MXGP lands in Sumbawa for the first stop in Indonesia – Preview
The FIM Motocross World Championship is landing in Sumbawa-Indonesia for the tenth round of the 2023 series and the second overseas of the year. MXGP comes back to the circuit of Sumbawa-Samota for the second year after the successful 2022 Indonesian Grand Prix.
The MNC MXGP of Sumbawa-Indonesia is set to be an incredible event in a country that shows so much passion for motocross with many Indonesian fans longing for this opportunity to live a Gran Prix and witness the best riders in the world battling on their home soil. The hard-pack circuit is really liked by the riders who experienced it for the first time last year.
The MXGP of Sumbawa – Indonesia marked the 12th round of the 2022 season and saw the 2022 MXGP World Champion Team HRC’s Tim Gajser winning both races to win a solid Grand Prix in front of Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado second and
Team HRC’s Rubén Fernández third.
In 2023, Jorge Prado comes in Indonesia this time as a solid leader of the Championship. On top of that, Prado just won his first hat-trick of the season with a perfect 1-1-1 in Germany and extended his lead. The confidence of the Red Plate could not be higher as Prado showed incredible consistency this season with only missing out on one podium so far in 2023. Finishing 2nd last year on the same circuit, Prado may take this advantage with him on the first gate drop Saturday in the MXGP RAM Qualifying Race.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings fall in race 1 in Germany as while he was leading the race has made him sitting out the double header in Indonesia to make sure to recover and come back to Loket for the 12th round of the season in Czech Republic.
Kawasaki Racing Team’s Romain Febvre is still 3rd in the Championship after going 6-3 and 5th overall in Germany. The Frenchman also closed the gap with Herlings in the meantime. Febvre is race winner and has 4 podiums to his name so far showing how much of threat he is. He still has not won a Grand Prix in 2023 and the first of the Indonesian GPs could be pivotal in his season if he managed to win. He showed in 2022 that he was comfortable on this track as ended just outside the podium in 4th.
4th in the Championship is Rubén Fernández who grabbed a podium in Sumbawa last year and voiced after the Liqui Moly MXGP of Germany that he liked this track and looked forward to ride here. Fernández also come to Sumbawa on the back of a solid 3rd podium in Germany although he wasn’t feeling 100% comfortable on the German track which shows all his strength and qualities. Only 10 points behind Febvre, he will surely put all his effort in trying to get back the 3rd place in the Championship.
Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team’s Jeremy Seewer is showing very strong ridings and keeps pushing for podium even if he finished just outside the podium in Germany. The Swiss rider is a Gran Prix winner and is the 3rd rider in the Championship in terms of Laps Led which speaks volumes about his capacity to lead races. The consistency is coming back after a difficult beginning of the season. Seewer is now often riding at the front where he can display all his talent.
With his second podium of the season in Germany, Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team’s Glenn Coldenhoff consolidated his 6th place in the Championship. The Dutch rider has shown glimpse of his incredible speed so far in the season and interestingly he has reached podium places on each race that he has led laps. If Coldenhoff finds more consistency there is no doubt that with the help of his very fast starts he will be a threat for podium places more often than not.
Team Gebben Van Venroy Yamaha Racing’s Calvin Vlaanderen is 7th in the Championship and has been regularly within the top 10 this season although he still waits for that podium finish. He went 8th overall in Germany and showed as usual a strong performance throughout the whole weekend. Vlaanderen is solidly into the top 10 and shows a lot of positives this season.
SM Action Racing Team Yuasa Battery MXGP’s Alberto Forato is a fast rider and showed his speed many times this season such as when he overtook Herlings in Germany to go 3rd in the MXGP RAM Qualifying Race. Thanks to his excellent 6th place in Germany, Forato jumped 2 places in the Championship which shows where his level is at. Behind him in 9th is Ship to Cycle Honda SR Motoblouz’s Valentin Guillod who is another example of consistency. The Swiss keeps fighting inside the top 10 and got good finishes this season. The double header in Indonesia could consolidate him in the top 10.
Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP’s Mitch Evans finds himself 19th in the Championship but the Australian came back from injury in Portugal after getting injured in Patagonia-Argentina. The MNC MXGP of Sumbawa – Indonesia is the closest Grand Prix of the 2023 series to his Australian home. With his first top 10 and the best season finish in 7th place overall in Germany, Evans comes in Indonesia with a newly found rhythm and a lot of confidence to keep on fighting for good points.
Standing Construct Honda MXGP Team with Pauls Jonass and Brian Bogers will not be able to be present on the starting grid in both Indonesian Grand Prix after the shoulder injury sustained by Bogers during the RAM Qualifying Race in Germany that forces him to sit out the two GPs. On his side, Jonass is still recovering from his thumb injury sustained at the MXGP of France.
Championship Standings Top 10
1.Jorge Prado (ESP, GAS), 453 points;
2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 386 p.;
3. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 347 p.;
4. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 337 p.;
5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 320 p.;
6. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 304 p.;
7. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM), 286 p.;
8. Alberto Forato (ITA, KTM), 229 p.;
9. Valentin Guillod (SUI, HON), 205 p.;
10. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, GAS), 203 p.;
2022 MXGP of Indonesia – MXGP Top 3:
Tim Gajser
Jorge Prado
Rubén Fernández
In 2022, it was Tom Vialle who dominantly won in front of Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing’s Simon Laengenfelder and Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 Team’s Thibault Benistant.
The new Red Plate holder Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Andrea Adamo comes in Indonesia as the leader of the MX2 Championship. His incredible solidity so far in the season puts him at the top with 6 podiums and GP win at his home Grand Prix in Trentino. The young Italian rider is very competitive and always ride to win. The Grand Prix of Sumbawa-Indonesia could be the perfect moment for Adamo to assert his leading position and send a message to his rivals.
In 2nd position is the French rider Thibault Benistant who is another example of consistency with also 6 podiums this season and 3 out of the last 3 Grand Prix. Benistant is getting able to get important points even when he is not at his best like in Germany. The Frenchman still managed an excellent 4-3 for 3rd overall. He also gained a position and will now turn to the Grand Prix in Indonesia to try to get his first Red Plate. Benistant finished 3rd last year at the MXGP of Indonesia in Sumbawa and will take that with him to keep his podium streak going.
Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Kay de Wolf who finds himself now 3rd in the Championship had to brave the pain caused by a midweek crash but showed incredible determination to manage an unexpected 11-10 for 11th overall that keeps him right in the title chase. He arrives in Indonesia with a lot to play for and will definitely be one to watch if he can ride without too much pain.
De Wolf’s teammate Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Roan Van de Moosdijk is increasingly riding his level with the confidence that goes with it. He is now constantly fighting for the top positions and showed outstanding ridings now that his fitness is back. A good result in Indonesia could take him closer to the front three in the Championship.
Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 Team’s Jago Geerts was another impressive performer in Germany, 2 weeks after his crash in France that saw him break his wrist. Geerts unexpectedly came back to get as much point as possible to keep his chances of winning the MX2 World Title. That is exactly what he has done with an excellent 13-7 for 9th overall. 64 points adrift from Adamo, Geerts will want to get back on top as soon as possible, starting with the MNC MXGP of Sumbawa-Indonesia.
6th in the Championship is the historic winner of the German Grand Prix, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Liam Everts who won his first race and first MX2 Grand Prix of his career continuing at the same time his family legacy. With 3 podiums this season, Everts is getting increasingly dangerous for the other riders as the young Belgian is now often battling for podium places. Coming to Indonesia as a Grand Pris winner, Everts could now be lifted off some pressure and get even faster from now on.
Simon Längenfelder is coming back this week after getting injured after his dominating win at the MXGP of Spain. Längenfelder finished 2nd last year on this circuit and it could be the perfect timing for the talented German rider to come back with a bang. Längenfelder won 3 races and 1 GP which shows that he knows how to finish on top.
Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Lucas Coenen is 8th in the Championship but his position is not an accurate indicator of his level and talent. Although he is yet to get a podium finish, the 16-year old Belgian showed blistering pace throughout the season. The victory in Germany slipped through his fingers only due to a bike issue as he won Race 1 and was leading Race 2 before his misfortune. L.Coenen is the 2nd rider in laps led which is a tremendous and a testament to his speed and quality. It seems that if things align, L.Coenen could be riding for top places on a regular basis and this could well start in Indonesia.
F&H Kawasaki Racing Team’s Kevin Horgmo who is 9th in Championship as he had to retire early in Germany and lost one position in the Championship however his performance level has increased regularly since the beginning of the season. Except Germany, Horgmo has been in the top 10 in all races he competed in MX2 for now. The Indonesian Grand Prix will be a great opportunity for him to grab a first podium of his season. TEM JP253 KTM Racing Team’s Jan Pancar is also managing to stay in the top 10 with a 10th place in the Championship. The Slovenian arrives on the back of his season-best finish, equalling his career best with an excellent 6-6 for 6th overall. This performance in Germany puts him in the best condition to perform this weekend.
Home hero JM Racing Astra Honda’s Delvintor Alfarizi will be a celebrated rider as he holds the Indonesian flag in MX2. Coming to compete in his home country will be something really special for the JM Racing Astra Honda rider. Getting injured in his first GP in Switzerland, Alfarizi has come back to get back his rhythm and flow in Germany to make sure he will be getting his firsts Championship points on home soil. The whole country will be behind Alfarizi to support him and giving him that extra push to perform.
Big Van World MTX Kawasaki’s Jack Chambers who finds himself 19th in the Championship will not be lining up for both Indonesia Grand Prix due to a broken ankle sustained at the Liqui Moly MXGP of Germany.
Championship Standings Top 10
1. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 405 points;
2. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 392 p.;
3. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 388 p.;
4. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, HUS), 345 p.;
5. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 341 p.;
6. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 329 p.;
7. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 259 p.;
8. Lucas Coenen (BEL, HUS), 255 p.;
9. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, KAW), 232 p.;
10. Jan Pancar (SLO, KTM), 193 p.;
2022 MXGP of Indonesia – MX2 Top 3:
Tom Vialle
Simon Laengenfelder
Thibault Benistant
TIMETABLE (Local Time / GMT +8)
SATURDAY: 10:45 MX2 Free Practice, 11:15 MXGP Free Practice, 13:20 MX2 Time Practice, 14:00 MXGP Time Practice, 15:25 MX2 RAM Qualifying Race, 16:10 MXGP RAM Qualifying Race.
SUNDAY: 10:25 MX2 Warm-up, 10:45 MXGP Warm-up, 12:15 MX2 Race 1, 13:15 MXGP Race 1, 15:10 MX2 Race 2, 16:10 MXGP Race 2.
