The eighteenth round of the 2023 FIM Motocross World Championship held in Maggiora, Italy, lived up to its expectations, crowning two new World Champions: Jorge Prado in MXGP and Andrea Adamo in MX2.
For Prado, the season was a long and hard-fought battle, securing the Red Plate from the very first race in Argentina. Despite fierce competition from former MXGP World Champions like Jeffrey Herlings and Romain Febvre, Prado displayed remarkable determination and consistency. He claimed Ten Qualifying Race wins, fourteen race victories, sixteen podium finishes, and two Grand Prix victories throughout the season. Prado’s legendary fast starts earned him fourteen Holeshots during the season.
Prado’s journey to the Championship was realised with a race win in Race one of the MXGP of Italy, combined with Romain Febvre’s retirement from the race. This unexpected turn of events secured Prado’s third Motocross World Championship, making him one of the top riders in the MXGP class. With one Grand Prix remaining in Great Britain, Prado still has the opportunity to enhance his remarkable season statistics.
The MX2 class had the Italian crowd rejoicing in the coronation of their local hero, Andrea Adamo. Adamo clinched his first MX2 World Championship title in Maggiora, showcasing exceptional mental strength under immense pressure.
Adamo’s journey to the title was marked by a calculated approach throughout the season. He secured the Red Plate in the eighth round in Latvia, where he engaged in a tit-for-tat battle with Kay de Wolf. De Wolf briefly wrested the Red Plate from Adamo’s grasp in Indonesia but was unable to maintain it. Early in the season, Jago Geerts was Adamo’s first rival for the Red Plate, but injuries sidelined the Belgian. Despite challenges from his teammate Liam Everts, Adamo maintained consistent performance to retain the Championship lead.
The Grand Prix of Italy provided the perfect stage for Adamo to shine in front of his passionate fans, who rallied behind him throughout the weekend. Adamo’s determination was evident throughout the season, characterised by remarkable comebacks from challenging race situations. His season record included ten podium finishes, four race victories, and two Grand Prix wins. Adamo’s unwavering consistency set him apart as one of the standout riders of the season.
With just one Grand Prix remaining in Great Britain before the highly anticipated 2023 Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations in Ernée, France, Adamo can now savour his Championship victory.
MXGP
In the MXGP of Italy, Jeremy Seewer won his third Grand Prix of the season, with Jorge Prado finishing second, clinching the Championship. Rubén Fernández took third place on the podium.
The event saw a massive turnout, with passionate fans creating an electric atmosphere, motivating the riders to perform at their best. The Italian crowd celebrated their participation in a unique moment in the Championship.
Race one saw Jorge Prado taking the Holeshot and maintaining a dominant lead from the start. Jeremy Seewer faced early pressure from Romain Febvre but managed to hold the Frenchman off. Febvre, determined to challenge Prado for the Championship, pushed hard but crashed on lap six of 18. This incident ended his hopes, allowing Prado to secure the Championship.
Prado’s consistent performance in the race led him to victory, greeted by his team and family at the finish line.
Jeremy Seewer also had a strong race, finishing in an excellent second place after withstanding Febvre’s early challenge. Alberto Forato, who won qualifying the previous day, maintained his form and claimed an impressive third place, his best Sunday race finish of the season.
Calvin Vlaanderen, Rubén Fernández, and Pauls Jonass maintained their positions throughout the race, finishing fourth, fifth, and sixth, respectively. Glenn Coldenhoff pressured Benoit Paturel, eventually passing him to finish seventh while Paturel settled for eighth.
Tim Gajser’s remarkable performance stood out as he rebounded from an early fall to climb from the last position to ninth by the end of the race.
In Race Two, newly crowned MXGP World Champion Prado secured another Holeshot and the lead. However, this time, Romain Febvre put up a strong fight, eventually passing him on lap eight. Tim Gajser also overtook Prado and pressured Febvre. Despite a few attempts, Gajser couldn’t pass Febvre, and Prado held his ground, winning the race in front of Gajser. Unfortunately, both riders missed out on the podium, with Gajser finishing fifth and Febvre in ninth place.
Prado maintained his lead until lap seventeen when he made a crucial mistake and dropped to sixth position. This error prevented him from securing a perfect victory. In the end, Prado’s 1-6 finish earned him second place overall.
Rubén Fernández capitalised on Prado’s mistake and finished third in Race two, securing third place on the overall podium for the first time since Germany. Jeremy Seewer battled hard with Alberto Forato for fifth place, eventually overtaking the Italian and finishing fourth. Seewer’s strong performance earned him his third Grand Prix victory of the season.
Unfortunately, Alberto Forato had to settle for fifth overall after going 3-5, marking his best finish of the season.
Pauls Jonass rode consistently to secure seventh place, while Valentin Guillod finished 10-8 for 10th overall. Glenn Coldenhoff finished ninth overall.
An elated Prado was happy to be crowned champion and full of praise for those who helped him achieve his goal. “Oh, what a day! It was a pity that I made a mistake otherwise I would have gotten the overall but hey I’m the new World Champion and it’s just amazing you know,” Prado said. “I would never imagine at the beginning of the season to be up here with this Gold Plate. It was such hard work the whole season and many people didn’t believe that it was possible but I believed in myself and I knew I could make it happen and here I am, the best of the year.I cannot ask for anything better, I enjoy and I am World Champion, I dreamed about that moment all my life”
Speaking of his round win, Jeremy Seewer was elated to go back-to-back, “The track was pretty fast and high-speed racing so it was hard to make a pass and make the difference,” Seewer explained. “I knew in the second race that I had to get Alby (Forato) to get on the podium but I didn’t know I could win the GP. Of course, Jorge made a mistake but I’ll take it and the fans here are crazy and the noise they make is amazing. Big congratulations to Jorge (Prado) for an amazing season, he deserves to be the World Champion. Unfortunately, I was too far off but I’m feeling good now and I’m looking forward to the last race and for next season”
MX2
In MX2 Race One, Simon Laengenfelder secured the Holeshot and rapidly built a commanding lead ahead of Jago Geerts and Red Plate holder Andrea Adamo. Laengenfelder controlled the race from start to finish, clinching his second race win of the weekend, following his Qualifying Race victory.
Adamo, starting in third place, attempted to close the gap on Geerts and even challenged him multiple times. However, Geerts displayed remarkable composure, responding to Adamo’s attacks by increasing his pace to maintain his position. Adamo had a moment of concern when he landed off-track, hitting his chest on the handlebar. Geerts ultimately finished second.
Adamo had to fend off a determined Liam Everts, who aimed to deny Adamo a home victory. Adamo maintained composure to secure third place, while Everts finished fourth.
Lucas Coenen delivered an outstanding performance, climbing from tenth on the opening lap to a solid sixth place. Coenen’s performance was notable, and he closely trailed Kevin Horgmo, who had earlier battled with Everts and Adamo for the third position. Coenen overtook Horgmo with just two corners remaining to finish fifth, while Horgmo settled for sixth.
Thibault Benistant also made an impressive comeback. After starting in second place, he went off-track and lost positions, dropping to fifth on the opening lap. Despite crashing again, Benistant displayed resilience and finished seventh, showcasing his talent as he overtook his teammate, Rick Elzinga. Elzinga claimed eighth place ahead of Kay de Wolf, who encountered difficulties during the race.
In Race Two, Laengenfelder grabbed his tenth Holeshot, but his lead was short-lived as Jago Geerts executed a superb maneuver to overtake him and claim the lead. Geerts maintained his grip on the lead throughout the race, engaging in an intense battle with Laengenfelder. Geerts eventually secured victory, his first Grand Prix win since Flanders, with Laengenfelder settling for second place.
For Andrea Adamo, the task was seemingly straightforward: he needed to gain four points on Liam Everts to secure the Championship. Adamo had a better start, taking fifth place, while Everts was eighth after the opening lap. Everts demonstrated great determination, closing in on Adamo by lap six. Adamo then decided to seize control of his destiny, passing both Thibault Benistant and Oriol Oliver within two laps. Adamo maintained his third place as Everts fought to challenge him.
However, on lap fifteen, Everts crashed and retired from the race, ultimately being disqualified for accepting outside assistance. As Adamo crossed the finish line in third place, he secured the 2023 MX2 World Championship, with his team and family celebrating his triumph.
Thibault Benistant finished fifth overall, despite his eventful race. Oriol Oliver, who crashed out of fourth place, settled for eleventh. Kay de Wolf showcased his form by finishing fourth in Race Two and fourth overall after starting ninth. Kevin Horgmo maintained consistency, securing sixth place overall. Lucas Coenen displayed impressive comebacks once more, climbing from twenty-second to seventh place in Race Two and securing seventh overall. David Braceras had a solid performance, finishing eighth overall with race results of 14-8.
An emotional Andrea Adamo said, “What an emotion, I didn’t plan to win here in Italy because I was expecting to win it in Materley but today I did two good races. I’m sure that with a better start, I could have fought with Simon (Laengenfelder) and Jago (Geerts), but today I just enjoyed the races and got two 3-3 that were enough to bring me the championship. What a moment it was to win in front of the home fans too.”
For round winner Jago Geerts, he was happy to be back on top of the box, “I’m really happy to win a GP again; today I was fast and I had a good feeling with the bike and of course is always nice to be back on top. I’m still not 100% but I’m improving week by week and now my goal is to have a good and solid race in Matterly and of course for the end of season at the FIM Monster Energy Motocross of Nations with Team Belgium,” Geerts said.
The final stop of the 2023 FIM Motocross World Championship is all that remains now. The Grand Prix of Great Britain will be held next weekend, September 23, at the popular circuit of Matterley Basin.
