After the Romanian round, which was a leap into the unknown, the MotoZ FIM SuperEnduro World Championship returns to Hungary for the 5th round of the season.
Words and Images by SuperEnduroGp
While the destination remains the same, Budapest, the MVM Dome awaits, a very recent arena to follow the adventures of Billy BOLT and his competitors. Despite his knee injury, the Briton remains a dangerous man. He is the top favorite for the Hungarian Grand Prix.
The MVM Dome regularly hosts major events (such as the 2022 European Handball Championship). SuperEnduro fans are delighted as they will be able to come in greater numbers to support their favorite riders. Billy BOLT spent a long time with Romanian fans at the last GP. He hopes for another crowd frenzy in Hungary to celebrate his potential new victory. Despite his knee injury, which could jeopardize the confidence of the triple world champion, the Englishman has lost none of his brilliance. With victories in Germany and Romania, BOLT continues to dominate the 2024 season but appears much more vulnerable.
Jonny WALKER: all for victory.
His compatriot has come very close to the top step of the podium in the last two races. Evidence of the progress of the privateer Beta rider is his heat wins in Germany and Romania. BOLT is no longer unbeaten and can be defeated. WALKER knows this, but he still needs to convert it into an overall victory. Jonny himself was a bit unwell in Cluj, with a sore neck. He hopes to perform better in Budapest to continue putting pressure on the official Husqvarna rider. He also needs to be wary of the rising performance of Manuel LETTENBICHLER (GER-KTM). The German rider continues to improve his efficiency. After securing two third places, he now aims higher. For this, he needs to show better performance at the start of races to avoid getting into big comebacks and getting tired faster than his opponents. Hungary is a destination that Dominik OLSZOWY (POL-Rieju) hopes will mean access to his first podium in a World Championship round. To achieve this, he will have to battle with his teammate Will HOARE (GBR-Rieju), who leads him in the overall standings by 14 points. As usual, riders like Mitch BRIGHTMORE (GBR-GASGAS), Eddie KARLSSON (SWE-Husqvarna) will be motivated to confirm the good performances seen in the previous round.
One thing is certain, this fifth round of the season promises to be highly contested; bodies are beginning to suffer, and surprises could be in store for this new Hungarian Grand Prix.
Who’s next in the Junior category ?
With two victories each, Ashton BRIGHTMORE (GBR-GASGAS) and Suff SELLA (ISR-KTM) are separated by just three points. The Israeli has been defeated for the second time in a row by the Briton. But he fought bravely, making it a point of honor to win the last moto in Romania. For him, it was the best way to silence the rumor that Ashton BRIGHTMORE is more effective than him when the riding conditions require high technical skills! Not only did SELLA showcase his skills, but he also managed to unsettle the Englishman, who nevertheless won the fourth GP of the season. In the Junior class, Roland LISZKA (KTM) will be one to watch as he aims to shine in front of his home crowd, as well as Marc FERNANDEZ SERRA (ESP-KTM), who will want to confirm his good performance in Cluj (3rd in the GP). Milan SCHMUESER (GER-Sherco) would also like to add his name to the list of winners for the 2024 season. In short, if you want suspense and action, you’ve come to the right place.
Xavier LÉON SOLE is almost there.
The Spaniard is on the verge of conquering the biggest title of his career. Winner of the first three races of the season, the Iberian could wrap up the deal in the first evening final of the SuperEnduro European Cup. With a 31-point lead over Maciej WIECKOWSKI (POL-GASGAS), he can afford to secure a place in the top 5. But underestimating LEON SOLE would be a mistake. As usual, he will seek to win another race this season. For the honorary places, the battle will be fierce between WIECKOWSKI and Alessandro AZZALINI (ITA-GASGAS), separated by a mere single point.
The fifth evening of the MotoZ FIM SuperEnduro World Championship is to be followed live and in full on www.superenduro.tv from 18.00 CET, Saturday, February 3, 2024.
