Team HRC banks more important points as the tenth WorldSBK round concludes at Motorland Aragón, with riders Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge completing both the day’s races, and now three rounds in a row, inside the top ten.

Eighth and eleventh on the grid for Sunday’s ten-lap Superpole race, Lecuona and Vierge were eager for more strong results. The race ran in cool, dry conditions (16°C air temp., 22° track temp.), with both riders getting away well when the lights went out. Ninth through lap one, Iker passed Locatelli and soon moved up into seventh. With two riders ahead of him in the same chasing group, Lecuona worked hard to move in on his closest rivals, but with the limited number of laps available, he was unable to improve any further on his position and crossed the line seventh. When the race began, Xavi tucked in behind his team-mate and way lying tenth through the first corners. Passing Rinaldi to progress to ninth on lap three, Vierge held that position for the best part of the race. Able to close in on, and pass, Locatelli on lap eight, the Spaniard battled van der Mark in the final stages, ultimately completing today’s sprint in ninth place.

The second of the weekend’s 18-lap Superbike races began in the early afternoon. Thanks to their Superpole race results, Lecuona and Vierge started this final (dry) race from seventh and ninth position. The Team HRC duo oscillated between eighth and eleventh in the initial stages as they worked to get into a rhythm. Lying ninth on lap five, Iker worked to pass Locatelli over the course of the next few laps. That done, the Spaniard held eighth all the way to the line to score more important championship points. Tenth for a good part of the race and setting almost identical times to those immediately ahead, Vierge meanwhile ran a consistent second half of the race to also secure a top ten finish.

As this tenth round of the 2024 championship concludes, Lecuona positions eleventh in the general standings with a total of 105 points, with Vierge just one point behind (104) in twelfth place. Team HRC will be back on track for round eleven, the penultimate race weekend of the 2024 season, taking place on 11-13 October at the Estoril Circuit in Portugal.

MXGP
Team HRC’s Tim Gajser wasn’t quite able to pull-off his sixth world title, as despite a second overall at this MXGP of Castilla La Manche, he missed out by just 10 points. It was still an excellent effort by the Slovenian though and he deserves a lot of credit for the way his has battled for the duration of this longest ever World Motocross Championship.

Coming in the weekend, he knew he needed everything to go right if he was to stand on the top step of the podium, but unfortunately on a track that was exceptionally difficult to pass on, he wasn’t able to get into the positions in order to close up that points gap. A second place in the first moto still left him with a chance, but after being forced off the track in the first turn of race two, he salvaged as much as he could by ending up in third place, but that wasn’t quite enough for either the GP overall or the championship.

After 59 races, to lose by only 10 points was difficult to handle but as Gajser handled himself with dignity and true sportsmanship when speaking to the associated press afterwards, paying due credit to the eventual champion, but promising that he would be back again in 2025 looking to regain the title that he won in 2016, 2019, 2020 and 2022.

In a season filled with a lot of highs – including a maiden victory at the MXGP of Czech Republic, and an excellent one-one performance in Switzerland, the #243 now puts on the Slovenian colours and tries to get the tiny country their best ever finish in the Motocross of Nations, at the Matterley Basin track in England next weekend.

After an excellent outing in China last time out, Ruben Fernandez was hoping for more of the same in what is a home GP for the Spaniard. Unfortunately, the tight, hard-pack terrain wasn’t to the #70’s liking and although he fought hard every lap, he was only able to manage 13-8 results in this season-finale. It wasn’t what he was looking for, but it is still another good effort after returning from injury just over one month ago. Like his teammate, Fernandez will also be lining at the Motocross of Nations, where Spain have a great chance of getting on the podium, which would be their countries best ever result.

Riding the special Indonesian livery in collaboration with Pertamina Lubricants, the rider of the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team is just a few tenths away from the podium. Forced to retire, after a crash, Fabio Di Giannantonio when he was fighting for the P6

Lombok (Indonesia), September 29th 2024 - A week of growing emotions for the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team for the first time at the Indonesian GP with the colors of Pertamina Lubricants and riding the special livery with the colors of the Indonesian flag. Marco Bezzecchi crosses the finishing line in fifth place while Fabio Di Giannantonio crashes during the eighth lap, when he was fighting in the group of the strongest guys.  

Starting from the second place on the grid and in P5 after the first lap, Marco is among the protagonists in Mandalika. In a fight for the third step of the podium with Morbidelli, Bagnaia and Bastianini he sets a great pace till the end. With today's points he is ninth in the general standings with 125 points.

Tenth in the standings (122 points) Fabio, who after an excellent start, is in the slipstream of the strongest group. Great battle with Marquez and Bagnaia before being the victim of a crash, without consequences, and being forced to retire. A weekend without points but the possibility of turning the page already next Sunday (6 October) at the Japanese GP at the Mobility Resort in Motegi.

The MXGP of Turkey was a special event for Yamaha, as its young powerhouse Lotte van Drunen clinched the 2024 FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship crown, officially earning her title as the fastest girl on the planet!

At just 17 years old and only in her second season as a pro, Lotte made history as the youngest-ever WMX World Champion. “This is a dream come true!" the teary teenager said, "I didn’t know I was the youngest-ever World Champion until after the podium, which made it even more special—wow! I’m still so young, so it’s unbelievable. I don’t think there are very many 17-year-olds who can say they are a World Champion, so this is something I will never forget."

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Josep Garcia has capped off a near-perfect weekend in Brioude, France at the final round of the 2024 FIM EnduroGP World Championship by securing the Enduro1 title. Just 24 hours after winning the EnduroGP World Championship, the KTM 250 EXC-F rider did exactly what was needed to clinch the E1 crown.

Despite having already secured the EnduroGP title on Saturday, Garcia came out swinging once again on Sunday morning, taking the first test win of the day. What followed was another closely fought battle with class rival Steve Holcombe as the two swapped the E1 lead throughout the day.

Heading into the eighth, and second-to-last test, Josep held a narrow two-and-a-half-second lead over Holcombe. Unfortunately, a crash on that enduro test cost the Spaniard dearly, losing him 20 seconds to his rival. Garcia gave his all on the final test of the day to post the fastest time overall, but he wasn’t able to claw back enough time to take the win.

However, by finishing second and earning the all-important 17 points, Josep did enough to secure the Enduro1 world title by six points. The championship victory complements Josep’s first-ever EnduroGP title, which he won on day one, rounding out an exceptional season for the talented Spaniard.

Next up for Garcia is the 2024 International Six Days Enduro, which will be held in Spain from October 14-19.

Josep Garcia: “The double crown this year feels incredible. I gave it everything, as always, and so it’s so good to be able to reward everyone who has helped me along the way with results like this. Today was a really good day of racing – it was super-close all day again. I had a big crash in the last enduro test and ended up in a bit of a valley, and that just cost me the win, I think. But there’s no time to think about the results from today – it’s time to celebrate the two world titles. I’m looking forward to a big party tonight!”

MXGP
Team HRC riders Tim Gajser and Ruben Fernandez had mixed results on a rescheduled race-day in Shanghai, China. With a typhoon hitting the area tomorrow, the timetable was made into a one-day format with a very early start and no breaks, making life even more difficult in temperatures over 35 Celsius.

Unfortunately for Gajser, his day got off to the worse possible start in the motos as he was involved in a second-turn crash that immediately dropped him to the back of the pack. From there, he quickly regrouped and was charging through the field, before he got involved in another incident that dropped him down to 15^th again. Once again, he made a number of passes before damage, as a result from that second incident, meant he could only cruise around the Shanghai circuit and he dropped down to finish in 17^th place.

That meant he lost the virtual red-plate for the first time since round nine in Latvia, with the deficit of four points heading into race two. He got a much better start this time out and quickly was into second place, but although he pressured the leader, he couldn’t find a way around and had to settle for second and is now seven points behind in the 2024 MXGP Championship, with one round remaining.

Teammate Fernandez had a much better time of things, with the Spaniard getting a season-best fourth overall in just his third round back after injury. Getting a great start in race one, he made a couple of quick passes to lead the field round on the first lap. Showing excellent speed, he then held off the best motocross riders on the planet for half of the moto, before eventually succumbing to the pressure to finish fourth. Knowing that a podium was within his grasp, he once again got another good start and was battling in third position for the majority of the race, before once again showing that his endurance isn’t quite there after missing almost six months of the season. Still, his fifth place in race two, gave him fourth overall and another big confidence boost as he heads in to the final round of the championship, which is being held in his home country of Spain on September 28-29.

MX2
Ferruccio Zanchi’s day in China had a familiar feel to it as the youngster struggled with starts but then fought his way back around the top 10 positions. With temperatures much different than back in Europe right now, it was a tough adjustment for the Italian to suddenly race in 35 Celsius weather, but he acquitted himself admirably and showed once again that he never gives up. With just one round left in Spain, in a couple of weeks’ time, the Honda CRF250R rider will be hoping to finish the season on a high and show everyone that the quick promotion to the MX2 class was well-deserved and that he has a very bright future ahead of him.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing journeyed to a hot and demanding Shanghai for the second-ever Grand Prix of China and to the impressive Shanghai International Off-road Circuit where Jeffrey Herlings jumped back onto the MXGP podium with 3rd overall. In MX2 Andrea Adamo took a top five finish in the condensed event due to weather warnings in the region.

The second MXGP at the Shanghai International Off-road Circuit was reduced to a one-day format due to adverse weather conditions. A typhoon warning in the region obliged qualification and races to be shifted from the Sunday/Monday schedule to just Sunday morning and with a single Free/Timed Practice session to decide the start gate in place of the usual RAM Qualification heat. The site itself is modern and primed for world championship racing and houses a long, quick and hard-pack track featuring a loose and sandy top layer of terrain.

Jeffrey Herlings was the only member of the Red Bull KTM rider roster with experience of the 2019 Chinese Grand Prix but the Dutchman was dealing with painful cracked ribs and the burn to his arm after his crash in Turkey last weekend. Herlings managed P5 in Timed Practice for the gate. Liam Everts was 3rd quickest while and Andrea Adamo was 8th fastest in MX2. Sacha Coenen was forced to miss the long trip east to concentrate further on recovery and rehab from his upper thigh injury.

In the first MXGP race Herlings moved up from a top six position on the first lap to grab 3rd by the flag. In the second moto he also cautiously built his speed and recovered ground to place 4th and ensured his fourteenth trophy of the campaign. Everts battled for the top three in the first MX2 moto and was narrowly beaten to the line by championship leader Kay de Wolf. In the second moto he crashed awkwardly after a mid-race tangle and needed hospital treatment for a cervical injury. The extent of the damage and Liam’s planned recouperation will be updated through KTM Factory Racing social media channels. Andrea Adamo was pushing to get away from the gate in P12 but regained positions for a solid 6-5 on the day.

Herlings is 3rd in the MXGP World Championship and sits 48 points behind new leader Jorge Prado after Tim Gajser had a technical issue in the first moto. He trails Gajser by 41 with a maximum of 60 points up for grabs this season. Herlings has already confirmed a top three ranking for 2024.

Everts is 4th in the MX2 table while Adamo holds 6th and Coenen 8th. The series finale, the Grand Prix of Castilla la Mancha, will take place on September 28-29 and will be followed by the Motocross of Nations at Matterley Basin in the UK.

Jeffrey Herlings, 3rd and 4th for 3rd overall in MXGP: “The silly crash in Turkey meant I broke two ribs and although I could ride today it was anything but nice! The championship was out of the picture so I just wanted to do what I could and go home safely. It was short trip and tough for the body but I’m a big fan of the one-day format. It’s been good to come here. It’s a world championship so we should be here and is positive for the brands. It was a good event and the track was nice. My ultimate goal was to finish the season this year and go the whole way for the first time since 2017 without missing one race and we’re almost there.”

FORT WORTH, Tex. – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing's Chase Sexton won the second 450SMX moto and claimed P2 overall in Playoff 2 of the 2024 SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) post-season at Texas Motor Speedway, as teammate Tom Vialle finished second in the 250SMX Class. Both are in title contention entering next weekend's SMX Final.

After setting the pace in Free Practice on Friday, Sexton qualified his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION fourth in Fort Worth. Moto 1 saw the reigning Pro Motocross Champion sprint to P4, but he was saving his best until last when he took a commanding second moto victory with a winning margin of 9.897s. That placed him second on the podium, and with triple points on offer in Las Vegas, Sexton sits one point outside of the series lead in what will be a winner-takes-all scenario next Saturday night.

Chase Sexton: "Getting a start is one of the key factors, but we actually made a change right before Moto 1 and I felt like I rode pretty well, but was just way back. In Moto 2, I got a good start and was able to ride my own laps – I felt like I did back in Pro Motocross. It was a good race, we ended up second overall, so we will try to keep building and come out swinging for Vegas!"

Still managing the effects of his crash from Charlotte one week ago, 450SMX teammate Aaron Plessinger was eighth in combined qualifying, and then went on to record 9-7 scores for seventh overall in a gritty performance from 'The Cowboy'. Plessinger is currently ranked fifth in the premier class title race with one round to go, motivated to finish on a strong note at the SMX Final.

Aaron Plessinger: "Second playoff of SMX went okay – I rode my outdoor suspension on this one and it was a little soft. I got off to a pretty bad start in the first one, was working my way up, and jumped off the track, so finished ninth. In the second one, I got a really good start, was running up front and my shoulder started feeling it, and I ended up dropping back to seventh. Not where we want to be, but we will try to improve a little bit for Vegas and the final round."

Texas saw current 250SX East Champion Tom Vialle rebound for his first 250SMX podium of the year in second overall onboard the KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION. After qualifying in position six – within a second of the fastest lap time – Vialle finished third in Moto 1, then charged to a confidence-inspiring second as the checkered flag flew in the final encounter. He is now P2 in the standings, 19 points outside of the lead entering Las Vegas.

Tom Vialle: "We are happy with the result today. The track was not easy – the same for everyone, of course – but I kept pushing until the very end. In the final moto, I was catching Haiden [Deegan] a little bit, but came up short. It was nice to be in the fight and it was a good race to get us ready for next weekend."

Last weekend saw rookie Julien Beaumer earn a first-career podium and he backed that up with P5 this weekend at SMX Playoff 2. While not entirely satisfied with his result, it was another promising performance from the teenager, as consistent 5-6 results placed him inside the top five overall. Beaumer is also positioned fifth in the championship tally, eager to finish strongly at next weekend's decider.

The rider of the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team crosses the finishing line in fifth place after a truly daring race in the group. Fabio Di Giannantonio is also in the top ten, ninth.

Misano Adriatico (Italy), September 8th 2024 - On a Sunday balanced between rain and sun, Marco Bezzecchi is among the protagonists of the GP of San Marino and the Riviera di Rimini with an excellent fifth place finish. After a race in a battle, the rider of the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team climbs up the standings to regain contact with the group. A positive day, despite the pain in his shoulder, also for Fabio Di Giannantonio, once again in the Top10.

Starting from the front row, Marco is sixth at the first corner. Ninth after the first laps, but capable of keeping the contact with the strongest in the most difficult phases of the race, he recovers in the final. With today's points he is 11th in the general with 93 points.

Fabio Di Giannantonio climbs one position in the standings - eighth - with 119 points, at the end of a GP that was difficult to manage due to the after-effects of the crash in Austria. Starting from the 14th position on the grid, solid and consistent, he continues his streak of positive results on the eve of tomorrow's official MotoGP test in which, as a precaution, he will not take part (Bezzecchi, on the other hand, was confirmed).

De Baets Yamaha Supported MX Team’s Lotte van Drunen has been crowned the 2024 WMX World Champion today at the seventh and final round of the series in Turkey. Arriving in Afyonkarahisar with a healthy 17-point lead, van Drunen rode two smart and consistent races aboard her GYTR-kitted YZ250F to place fifth overall and become the youngest ever WMX World Champion.

With three GP victories and five race wins this season, the Dutch sensation was the class of a talented field of female racers in 2024. After placing second overall at the season-opener in March, van Drunen won both races at the heavy sand track of Riola Sardo in Sardinia for round two, taking her first win of the year and moving to the top of the Championship Standings.

Demonstrating her superior ability on a variety of race tracks, a second win soon followed in Spain before she placed third at the hardpack circuit of Teutschenthal in Germany. In the deep mud of Maggiora for round five, the 17-year-old placed sixth – her lowest result of the season but one that secured vital championship points to maintain her series lead.

After a nine-week summer break in the calendar, and a point-scoring ride in MX2 at the MXGP of Flanders, the WMX title race resumed at van Drunen’s home GP in The Netherlands. The Arnhem circuit was the venue for her career-first GP victory in 2023, and she replicated the two race-winning results to dominate the GP and create a 17-point lead ahead of the final round in Turkey.

Knowing consistent results in Afyonkarahisar would be enough to secure her maiden world title, van Drunen placed fourth in Race One on a perfect race track, with her nearest rival, Daniela Guillen, finishing second. Lining up for Race Two on a heavily watered circuit and needing to finish eighth or better to secure the championship, van Drunen rode a cool and calculated race to finish fifth, and with it, became the 2024 WMX World Champion.

In securing the coveted crown in the 20th running of the WMX series, van Drunen also won the WMX Manufacturer’s World Title for Yamaha and becomes the third female alongside Kiara Fontanesi and Nancy van de Ven to win the WMX World Championship aboard YZ250F machinery.