Romain Febvre and Jeffrey Herlings flex their championship-cred muscle at round two of the FIM Motocross World Championship ion Suphan Buri, Thaliand.
Reigning FIM World Motocross Champion Romain Febvre put his Monster Energy Yamaha in the MXGP winner’s column for the first time at only the second round of the 2016 FIM Motocross World Championship series while Red Bull KTM’s Jeffrey Herlings rolled to his second straight MX2 when the world MX tour made its top at SuphanBuri Motorsport Land in Suphan Buri, Thailand, today.
Febvre posted a perfect 1-1-sweep on a Thai track that was moist and tacky in the first moto but turned into a dry-slick dust bowl in the second moto. Febvre’s smooth and precise riding style was on display in both motos as he battled with multi-time former World Champion Antonio Cairoli in moto one and then checked out on the field in moto two to post the sweep. The win also allowed Febvre to take the series points lead away from first-round sensation and reigning MX2 World Champion Tim Gasjer, although the Honda Gariboldi rider still showed that his first-round sweep was no fluke either. Gasjer looked strong at SuphanBuri, netting 3-5 finishes for second overall.
Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jeremy Van Horebeek, who struggled through a rough year in 2015, appears to have that all behind him now. The Belgian, who finished fourth at the series opener in Qatar, posted 5-4 finishes for third overall. and has already gone one better with a podium performance here in Thailand. Team HRC’s Evgeny Bobryshev finished fourth overall via 4-7 moto finishes. Cairoli, who looked strong in moto one, fell to 12th in moto two, but that was still good enough for fifth overall.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing MX2 star Jeffrey Herlings vowed after his season-ending crash in the Czech Republic last year that he would be back better, faster and stronger in 2016, and Herlinhgs has indeed like the Herlings who dominated the MX2 class en route to back-to-back World Championship titles in 2012 and 2013. After ripping to two moto wins for the overall victory at the 2016 season opener, the Dutchman backed it up in Thailand with another clean pair of wins to post his 49th career MX2 GP win and his second sweep in as many rounds. Other than one extremely close call in moto two, Herlings hardly put a wheel wrong all weekend.
“In previous years I was not good with out a start,” Herlings said of the moto-two incident. “I was always too aggressive, and now I took my time and felt I could go much faster, but then I scrubbed and almost went over the bars. I know it was on TV. It was such a sketchy moment, and something stupid like that is not allowed to happen again, It was my mistake for the last two years, so it seems like I didn’t learn, but I did. I won’t let it happen again. I will try to be smarter, but overall it was a good weekend.”
Team Suzuki World MX2’s Jeremy Seewer rode consistent laps in both MX2 motos, following his plan at the first round in Qatar to a tee, to card 3-3 finishes and net his career-best result in the FIM Motocross World Championship as well as his first podium finish of the season, second overall. Wilvo Standing Construct Yamaha Official MX2’s Aleksandr Tonkov lived up to the expectation that he could be a threat for the MX2 title as he landed his third career top-three finish in Thailand, going 2-4 on the day. Yesterday’s Qualifying Race runner-up Kemea Yamaha Official MX Team’s Benoit Paturel finished fourth in moto one after battling with Tonkov for third. In the second moto the Frenchman bobbled around turn one, but regrouped and charged up to fourth before his efforts got the better of him and dropped him back to sixth, landing him fourth overall, ahead of Red Bull KTM’s Pauls Jonass, who finished fifth overall via 9-5 moto scores after suffering a nasty high-side crash in the first moto.
2016 FIM Motocross World Championship
MXGP of Thailand
SuphanBuri Motorsport Land
Suphan Buri, Thailand
Results: March 6, 2016 (Round 2 of 18)
MXGP Overall
1. Romain Febvre (FRA)-Yan/1-1
2. Tim Gajser (SLO)-Hon/3-5
3. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL)-Yam/5-4
4. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS)-Hon/4-7
5. Antonio Cairoli (ITA)-KTM/2-12
6. Shaun Simpson (GBR)-KTM/9-6
7. Gautier Paulin (FRA)-Hon/7-9
8. Kevin Strijbos (BEL)-Suz/8-11
9. Ben Townley (NZL)-Suz/23-2
10. Tommy Searle (GBR)-Kaw/6-14
2016 FIM MXGP World Championship Series Points Standings (after 2 of 18 rounds)
1. Romain Febvre-92/1 win
2. Tim Gajser-86
3. Evgeny Bobryshev-74
4. Jeremy Van Horebeek-68
5. Antonio Cairoli-64
6. Shaun Simpson-57
7. Kevin Strijbos-48
8. Tommy Searle-47
9. Maximilian Nagl-44
10. Ben Townley-42
MX2 Overall
1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED)-KTM/1-1
2. Jeremy Seewer (SUI)-Suz/3-3
3. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS)-Yam/2-4
4. Benoit Paturel (FRA)-Yam/4-6
5. Pauls Jonass (LAT)-KTM/9-5
6. Vsevolod Brylyakov (RUS)-Kaw/7-9
7. Petar Petrov (BUL)-Kaw/6-10
8. Alvin Östlund (SWE)-Yam/11-7
9. Max Anstie (GBR)-Hus/25-2
10. Samuele Bernardini (ITA)-TM/8-12
2016 FIM MX2 World Championship Series Points Standings (after 2 of 18 rounds)
1. Jeffrey Herlings-50/2 wins
2. Jeremy Seewer-40
Aleksandr Tonkov-40
4. Benoit Paturel-33
5. Pauls Jonass-28
6. Vsevolod Brylyakov-26
Petar Petrov-26
8. Alvin Östlund-24
9. Max Anstie-22
Samuele Bernardini-22
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