The season opener for the 2024 FIM World Motocross Championship provided a feast for the senses on all fronts at the MXGP Patagonia-Argentina. Defending World Champion Jorge Prado took a perfect storm of 1st and 2nd in two motos to secure the top step in MXGP, while Simon Längenfelder battled to second in MX2.
- Defending Champion Jorge Prado dominates the opening MXGP of 2024]
- Simon Längenfelder wins MX2 moto one and finishes second overall
- Marc Antoine Rossi finishes sixth on his Red Bull GASGAS debut
Prado kept his composure ice-cool in both motos at the Villa La Angostura track, completing lap after lap of inch-perfect performances to come away with a dominant win in the first moto and then a second-place finish in the second moto.
The first moto, in particular, was a singular gate-to-flag masterclass for Prado, who shrugged off a challenging qualifying that placed him in a P4 starting position. By the end of lap one, Prado had already pulled out a 4.2-second lead, which he went on to stretch to over 33 seconds at the finish. Immaculate business as usual for the champion, celebrating a 78th career win and the perfect start to the season.
In MX2, Simon Längenfelder made good on his pre-season promise to fight for the top spots, with the German rider taking a win in the opening moto. The 20-year-old raced to his 11th career victory, skillfully avoiding any drama throughout the incident-filled 18-lap race. In the second moto of the day, Längenfelder came close to locking in back-to-back wins. However, a white-hot battle with rival Lucas Coenen saw him unfortunately just slip back to 4th at the finish. New team signing Marc-Antoine Rossi acquitted himself well on his MX2 Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing debut, despite a rollercoaster weekend. Rossi led the first moto of the weekend, establishing a six-second lead, until a mistake in the final corner on lap 13 saw the young Frenchman fold the front and race to the finish in 4th. A 12th-place finish for Rossi in the second moto meant the French rider rounded out the weekend in seventh position overall.
Up next is the fan and rider favorite MXGP of Spain, hitting the tracks at Intu Xanadú – Arroyomolinos on March 24th.
MXGP – #1 – Jorge Prado: “I am super happy how everything is going right now. Honestly this weekend has gone so well – I feel good about the bike, and we made some key improvements from last year. I feel like a better rider now than I ever have before – and I’m super happy to leave Argentina with the red plate and the win. Starting the season on the right foot is fantastic. I want to say a huge thankyou to all my team at RedBull GASGAS Factory Racing, as well as everyone beyond me – my trainer, my family – everyone that is putting work into this! Let’s keep rolling and gain more results like this!”
MX2 – #516 – Simon Längenfelder: “I was feeling great all weekend. At a track like this – and a venue like this – with all the beautiful nature surrounding the venue; it’s a great place to come. I really enjoyed riding here this weekend! The first race was a bit better than the second I would say. I just took my time to work through the pack and get the win. In the second moto it was a little more tricky. After the halfway point of the race, the track got a bit sketchy. We made solid preparations over the winter – and I think they are paying off now. Riding motocross is the best thing there is, so I’m just enjoying it!”
MX2 – #28 – Marc-Antoine Rossi: “I have just finished my first MX2 World Championship race here in Argentina, which was also the first overseas race of my career, and what an experience! Starting from Saturday, I placed 1st in free practice, 3rd in time practice, and 6th in qualifying. On race day in Moto one, I started at the front, leading the race for almost 20 minutes. A small mistake cost me a top 3 finish, and I ended up 4th. Moto2 was challenging; I started in the top 10 and made a comeback, but at one point, I felt tired and didn’t push any further, finishing 12th for a 6th overall. Not a bad start at all. Thanks to the entire Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing team for supporting me from day one. Time to head back and train in Spain!”
MXGP – Overall
1. Jorge Prado (GASGAS)
2. Romain Febvre (Kawasaki)
3. Tim Gasjer (Honda)
8. Jeffrey Herlings (KTM)
MXGP – Moto One
1. Jorge Prado (GASGAS)
2. Romain Febvre (Kawasaki)
3. Pauls Jonass (Honda)
8. Jeffrey Herlings (KTM)
MXGP – Moto Two
1. Tim Gasjer (Honda)
2. Jorge Prado (GASGAS)
3. Romain Febvre (Kawasaki)
7. Jeffrey Herlings (KTM)
MXGP – Standings
1. Jorge Prado (GASGAS) 54pts
2. Romain Febvre (Kawasaki) 51pts
3. Tim Gasjer (Honda) 51pts
7. Jeffrey Herlings (KTM) 32pts
MX2 – Overall
1.Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 47pts
2. Simon Längenfelder (GASGAS) 43pts
3. Mikkel Haarup 38pts
5. Andrea Adamo (KTM) 29pts
7. Marc-Antoine Rossi (GASGAS) 27pts
8. Sacha Coenen (KTM) 26pts
11. Lucas Coenen (Husqvarna) 20pts
MX2 – Moto One
1.Simon Längenfelder (GASGAS)
2. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna)
3. Thibault Benistant (Yamaha)
4. Marc-Antoine Rossi (GASGAS)
6. Sacha Coenen (KTM)
8. Andrea Adamo (KTM)
MX2 – Moto Two
1. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna)
2. Mikkel Haarup (Triumph)
3. Lucas Coenen (Husqvarna)
4. Simon Längenfelder (GASGAS)
5. Andrea Adamo (KTM)
12. Marc-Antoine Rossi (GASGAS)
MX2 – Standings
1. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 56pts
2. Simon Längenfelder (GASGAS) 50pts
3. Thibault Benistant (Yamaha) 40pts
5. Andrea Adamo (KTM) 37pts
6. Marc-Antoine Rossi (GASGAS) 32pts
9. Sacha Coenen (KTM) 28pts
Words by Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing – Images courtesy of Juan Pablo Acevedo – Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing
