FIM Motocross World Championship – Round 12
MXGP of Indonesia, Sumbawa
Round 12 of the FIM Motocross World Championship concluded over the weekend at Sumbawa in Indonesia, with Team HRC’s Tim Gajser and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle dominating their respective classes, with Vialle even reclaiming the red plate.
The new venue of Samota Rocket Motor Circuit was specifically built for the event and saw forty thousand fans line the circuit to cheer on their favourite riders.
Top Aussie of the weekend was Mitch Evans, once again working his way through the field, coming through from seventh place on lap one, to end up in fifth position.
It was quite an effort from the Australian, including posting a laptime that was second-fastest, only slightly behind Gajser, which really highlighted how well the Honda CRF450R coped in these loamy conditions. His six-five results gave him sixth overall, his best in 2022, and with the 31-points also a season-high.
Mitch Evans – P6
“Another season-best performance so I am very happy with that, especially after feeling so bad earlier in the day. I really had to fight hard in both races to keep my pace up and keep the riders behind me, so this was a massive effort and it feels great to have that effort pay-off. Scoring 31-points and getting sixth overall after six-five moto scores is a nice boost heading into these couple of weeks off, so now I will keep working hard and keep this momentum for the next round in the Czech Republic.”
F&H Kawasaki Racing Team’s Jed Beaton showed good pace during the first half of race one as he advanced from eighth to sixth but the Australian ran out of energy in the heat during the final fifteen minutes to be pushed back to tenth at the chequered flag. The second moto was difficult from the word go but he persevered to finish fourteenth for twelfth overall. He remains seventeenth in the championship standings.
Jed Beaton – P12
“The layout of the track looked really nice when we arrived even though it’s rocky underneath. I ran up front for twenty minutes in the first moto – that was really positive – but then the heat got to me so I went into the second race on the back foot as I’m still not back to 100%.“
Other Australian riders will be making the trip across to Indonesia to wildcard the Indonesian Grand Prix, with Nicholas Murray and Lewis Stewart making their first MXGP appearances.
News Highlights Video | MXGP of Indonesia 2022
MXGP Race 1
In MXGP race one, it was Team HRC’s Tim Gajser who grabbed the Fox Holeshot, as Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP’s Ben Watson hit the gate and was left with quite a bit of work to do as he started last.
Gajser led the way with Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado, Honda 114 Motorsports’ Ruben Fernandez, Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Glenn Coldenhoff and Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP’s Romain Febvre right behind.
Febvre then got passed by Standing Construct Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Pauls Jonass who got straight onto the rear wheel of Coldenhoff for fourth. Though Febvre was not going to go down without a fight, as he looked to re-group immediately.
A couple of laps later, Jonass crashed and dropped back to ninth. The Latvian got going quickly and was able to pass Gebben Van Venrooy Yamaha Racing’s Calvin Vlaanderen for eighth, and the Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Mattia Guadagnini to finish the race seventh. Vlaanderen later suffered a bike issue and pulled out of the race.
Team HRC’s Mitch Evans passed F&H Kawasaki Racing’s Jed Beaton for sixth on lap five, as Fernandez lost a bit of ground to Prado, though he remained closed and pushed his fellow Spaniard.
In the end, Gajser took his 12th race win of the season ahead of Prado, Fernandez, Coldenhoff and Fernandez.
Evans had to settle for sixth, two-tenths off Febvre, with Jed Beaton 10th.
Lewis Stewart and Nicholas Murray took 16th and 17th respectively in Race 1.
MXGP Round 2
In the second race, the Fox Holeshot went to Prado as Gajser got squeezed on the start by Febvre and dropped back to fourth. Fernandez was able to get around Gajser too, though the Slovenian passed him back a couple of corners later.
Prado was looking good in first place, while Gajser began to focus on Febvre who was just ahead. It took the Honda rider a lap to find his way up to second, as he flew past Febvre. A lap later he was onto the rear wheel of Prado and was also able to find his way into the lead.
Further behind, Evans continued his strong run as he closed in on Jonass for fifth. The pair battled closely for three laps, before Jonass crashed. The Latvian got going fairly quickly and only lost two positions to Fernandez and Coldenhoff.
Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jeremy Seewer, who suffered with food poising all weekend, was fighting strong inside the top 10. The Swiss had Guadagnini and Vlaanderen just ahead of him.
Gajser and Prado maintained a consistent gap to one another, as the Spaniard did not let the Slovenian get away easy. Febvre was third and being pushed by Fernandez, who was on his way to another podium finish.
In the end, Gajser was able to go 1-1 ahead of Prado and Febvre who crossed the line third. Fernandez finished fourth ahead of Evans.
Two race wins put Gajser on the podium, Prado finished second on the box for the fourth time this season, ahead of Fernandez who celebrated his second podium of 2022.
Evans improved to fifth for Race 2, Beaton completed Race 2 in 14th, Lewis Stewart came home in 17th, while Nicholas Murray finished 18th.
Gajser now has an impressive 125 point lead over Prado who moves up to second ahead of Seewer who drops to third.
Tim Gajser – P1
“It was a great day today, going one-one and really having fun out on the track. The first moto was almost perfect, getting the holeshot and controlling the whole race to take the win. I felt really good and the track was a lot better today so well done to the track crew who worked on it. In race two, I didn’t get quite as good a start, and was fourth but I made some really nice passes and within a few laps I was in the lead. Once again, I was able to control the race and take the win and my eighth overall of the season. My lead in the championship is now 125 points so I am very happy with how the season is going. A big thank you to my whole team for working so hard and a big thank you to the people of Sumbawa who have been great since our arrival, I am already looking forward to coming back next year.”
Jorge Prado – P2
“It was a good weekend. I felt a little bit better than yesterday; it was a tough track and Tim was unstoppable this weekend, I tried really hard. I got a good start in the second race, but Tim had better pace and passed me but I stayed with him the whole race and Romain was pushing me but I held on. We are going up and now have some time until the next race and I will try to get some rest, do some good training and step it up.”
Ruben Fernandez – P3
“This weekend was good for me overall. Since Saturday, I felt good with the track, third in time practice, third in qualifying and third in the first race, and fourth in the second one for third overall which was very solid. Finally I made it, two Spanish flags on the podium, so I think the Spanish motocross fans will be happy.”
Romain Febvre – P4
“It leaves a bitter taste in my mouth to miss the podium by just two points! I had a good feeling with the bike all weekend and I really liked the track; already on Saturday I had good lap times and a good Qualifying race. Today it was the first race that spoilt my day; I started well but Tim moved towards me in the first corner so that I had to brake and I was passed on the outside. I was fifth and I had to stay there for several laps; it was difficult to follow each other closely, and to carry out an attack your opponent had to make a mistake, especially as half of the track was made up of heavy dirt. In the second race I saved my challenge for the end of the race. I pushed with two laps to go to try to overtake Prado; I drew alongside him when he made a mistake on an uphill but I couldn’t quite make the pass stick. Maybe I should have started my challenge a lap earlier. I’m disappointed to miss the podium but this weekend has confirmed that the results are pretty good since my return and everyone in the team is happy.“
Glenn Coldenhoff – P5
“It was difficult this weekend. After Timed Practice, I started feeling unwell. I didn’t feel like I had any energy in the Qualifying Race and then after that I felt so bad. I had a fever and could not eat or drink anything. It has been a tough day and I knew with no food and drink that it was going to be very difficult, especially in the second race. But, I lined up today with the mindset that I will survive and that I am strong, although I quickly realized that that was not the case. I had totally no energy at all. I am glad we are done here and that I am going home safe with some solid points, fifth overall.”
Pauls Jonass – P7
“The speed was good at the beginning of the day and it is kind of the same old story. I just struggled a little as the track got rougher. The speed was really good and so was the feeling on my FC 450, but I was just missing something. I had small crashes in both motos too – that didn’t help after some great starts! The good thing is that the speed is there.”
Mattia Guadagnini – P8
“I finished eighth again! I did not feel that good today, to be honest, as I got a little bit sick. I think that the second moto was better than the first. I had more rhythm and the riding was better. I just survived a little bit though, because of my illness. Going 8-8 for eighth overall is not bad at all, but I think that I could have been closer to the front.”
Jeremy Seewer – P9
“I felt amazing coming here; I was super fit Friday and excited to race here, but then the hammer came, and Friday night after dinner, I got really sick. Something was really wrong. I didn’t sleep all night. I couldn’t keep any food down. So, all of Saturday, I didn’t ride, I was just trying to survive. I was completely destroyed but just had to do two or three laps to learn the track and the start of the qualifying race. Today, I am happy with where I finished because I have come a long way since yesterday, where I was at rock bottom with this sickness. In the first moto, the gate moved but didn’t fall. So I hit the gate, and then after that, I came from last and finished 12th, which is okay because passing is very difficult if you are trying to save energy and just survive. The second moto was the same story. I didn’t make any big mistakes, just stalled the bike once, but P.9 in these conditions, I have to be happy with that. Now I just look forward to going home and to the doctor to get this virus or bacteria or whatever it is out of my body as fast as possible.”
Ben Watson – P13
“I felt really positive when we arrived here and saw the track. It’s really special; they did a really good job and it was worth the long journey but I just didn’t feel physically strong enough all weekend. I don’t think it was the heat but I felt heavy from the start and struggled with the intensity. I saw some form of movement in the gate at the start of the first race and hit it. There were a couple of us who moved so I don’t think I imagined it; it was just one of those things. I tried to re-group between races and rode better in race two to make a couple of passes; I just wish I could ride more aggressively at the moment.“
MXGP of Indonesia 2022 Round Overall
| Pos | Rider | Nat. | Bike | R1 | R2 | Total |
| 1 | Gajser, Tim | SLO | HON | 25 | 25 | 50 |
| 2 | Prado, Jorge | ESP | GAS | 22 | 22 | 44 |
| 3 | Fernandez, Ruben | ESP | HON | 20 | 18 | 38 |
| 4 | Febvre, Romain | FRA | KAW | 16 | 20 | 36 |
| 5 | Coldenhoff, Glenn | NED | YAM | 18 | 15 | 33 |
| 6 | Evans, Mitchell | AUS | HON | 15 | 16 | 31 |
| 7 | Jonass, Pauls | LAT | HUS | 14 | 14 | 28 |
| 8 | Guadagnini, Mattia | ITA | GAS | 13 | 13 | 26 |
| 9 | Seewer, Jeremy | SUI | YAM | 9 | 12 | 21 |
| 10 | Tixier, Jordi | FRA | KTM | 12 | 9 | 21 |
| 11 | Lapucci, Nicholas | ITA | FAN | 10 | 10 | 20 |
| 12 | Beaton, Jed | AUS | KAW | 11 | 7 | 18 |
| 13 | Watson, Ben | GBR | KAW | 7 | 8 | 15 |
| 14 | Östlund, Alvin | SWE | YAM | 8 | 6 | 14 |
| 15 | Vlaanderen, Calvin | NED | YAM | 1 | 11 | 12 |
| 16 | Bogers, Brian | NED | HUS | 6 | 5 | 11 |
| 17 | Stewart, Lewis | AUS | KTM | 5 | 4 | 9 |
| 18 | Murray, Nicholas | AUS | HUS | 4 | 3 | 7 |
| 19 | Hendra fahrodjie, Farhan | INA | KTM | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| 20 | Kerhoas, Lionel | FRA | YAM | 2 | 1 | 3 |
MXGP Standings After Round 12 (Top 20)
| Pos | Rider | Nat. | Bike | Total |
| 1 | Gajser, Tim | SLO | HON | 535 |
| 2 | Prado, Jorge | ESP | GAS | 410 |
| 3 | Seewer, Jeremy | SUI | YAM | 405 |
| 4 | Renaux, Maxime | FRA | YAM | 365 |
| 5 | Coldenhoff, G. | NED | YAM | 363 |
| 6 | Fernandez, R. | ESP | HON | 342 |
| 7 | Jonass, Pauls | LAT | HUS | 278 |
| 8 | Bogers, Brian | NED | HUS | 263 |
| 9 | Vlaanderen, C. | NED | YAM | 239 |
| 10 | Van Horebeek, J. | BEL | BET | 229 |
| 11 | Evans, M. | AUS | HON | 206 |
| 12 | Watson, Ben | GBR | KAW | 189 |
| 13 | Tixier, Jordi | FRA | KTM | 186 |
| 14 | Forato, A. | ITA | GAS | 172 |
| 15 | Jacobi, Henry | GER | HON | 154 |
| 16 | Van doninck, B. | BEL | YAM | 143 |
| 17 | Beaton, Jed | AUS | KAW | 141 |
| 18 | Guadagnini, M. | ITA | GAS | 95 |
| 19 | Östlund, Alvin | SWE | YAM | 86 |
| 20 | Olsen, T. | DEN | KTM | 73 |
MX2 Race 1
In the first MX2 race of the day, the Fox Holeshot went to Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle who led Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Kay de Wolf, Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jago Geerts as well as F&H Kawasaki Racing’s Kevin Horgmo.
SM Action Racing Team YUASA Battery’s Andrea Adamo did not get off to the best start as a mistake pushed him back to second to last.
Big Van World MTX Kawasaki’s Mikkel Haarup then passed Horgmo for fourth, as Ship to Cycle Honda SR Motoblouz’s Stephen Rubini got by Delvintor Alfarizi for ninth.
Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Simon Längenfelder was another rider to get around Horgmo, as de Wolf crashed out of second on the eighth lap which allowed Geerts up to second.
By that point Vialle was already 3.167 seconds ahead of Geerts, who was looking to keep close to the leader and challenge him for the win.
Horgmo then got back past Längenfelder briefly, before the German and was the fastest rider on the track. All while Haarup was looking solid ahead in fourth, though a bike problem took him out of the race.
Geerts then started to make mistakes as he lost ground to Vialle. The gap went up to 9.484 seconds, then up to 12.266 and so on, by which point the Frenchman was looking comfortable and in control.
Further down the order, de Wolf, Horgmo and Längenfelder were locked in a tight battle for third, though de Wolf and Horgmo came together, and both crashed, which allowed Längenfelder to easily cruise into third. de Wolf got going again but began to fade as Horgmo and Rubini made a pass on the Dutchman, he eventually finished eighth.
In the end, Vialle won the opening race by 8.812 seconds over Geerts and Längenfelder.
MX2 Race 2
In race two, the Fox Holeshot went to Längenfelder, though Vialle took the lead immediately with Adamo third ahead of Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Thibault Benistant. Horgmo had a problem in the opening lap as he dropped back to last, while Geerts was making up some positions in 8th.
Vialle meanwhile continued to lead Längenfelder, as the pair maintained a close gap.
Haarup was looking good in the second race, as he looked to make up for lost points in the opening heat. He pushed Hitachi KTM Fuelled by Milwaukee’s Kay Karssemakers for fifth and was able to make the pass stick, but shortly after he suffered another bike problem and did not carry on with the race.
Längenfelder was looking fast as he set several fastest laps of the race as he closed the gap down to Vialle to less than a second. The GasGas rider continued to urge Vialle along which caused Vialle to make a mistake and go off track and on lap five we saw a change for the lead.
Adamo continued in third, while Geerts was looking to make up valuable positions down in sixth.
Four laps later, there was another change for the lead as Längenfelder tipped over, which meant that Vialle was back in the driving seat and on his way to a perfect GP score.
By the end of the race, Geerts was able to get by Karssemakers for fifth, while Benistant passed Adamo for third on lap 10, which also put him on the box. In the end, Vialle won the race ahead of Geerts, Längenfelder, Benistant and Horgmo.
A 1-1 result gave Vialle the perfect score and put him on the top step of the podium, with Längenfelder second ahead of Benistant third, who celebrated his third podium on the bounce.
Vialle finished the Indonesian Grand Prix first, compared to Geerts’ fourth overall, which also means that the Frenchman now takes back the red plate and leads the championship standings by 4 points.
Tom Vialle – P1
“A great weekend and I had a great feeling on the track. The first moto was pretty comfortable after that start and I could lead all the way. In the second one I passed Simon but then made a mistake on a jump and ran off the track. When he then crashed I could get him back. The track was sketchier later in the moto with a lot of bumps on the take-offs. It was not so easy to take the flow but I’m really happy with the results and to have the red plate again. The title fight will be tight until the end but I’m ready to go for it.”
Simon Längenfelder – P2
“It was a good weekend. For me, the mesh here from the gates are a little bit different. So, I struggled in the qualifying race and in the first race a little bit with that. But I’m happy to get the Holeshot and then I was passed. Tom made a small mistake and jumped off track which allowed me to go first, I then pushed but unfortunately made a small mistake my front wheel slipped away. But nevertheless, I was second overall this weekend. Very happy to be on the podium and can go home with a smile.”
Thibault Benistant – P3
“I did not feel really good on the track, my rhythm wasn’t good, and also my feeling on the track, but I did my best to push. I came back to fourth I race one, and in race two I waited behind Adamo for a bit, and then I made a pass. After that I just managed my third place, and kept my fingers crossed. Actually, for a bad weekend it’s nice to be on the podium, I hope to continue like this and keep taking podiums until the end.”
Jago Geerts – P4
“Today was a difficult one. First moto, I felt good on track and had good speed. I was chasing Vialle but made a small mistake and lost a few seconds. Second heat, I crashed in the third corner, but came home in fifth after two more small crashes. I’m not happy with the result but my feeling was good on the track. We just need to work on the starts during the break.”
Kevin Horgmo – P6
“The first two or three corners off the start were really difficult and slippery for everyone; there were people all over the place but my riding was good and I was back to fourth until I crashed with another rider. Without that for sure I could have been third. At the start of the second race I made a small mistake in the waves and couldn’t double into the following turn so I decided to cut into the inside; the rider behind me didn’t realise, jumped into my rear wheel and we crashed. The front brake lever snapped off in the crash, so I had to ride the entire race with no brake. Now we have the long trip home but I hope my recovery will go fast and I can get some good bike training ready for Loket. “
Mikkel Haarup – P14
“I felt I had the speed for top-three this week but we had a few issues like when the guy jumped into me and damaged the footrest yesterday. I felt good on the bike all weekend; we were just very unfortunate.“
MX2 Round Overall Indonesia
| Pos | Rider | Nat. | Bike | R1 | R2 | Total |
| 1 | Vialle, Tom | FRA | KTM | 25 | 25 | 50 |
| 2 | Laengenfelder, Simon | GER | GAS | 20 | 22 | 42 |
| 3 | Benistant, Thibault | FRA | YAM | 18 | 20 | 38 |
| 4 | Geerts, Jago | BEL | YAM | 22 | 16 | 38 |
| 5 | Adamo, Andrea | ITA | GAS | 14 | 18 | 32 |
| 6 | Horgmo, Kevin | NOR | KAW | 16 | 14 | 30 |
| 7 | Rubini, Stephen | FRA | HON | 15 | 13 | 28 |
| 8 | Karssemakers, Kay | NED | KTM | 12 | 15 | 27 |
| 9 | Alfarizi, Delvintor | INA | HON | 11 | 12 | 23 |
| 10 | Aditya, Ananda rigi | INA | HUS | 8 | 11 | 19 |
| 11 | Makarim, Nakami Vidi | INA | HUS | 9 | 9 | 18 |
| 12 | Ismayana, Diva | INA | KAW | 10 | 8 | 18 |
| 13 | Lingam, Dharwin | MAS | KAW | 7 | 10 | 17 |
| 14 | Haarup, Mikkel | DEN | KAW | 6 | 7 | 13 |
| 15 | de Wolf, Kay | NED | HUS | 13 | 0 | 13 |
MX2 Standings After Round 12 (Top 20)
| Pos | Rider | Nat. | Bike | Total |
| 1 | Vialle, Tom | FRA | KTM | 502 |
| 2 | Geerts, Jago | BEL | YAM | 498 |
| 3 | Laengenfelder, S. | GER | GAS | 395 |
| 4 | Horgmo, Kevin | NOR | KAW | 356 |
| 5 | Haarup, Mikkel | DEN | KAW | 332 |
| 6 | Adamo, Andrea | ITA | GAS | 314 |
| 7 | Benistant, T. | FRA | YAM | 304 |
| 8 | Rubini, S. | FRA | HON | 277 |
| 9 | Gifting, Isak | SWE | KTM | 255 |
| 10 | de Wolf, Kay | NED | HUS | 244 |
| 11 | Guadagnini, M. | ITA | GAS | 172 |
| 12 | Pancar, Jan | SLO | KTM | 162 |
| 13 | Everts, Liam | BEL | KTM | 145 |
| 14 | Fredriksen, H. | NOR | HON | 125 |
| 15 | Karssemakers, K. | NED | KTM | 119 |
| 16 | Mewse, Conrad | GBR | KTM | 113 |
| 17 | Sydow, Jeremy | GER | HUS | 88 |
| 18 | Guyon, Tom | FRA | KTM | 87 |
| 19 | Brumann, Kevin | SUI | YAM | 82 |
| 20 | Polak, Petr | CZE | HON | 76 |
