Dean Ferris marks career landmark at milestone GP

The MX2 Motocross Grand Prix of Qatar saw Dean Ferris capture his first FIM Motocross World Championship podium finish with second overall. In doing so he became the first Australian to pick up silverware since late countryman Andrew McFarlane did the same from within the confines of Steve Dixon’s Yamaha squad in 2005. The nighttime special in the Middle East also saw the introduction of the Superfinal race format adopted for the flyaway events in 2013 that mixes the top twenties of the MX1 and MX2 classes. It was a novel meeting to launch this year’s racing campaign and both Ferris and team-mate Christophe Charlier decided to shine under the Losail lights from the ‘off’. The jumpy and rough course in the desert a short distance outside of Doha saw Ferris excel on his first appointment in Yamaha colours and with the Dixon-fettled YZ250F. The bike was placed on the podium for the second meeting in a row after a double appearance in the season-closing Grand Prix of Germany last September. Ferris enjoyed two good starts and took fifth and second positions (for his class in the Superfinal) to toast a career highlight to-date.

Earlier in the evening it looked as though Christophe Charlier might be looking good for his second career rostrum celebration. The Corsican was very strong on the prototype YZ250FM and kept Glen Coldenhoff close company all the way to the flag for third place. Unluckily a bad start and slip meant he was almost last during the early phases of the Superfinal and would end the evening with eighth in the second MX2 listing. The former Euro Champ was still a decent fifth overall and had plenty of blisters on his hands to show for the hard work against the 450cc machines.

Mel Pocock got out of the gate well in his first meeting as an official factory rider but just fell short of run the pace of the leaders. He scored ninth and fourteenth positions. He was almost accompanied by new team-mate Maxime Desprey in the first moto as the young Frenchman obtained an encouraging thirteenth place. Desprey crashed out of the Superfinal but without injury.

The Grand Prix of Thailand next week will see the Monster Energy Yamaha quartet again in action for another distinctive FIM Motocross World Championship fixture.

Christophe Charlier: “I’m happy with my race and had a good feeling on my bike after we made a couple of changes. I hesitated at the start of the Superfinal and I paid for it because it was very hard against the 450s. Now we’ll continue to work and I want that podium in Thailand.”