Solid start for Adamo and Coenen for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing in Argentina

World Championship winners and MX2 class defending #1s, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, launched the 2024 MXGP season with Andrea Adamo scoring a top five finish in the dark sandy volcanic soil of Neuquen for the Grand Prix of Argentina and the first round of twenty in the new campaign.

• MXGP fires into life with the traditional hike to Patagonia and the fast, rough and popular Neuquen circuit with a busy attendance watching the fastest international dirtbike racers embark on another GP season
• MX2 World Champion Andrea Adamo makes a solid step in his world title defence with 5th on the KTM 250 SX-F
  Sacha Coenen starts his second career world championship season and in Red Bull KTM colors and runs to 8th. Liam Everts is still in recovery from right thumb surgery and is hopeful of returning to action by round two in Spain
• Andrea Adamo, opting to keep his career number of #80 in place of #1, strived to be hot away from the line for the first race on Sunday and in sunnier weather. The Italian fared better in the second moto where a 5th position represented the highest ranking for the team on the day. Andrea was 5th overall. Sacha Coenen, who finished 17th at Argentina in 2023, suffered from a few small mistakes but his runs to 6th and 10th was good enough for 8th.

Fellow Belgian Liam Everts missed the trip to Argentina due to an injury with his right thumb. The 2023 multiple Grand Prix winner is recovering from corrective surgery and is hopeful of re-joining the team for round two. The following fixture sees MXGP return to European shores and to the Intu Xanadú – Arroyomolinos in Madrid for the Spanish Grand Prix on March 23-24.

Andrea Adamo, 8th and 5th for 5th overall in MX2: “So-so weekend. We showed some pretty good speed on Saturday but things were not really on-point today. We need to work on a few areas but this is only the first Grand Prix of twenty. We have to keep building and aim for improvement every race. We want to fight for podiums and wins so the goal is to be closer to that in Spain.”

Sacha Coenen, 6th and 10th for 8th overall in MX2: “The weekend was quite OK. Not the best but my speed was OK and my feeling also. We just need to put all the things together at once for the right result. My starts were good and that was very positive. We’ll keep fighting for what we know we can achieve.”

Results MX2 Argentina 2024

1. Kay de Wolf (NED), Husqvarna 2-1
2. Simon Laegenfelder (GER), GASGAS 1-4
3. Mikkel Haarup (DEN), Triumph 5-2
4. Thibault Benistant (FRA), Yamaha, 3-7
5. Andrea Adamo (ITA), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 8-5
8. Sacha Coenen (BEL) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 6-10

Standings MX2 2024 after 1 of 20 rounds

1. Kay de Wolf (NED), Husqvarna, 56 points
2. Simon Laegenfelder (GER), GASGAS, 50
3. Thibault Benistant (FRA), Yamaha, 40
4. Mikkel Haarup (DEN), Triumph, 38
5. Andrea Adamo (ITA), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 37
8. Sacha Coenen (BEL) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 28

Words by KTM – Images courtesy of Ray Archer