A tough day for the Brits here in Sardegna: crashes, injuries, and struggles with bike setup were among the various factors that challenged them. Despite this, there are still some positives to take away from the weekend, with one Brit in particular securing their best result since early 2024. Let’s dive into what unfolded here at the Crossodromo Comunale ‘Le Dune’ circuit.
Words by Edward Heather – Feature Image courtesy of MRT Beta
MRT Racing Team Beta’s Ben Watson secured his first top ten overall finish since the MXGP of Spain last year. In the first MXGP moto, Watson finally managed to get his Beta 450RX inside the top ten off the start and made his way into 9th place early on. The #919 was evidently comfortable running at the pace of the top ten, and with three minutes remaining in the race, he progressed to 8th place, where he would finish. Ironically, Watson had a disastrous start to his second moto, through no fault of his own. His machine seemingly malfunctioned as the gate dropped, and he was unable to get going until the pack had passed the mechanics area. Despite the setback, Watson mounted an immense charge through the field, coming back to 12th. It was an extremely impressive ride for the Brit as he diced his way through the pack. With 8th and 12th-place moto finishes, he secured 9th overall on the day.
Adam Sterry put in another impressive display here in Sardegna. The Chambers Racing rider started just outside the top fifteen in the opening moto and worked his way into 13th early on, where he would finish. What was most impressive during Sterry’s first moto was the pace he displayed, posting his fastest lap of 1:51.969, a time that was competitive with the top ten group. He started Moto 2 just outside the top ten but was ultimately shuffled back to 16th by the time the chequered flag was waved. With 13th–16th place finishes, Sterry secured 17th overall. However, the riding throughout the weekend certainly impressed and was worthy of a better overall finish.
The Lexa MX team struggled to find comfort during today’s motos. Both Josh Gilbert and John Adamson finished outside the points-paying positions in the opening moto, with Adamson hitting the gate, leaving him with the tough task of chasing the fast MXGP class. Gilbert floated around 20th for a portion of the moto but finished in 21st, one position shy of a point-scoring position. He managed to pick up a single championship point in the second moto with a 20th-place finish. Adamson started well inside the top twenty but was shuffled back to finish in 24th place. The main issue the Lexa MX team was battling was gearing, with their changes solving one problem but causing another. It was a tough day for the team, but they’ll have another go next week in Trentino.
Lucy Barker showcased her resilience once again after facing further adversity in WMX Moto 2. Mirroring yesterday’s opening moto, Barker fell twice and had to battle through the pack into the points-scoring positions, finishing in 18th place. Yesterday, Barker was promoted to 17th due to a disqualification further ahead in the field; however, that decision was later overturned, resulting in Barker finishing 18th in both races, which secured her 6 championship points and 17th overall. It was far from the weekend the young Brit anticipated, but she has certainly got more to offer as the season progresses.
A special shoutout to Dream Team Fantic rider Cole McCullough, as the Northern Irishman secured his first-ever EMX125 podium with 5–3 moto finishes. McCullough has certainly had the speed to be in the podium mix throughout his tenure but had struggled to put together two solid motos until this weekend. He confirmed post-race that he had previously struggled with the mentality of heading into the second race, knowing he could finish on the podium. Now that he has secured his maiden podium in the class don’t be surprised to see the #555 machine on the podium throughout the season. Keep an eye out for an interview with McCullough we conducted post-race, as he debriefs the feelings of securing his podium finish and more.
Jamie Keith’s woes continue as the JK Racing Yamaha rider sustained a broken collarbone during the sighting lap of EMX125 Moto 2, meaning the Brit has now broken both his collarbones in the two EMX races he has attempted to compete in this season. It’s gutting to see the #184 face further injury problems. He will undergo surgery on the broken collarbone next week, and we hope to see him return with some good fortune on his side in the near future.
