A transfer to the Iberian Peninsula for MRT Racing Team Beta who took part in the Grand Prix of Portugal this weekend, the fifth round of the FIM Motocross World Championship 2023. The race was held on the historic Agueda track, which for the occasion underwent a restyling that also involved the reversal of the track’s direction.
Sixteenth in time practice, Ben Watson (Beta RX450) put in a good qualifying performance to finish close to the top ten, eleventh. The English rider did not start in the leading group after the start of race one but managed to make a comeback to finish twelfth. A position that he repeated in the final race and which allowed him to finish the GP in eleventh position, on equal points with the tenth placed rider. In the Championship Watson still occupies twelfth position.
The race weekend did not start in the best way for Alessandro Lupino (Beta RX450) due to a severe flu condition that did not give him a break all week, so much so that Alessandro was forced to skip time practice and qualifying on Saturday. In the first race, despite entering the gate last, the Alessandro found himself in the middle of the group at the start and managed to finish the race in fourteenth position. Running out of energy after the first heat, Lupino preferred to prematurely take the pit lane after a few laps in the second race.
After the Portuguese round, next weekend the MRT racing Team Beta will be busy at Arroyomolinos in the Grand Prix of Spain, the sixth round of the season.
Ben Watson: “In Portugal I finished tied on points with tenth placed but missed out on the top ten because of the worst finish in race two. Unfortunately, I had some problems at the start and had to take a lot of risks in the first corner to recover some positions. At the start of the first heat, I didn’t have a good feeling, but I managed to make a good comeback. Although I got a good placing, in the final I felt I could have done something more. In race two the start was similar to the previous one, but in the first laps I made some good overtaking moves that allowed me to get close to the top ten. Let’s collect the positive aspects of this weekend and continue working on the negative ones to try and improve our placings in the next races.”
Alessandro Lupino: “Due to a bad form of flu that didn’t give me any rest all week I arrived in Portugal absolutely out of condition. On Saturday I gritted my teeth and tried to do a few laps in free practice but then I preferred to avoid the track in the time trials and qualifying. In the first race I performed a half miracle by finishing fourteenth. In the second race I was absolutely not well and when I realised I was not in full control of the situation I preferred to stop so as not to make things worse. In the next few days, I will finish the course of antibiotic treatment I have been undergoing and I hope to come to Spain in better physical condition.”
