The “Zelta Zirgs” circuit of Kegums hosted the Grand Prix of Latvia, the eighth round of the FIM Motocross World Championship 2023. Heavy rain, with moments of sunshine in between, made the spectacular track with its sandy and compact surface particularly challenging.
Fifteenth in time practice, Alessandro Lupino (Beta RX450) made a good comeback in qualifying, finishing in twelfth position. The italian rider started among the leaders in race one and finished in tenth position. In the final round Alessandro was even more incisive and after another excellent start he finished ninth. These placings allowed Lupino to finish the GP in eighth place and move up to fifteenth in the Championship standings.
Bad luck also plagued Ben Watson (Beta RX450) at Kegums. The Englishman started the weekend by setting the fourteenth fastest time in the time practice. In qualifying Ben was then involved in a group crash at the start and was forced to retire with his bike irreparably damaged. In the first race Watson put in a good comeback that allowed him to come close to the top ten, eleventh, while in race two he prematurely retired after a contact at the start.
Next weekend the MRT Racing Team Beta will be on circuit at Teutschenthal, the German track that will host the German Grand Prix, the ninth round of the season.
Alessandro Lupino: “In Latvia I had another positive weekend, even though this type of terrain is not one of my favourites. I completed two good races during which I always kept a constant pace. Before the race I didn’t think I would be able to achieve this result and today’s performance makes me look forward to the next rounds of the season with confidence and a lot of optimism.”
Ben Watson: “After missing several races in the last period, and still recovering from my thumb injury, I arrived in Latvia not very confident. In practice my feeling was good even though I was hoping to set a better time in the time trials. In qualifying I crashed at the start, when I got up my bike was damaged and I could not continue. The first race was not easy because my forearms hardened. The time away from competition made it harder, but I gritted my teeth and finished in eleventh position. My expectations were high for the final heat but a problem right after the start forced me to retire again. I hope to have better luck next week in Germany.”
