Over the weekend the FIM Motocross World Championship 2024 made its stop in Teutschenthal for the German Grand Prix, the 8th round of the season. The Talkessel circuit can boast a long history in world motocross, as it has hosted a world championship GP 26 times since 1971. Once again the bad weather made the track particularly challenging.
Ben Watson (Beta RX450) set the 16th fastest time in the time trials. In qualifying the British rider achieved the same result despite being forced to make a comeback after a start in the rear. In the first heat Watson again found himself in the back but once again made up several positions to finish 16th. In the second heat Ben crashed at the start and once back on the seat he realised he had hopelessly damaged his bike and had no choice but to retire.
17th in timed practice, Ivo Monticelli (Beta RX450) got off to a good start in Saturday’s qualifying. Unfortunately in the final laps, while he was 14th, he had a problem with his goggles and finished in 19th position. In race one, after a good start, he had a collision with an opponent on the first lap and found himself chasing. Unfortunately Ivo finished just outside the points zone, 21st. In the second heat he was slowed down at the start by the crash of a couple of competitors ahead of him, after a few laps he crashed himself and was forced to retire with a sore shoulder.
Ben Watson
“The German GP did not go as I had planned and the heavy rain made the track heavy all weekend. I arrived at this race not at 100% because of some bumps I got in the previous races that I have not yet fully recovered from. In the first heat I started in the middle of the group and, after suffering quite a bit in the first ten minutes, I recovered at the end and finished 16th. In the second heat I crashed at the start. When I got up I realised that the bike was damaged and at that point I had to retire. Now I have to think about recovering physically, reset myself mentally to resume riding at the level I am capable of.”
Ivo Monticelli
“The qualifying heat went quite well. After the start I was in 15th position for a long time. At the end I had a problem with my goggles which forced me to slow down. I preferred not to take them off because the ground was very heavy, but I lost a few positions and finished 19th. In the first heat I started well at the gate but at the second corner I made contact with an opponent and found myself among the last. I tried to recover but didn’t get further than 21st position at the finish. I felt good on the track but the feeling was not optimal. In the second start I had to brake to avoid some riders who had crashed on the front and I lost contact with the group of the best. The pace was good and I started to recover. Unfortunately in a crash I hit my shoulder. I tried to restart but the pain was bad and I preferred to retire to avoid making more mistakes. We will spend the week before the next race in Latvia in Belgium to continue our preparation on soft ground.”
This coming weekend the MRT Racing Team Beta Factory will get on track in Kegums for the Grand Prix of Latvia, the 9th round of the 2024 edition of the FIM Motocross World Championship.
Words and Images by MRT Racing
