Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team’s Tim Gajser has finished third overall at the MXGP of Great Britain. Fast all weekend long around the hardpack Foxhills circuit, the Yamaha YZ450FM rider placed second in the opening race before securing third in Race Two after a small fall. At the same time, teammate Maxime Renaux claimed ninth overall.
Following a weekend off in the racing calendar, the team headed to Great Britain for round 12 focused on competing at the sharp end of the field. Gajser was soon up to speed around the demanding racetrack, and posted the fastest lap time in Time Practice, followed by finishing fifth in the Qualifying Race.
In the opening Grand Prix race, Gajser executed a perfect start and rounded the first turn in second. Matching the pace of race leader Jeffrey Herlings, the Slovenian kept the pressure on his rival but couldn’t find a way through and had to settle for a strong runner-up finish.
Gajser started up front again in Race Two and moved from third into second within a few corners. He then gave chase to the leader until a small crash relegated him to third. With the gap to the leading riders too great to overcome, Gajser maintained his impressive pace to finish third for third overall on the day. Leaving round 12, Gajser maintains fourth in the series standings.
Renaux also performed well in Great Britain. Finishing sixth in Race One marked a solid start to the day, however in the second race he was involved in a multi-rider collision that saw him rejoin the race at the back of the field. A race-long charge rewarded the Frenchman with 12th for ninth overall. The former MX2 World Champion remains fifth in the championship ahead of round 13.
Next weekend, the team travels to another hardpack circuit – Loket in the Czech Republic – before a trip to Belgium and the deep sand of Lommel for round 14.
It’s good to be back on the podium. Yesterday was a difficult day, but today I felt much better right from the start. My speed was there all day and I was able to stay close to the front and put Jeffrey Herlings under pressure. In the first moto, I got a good start and finished second. The second moto was quite similar. I got another good start in second and was pushing hard while trying to stay close to Jeffrey, but I made a small mistake and lost a bit of ground. Even so, it was a positive day, and it’s great to be back on the podium. We’ll keep working and aim to be even stronger at the next round. — Tim Gajser
It was another tough one here in Foxhills. I’m still dealing with this virus, and even though I felt a bit better coming into the weekend, I knew race day would be a different story. I left everything out there in the first race, which left me completely drained for the second. Then, a first-lap crash just made things worse. It’s frustrating, but it just wasn’t my day. Now, my focus is just on recovering as much as I can to be as ready as I can be for Loket next weekend. — Maxime Renaux
