Wolf – P2
“I am pretty happy to be back on the podium! I am still not back to one hundred percent, after Argentina and those tough few weeks, but this is a great step forward. I actually struggled with the track on Saturday, but we made some great changes and I felt so strong today. We will be back to battle again in Latvia.”
Mikkel Haarup – P3
“Getting a podium three times in-a-row is unbelievable. In the first moto I made a very good decision at the second corner to give myself some positions and be second straight away on the first lap. There’s more pressure at the front but I felt more at home to be up there this time; I tried to push on, and if I had felt I had the opportunity for the win I would have taken it, but I couldn’t quite make the pass. The inside gate didn’t work the second time but I worked my way up to sixth with that pass on the last lap to give me the podium. I was so focused on my own riding I didn’t actually realise it was for the podium – I just wanted the point for the championship – but this one feels good, not just for myself but for everyone in the team. Now we have a weekend off so I will go home, recover and come back with full energy for Latvia.“
Mattia Guadagnini – P5
“I was feeling really, really good on the track this weekend. I showed what I could do in the second moto and did one of the best laps of the race towards the end; I just need to focus on the start. If I start in the top three then I know that I can go for the win. The best thing to come from this weekend was my speed.”
Kevin Horgmo – P6
“It’s just a little unfortunate that I crashed with another guy on the second lap of the first race and had to come back from twenty-ninth to twelfth. It’s always been difficult to pass here so that was quite an achievement. I got another bad start in the second race but I came through from outside the top-ten to fifth. I felt my riding was really good; I just need to improve my starts.”
Simon Langenfelder – P10
“My starts were okay today, but I did not quite have the speed in the motos. I will keep on working with the team and try to be better. I am not so happy with how today went but I did not have any big crashes and that is good. I will use this weekend off to rest and then go again in Latvia.”
MX2 Results
| Pos | Rider | Nat. | Bike | R1 | R2 | Total |
| 1 | Vialle, Tom | FRA | KTM | 25 | 25 | 50 |
| 2 | de Wolf, Kay | NED | HUS | 15 | 22 | 37 |
| 3 | Haarup, Mikkel | DEN | KAW | 22 | 15 | 37 |
| 4 | Benistant, Thibault | FRA | YAM | 16 | 20 | 36 |
| 5 | Guadagnini, Mattia | ITA | GAS | 14 | 18 | 32 |
| 6 | Horgmo, Kevin | NOR | KAW | 9 | 16 | 25 |
| 7 | Elzinga, Rick | NED | YAM | 10 | 14 | 24 |
| 8 | Gifting, Isak | SWE | KTM | 11 | 13 | 24 |
| 9 | Rubini, Stephen | FRA | HON | 12 | 12 | 24 |
| 10 | Laengenfelder, Simon | GER | GAS | 13 | 11 | 24 |
| 11 | Geerts, Jago | BEL | YAM | 20 | 0 | 20 |
| 12 | Sydow, Jeremy | GER | KTM | 8 | 10 | 18 |
| 13 | Adamo, Andrea | ITA | GAS | 18 | 0 | 18 |
| 14 | Everts, Liam | BEL | KTM | 7 | 8 | 15 |
| 15 | Pancar, Jan | SLO | KTM | 5 | 7 | 12 |
| 16 | Goupillon, Pierre | FRA | KTM | 2 | 9 | 11 |
| 17 | Brumann, Kevin | SUI | YAM | 6 | 4 | 10 |
| 18 | Fredriksen, Hakon | NOR | HON | 1 | 6 | 7 |
| 19 | Mewse, Conrad | GBR | KTM | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| 20 | Guyon, Tom | FRA | KTM | 0 | 5 | 5 |
| 21 | Polak, Petr | CZE | HON | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 22 | Bonacorsi, Andrea | ITA | YAM | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 23 | Meier, Glen | DEN | KTM | 0 | 1 | 1 |
MX2 Standings
| Pos | Rider | Nat. | Bike | Total |
| 1 | Vialle, Tom | FRA | KTM | 208 |
| 2 | Geerts, Jago | BEL | YAM | 194 |
| 3 | Haarup, Mikkel | DEN | KAW | 169 |
| 4 | Laengenfelder, S. | GER | GAS | 154 |
| 5 | de Wolf, Kay | NED | HUS | 150 |
| 6 | Guadagnini, M. | ITA | GAS | 138 |
| 7 | Horgmo, Kevin | NOR | KAW | 136 |
| 8 | Adamo, Andrea | ITA | GAS | 133 |
| 9 | Rubini, S. | FRA | HON | 116 |
| 10 | Gifting, Isak | SWE | KTM | 111 |
| 11 | Mewse, Conrad | GBR | KTM | 96 |
| 12 | Sydow, Jeremy | GER | KTM | 80 |
| 13 | Fredriksen, H. | NOR | HON | 77 |
| 14 | Benistant, T. | FRA | YAM | 63 |
| 15 | Van De Moosdijk, R. | NED | HUS | 55 |
| 16 | Pancar, Jan | SLO | KTM | 45 |
| 17 | Polak, Petr | CZE | HON | 35 |
| 18 | Brumann, Kevin | SUI | YAM | 33 |
| 19 | Facchetti, G. | ITA | KTM | 32 |
| 20 | Elzinga, Rick | NED | YAM | 24 |
| 21 | Pascual, P. | ARG | KTM | 16 |
| 22 | Righi, Luciano | ARG | HUS | 16 |
| 23 | Everts, Liam | BEL | KTM | 15 |
| 24 | Guyon, Tom | FRA | KTM | 15 |
| 25 | Ciccimarra, F. | ARG | YAM | 12 |
| 26 | Goupillon, P. | FRA | KTM | 11 |
| 27 | Olsson, Filip | SWE | HUS | 11 |
| 28 | Karssemakers, K. | NED | KTM | 10 |
| 29 | Teresak, Jakub | CZE | KTM | 7 |
| 30 | Ludwig, Noah | GER | KTM | 7 |
| 31 | Ambjörnson, L. | SWE | HUS | 5 |
| 32 | Meier, Glen | DEN | KTM | 5 |
| 33 | Edberg, Tim | SWE | YAM | 4 |
| 34 | Bonacorsi, A. | ITA | YAM | 3 |
| 35 | Nilsson, S. | ESP | KTM | 3 |
