Motocross

Cairoli and Jonass give KTM the perfect start in Qatar

Posted:

Sunday, February 26th, 2017

9:12 AM

For the opening round of the 2017 FIM Motocross World Championship in Qatar it was all about the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing riders Antonio Cairoli and Pauls Jonass who teamed up to claim the first Red Plates of the season.

Now in his fourteenth year of racing GP‰Ûªs Red Bull KTM Factory Racing ‰Û÷s Antonio Cairoli showed he wasn‰Ûªt done winning yet. Qatar was a track that he has never won at but in race one the Italian came out swinging by grabbing the holeshot and leading every lap to the finish. Race two he found himself behind the reigning champion, Team HRC‰Ûªs Tim Gajser. Gajser had the lead well into the race but Cairoli managed to close the gap and pass Gajser to win his second race of the day claiming the first overall of the season.

Gajser finished 2nd overall on the day after having battled with Team HRC teammate Evgeny Bobryshev in race 1. Cairoli later in the Press Conference said, ‰ÛÏI am very happy with both races, it was a very spectacular race, it was very nice to battle with Tim and hopefully we can have more races together.‰Û

Defending MX1 Champion Tim Gajser had a solid start with second overall

Meanwhile Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team‰Ûªs Clement Desalle performed well in both races going 2-4 for 3rd overall. Clement stated, ‰ÛÏI‰Ûªm happy to start the season with a podium‰Û_ I‰Ûªm looking forward to next weekend.‰Û

Pauls Jonass and the Red Bull KTM crew celebrate the opening round double win

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing‰Ûªs Pauls Jonass not only won his first GP but also became the first racer from Latvia to win and did so in style. The young Latvian had the perfect weekend winning every race he entered. Consistent pressure was applied by Kemea Yamaha Official MX Team‰Ûªs Benoit Paturel in both races, but Jonass held off the hard charging Frenchman.

Another rider who applied pressure to Jonass was LRT KTM‰Ûªs Julien Lieber. Lieber was right on the rear wheel of Jonass in race 1 until a mistake cost him valued time and positions. Race 2 he positioned himself near the front once again and this time he was mistake free, good enough for a 3rd overall.

At times the race for the top was a five way battle which Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing‰Ûªs Thomas Kjer Olsen competed in. The Husqvarna rider had to settle with a 4-4 for 4th overall, a result he looks to better next weekend.

Meanwhile newly recruited HRC MX2‰Ûªs Michele Cervellin missed the start of race one but somehow worked his way up the field all the way to the checkered flag through both races, getting him a hard fought 5th place.

Australian Hunter Lawrence carded a 18-6 for 11th overall. A crash in the opening moto was put down to a learning experience but certianly cost the MX2 rookie a better debut.

Jay Wilson finished round 1 with a 26-26 result and didn't score any points for the round.

Main Photo:Antonio Cairoli (
Credit: Youthstream

MXGP Moto 1:
1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 35:02.202
2. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:08.904
3. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:12.554
4. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:22.042
5. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:23.434
6. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Husqvarna), +0:26.076
7. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), +0:29.380
8. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Husqvarna), +0:33.072
9. Jordi Tixier (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:34.933
10. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +0:39.219
11. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki World MXGP), +0:40.572.

MXGP Moto 2:
1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 35:00.353
2. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:04.918
3. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +0:23.375
4. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:25.782
5. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Husqvarna), +0:30.096
6. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:31.689
7. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:33.559
8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +0:47.517
9. Jordi Tixier (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:49.816
10. Max Anstie (GBR, Husqvarna), +0:57.389
11. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:59.949
12. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki World MXGP), +1:00.742.

MXGP Overall/ Points Standings:
1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 50 points
2. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 42 p.
3. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 40 p.
4. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, HON), 32 p.
5. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 31 p.
6. Gautier Paulin (FRA, HUS), 31 p.
7. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 31 p.
8. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KAW), 24 p.
9. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 19 p.
10. Max Anstie (GBR, HUS), 19 p.
11. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki World MXGP), 19 p.

MX2 Moto 1:
1. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 35:24.348
2. Benoit Paturel (FRA, Yamaha), +0:01.759
3. Julien Lieber (BEL, KTM), +0:20.039
4. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:23.565
5. Samuele Bernardini (ITA, TM), +0:32.017
6. Michele Cervellin (ITA, Honda), +0:37.177
7. Jorge Prado Garcia (ESP, KTM), +0:45.685
8. Thomas Covington (USA, Husqvarna), +0:47.621
9. Vsevolod Brylyakov (RUS, Kawasaki), +0:51.025
10. Darian Sanayei (USA, Kawasaki), +0:52.396
11. Adam Sterry (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:54.145
12. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki World MX2), +0:54.519
13. Alvin ÌÐstlund (SWE, Yamaha), +0:56.640
14. Bas Vaessen (NED, Suzuki World MX2), +0:57.297
15. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), +1:02.353
16. Davy Pootjes (NED, KTM), +1:03.865
17. Brent Van doninck (BEL, Yamaha), +1:05.222
18. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, Suzuki World MX2), +1:06.300.

MX2 Moto 2:
1. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 35:32.077
2. Benoit Paturel (FRA, Yamaha), +0:01.015
3. Julien Lieber (BEL, KTM), +0:03.245
4. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:07.884
5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki World MX2), +0:12.395
6. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, Suzuki World MX2), +0:19.322
7. Brent Van doninck (BEL, Yamaha), +0:26.397
8. Michele Cervellin (ITA, Honda), +0:33.930
9. Vsevolod Brylyakov (RUS, Kawasaki), +0:34.083
10. Alvin ÌÐstlund (SWE, Yamaha), +0:35.200
11. Jorge Prado Garcia (ESP, KTM), +0:45.131
12. Darian Sanayei (USA, Kawasaki), +1:01.812
13. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), +1:03.579
14. Adam Sterry (GBR, Kawasaki), +1:04.793
15. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, KTM), +1:05.737
16. Davy Pootjes (NED, KTM), +1:07.276
17. Bas Vaessen (NED, Suzuki World MX2), +1:11.625.

MX2 Overall/ Points Standings:
1. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 50 points
2. Benoit Paturel (FRA, YAM), 44 p.
3. Julien Lieber (BEL, KTM), 40 p.
4. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 36 p.
5. Michele Cervellin (ITA, HON), 28 p.
6. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki World MX2), 25 p.
7. Vsevolod Brylyakov (RUS, KAW), 24 p.
8. Jorge Prado Garcia (ESP, KTM), 24 p.
9. Darian Sanayei (USA, KAW), 20 p.
10. Alvin ÌÐstlund (SWE, YAM), 19 p.
11. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, Suzuki World MX2), 18 p.
12. Brent Van doninck (BEL, YAM), 18 p.
13. Adam Sterry (GBR, KAW), 17 p.
14. Samuele Bernardini (ITA, TM), 16 p.
15. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), 14 p.
16. Thomas Covington (USA, HUS), 13 p.
17. Bas Vaessen (NED, Suzuki World MX2), 11 p.