Although the Grand Prix of Turkiye presented some challenges, the Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing team handled those well and extracted the most from the seventeenth round of the 2023 FIM Motocross World Championship.
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Simon Längenfelder wins MX2 moto one.
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Jorge Prado sits on 67-point advantage.
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Turkiye marks Mattia Guadagnini’s return.
Simon Längenfelder shined in two of the three races that were held over the Grand Prix weekend, but he ultimately missed out on the podium on a tiebreak. ‘516’ took pole position via a commanding victory in the qualification heat and replicated that performance in the first moto – he took control of the race lead on lap ten and never looked back. The second moto proved to be trickier after a mediocre start and sixth was all that he could manage. A 1-6 scorecard meant that he was involved in a three-way tie for second overall and, unfortunately, he was left in fourth overall. Fourth is the spot that he occupies in the standings too.
Simon Längenfelder: “There were positives and negatives from my weekend. I had good speed in the first moto, and I managed to win that. I did not feel the best heading into the second moto and my start was not great. I could not find the good lines in that one – I struggled for rhythm on the fast track. I am looking forward to the next race.“
Jorge Prado showed tenacity and strength in each moto at the Grand Prix of Turkiye; misfortune struck at the start of each moto and therefore he had to make progress on the fast-paced layout. ’61’ charged from eighteenth to thirteenth in moto one, then fifteenth to ninth in moto two to salvage twenty points on the day. Tenth overall was where he was classified and, of course, he continues to lead the standings by sixty-seven points.
All at the Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing squad were overjoyed to see Mattia Guadagnini back on track for the first time since the Grand Prix of France in May. Although the plan was to ease back into racing at the highest level, he showed brilliant pace and ran in the top three at points. 7-11 scores marked a solid return to racing and yet the results are not a true indication of his form. Ninth was his final ranking at the end of the Grand Prix weekend.
Jorge Prado: “It was not a perfect weekend! I think that I could have been on the podium, had I got good starts. I had to charge hard today. It is very hard to pass on this track – I struggled with that today. I am hungry to get back to winning motos.”
Mattia Guadagnini: “I did not know what to expect this weekend. I was off for a long time! I felt good on my MC 450F. I found my way into third in the first moto, which was a bit surprising. I struggled with arm pump after that and did not want to make any mistakes. I was seventh in moto one – I was happy with that. We can take some positives from this weekend. I will be more ready when we head to Maggiora in two weeks.“
Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing will reset now and prepare for the upcoming Grand Prix of Italy, run not far from the team’s base. Maggiora will host the event that marks the penultimate round of the 2023 FIM Motocross World Championship.
