Monster Energy athletes trampled the Losail podium for the first of eighteen sorties in the 2016 FIM Motocross World Championship with reigning MXGP World Champion Romain Febvre and Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Dylan Ferrandis both finishing as runner-up in the premier and MX2 classes respectively. Grand Prix rookie and New Zealand starlet Courtney Duncan almost stole the entire show with an emphatic 1-1 performance on her FIM Women’s World Championship debut.
While Tim Gajser (another debutant success but in MXGP) and Jeffrey Herlings were the reference points in Qatar, the outings of Yamaha’s Febvre – going 3-2 in the two MXGP motos – and Ferrandis – 2-2 in MX2 – gave plenty of encouragement for the launch of a long campaign that will travel to four continents over the next seven months and involve another thirty-four motos of racing.
Thirty-two light towers and 420 bulbs cast a strong beam around a fast, holey and wide layout and for the fourth year Losail was the scene for MXGP to get wheels rolling in anger. Febvre started a campaign in which he has moved from rookie to ruler but a pre-season arm injury meant that he lacked race mileage and in the first Qatar outing struggled with arm-pump. “With my injury I lost my plan to build-up to here and in the first moto I just rode too tight and got arm-pump quickly,” the Frenchman said. “It was really difficult to ride. I was not happy but about that…but the position was OK.”
Febvre rallied hard to the runner-up spot in the second moto after an early crash cost him time and positions. “I was more relaxed in the second moto but made a mistake when I jumped too far and lost the front end,” he recounted. “I came back strongly but Tim was too far to be able to do something; there are seventeen rounds to go!”
Ferrandis led the world in MX2 and on his Kawasaki KX250F but was no match for former double world champion Herlings. ‘4’ was still buoyed by his efforts (including a second moto holeshot) as he’d faced some adversity in the run-up to Qatar. “I worked a lot this winter but we had some big changes in the team and now have Showa for the suspension and Cosworth for the engine and it was a big difference for me,” he admitted. “We worked a lot for the best bike possible but last week at my first pre-season race I felt it was not ready for this weekend and to fight for the podium. It was frustrating for me and the team but they worked so hard – day-and-night – and we finally found a good compromise for the chassis and suspension. We are still far from the full capacity of the bike, so that’s good. I know where and what we need to do.”
“I felt some pressure this weekend but we didn’t ride badly,” he continued. “I had some arm-pump and tried to keep my flow. The second moto holeshot was really good! Overall I didn’t take risks today and it was enough for me to take a 2-2.”
Back in MXGP and with the likes of Jeremy Van Horebeek finishing fourth, Tommy Searle in seventh and Valentin Guillod in twelfth (another premier class debut) Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Clement Desalle caught attention for his valiant attempt to gain points with a broken arm. The Belgian had fractured his radius less than two weeks previously but bared the discomfort and dismay to capture three points in the second moto (he unbelievably pulled out of the first race with an engine problem).
“It was really difficult, really hard and really painful,” he commented. “I knew it would be like this. I broke my radius not even two weeks ago and I received permission from the doctor to come because the articulation was not damaged, just the bone, but of course you have pain all around. I took care of my health and did not do anything crazy. However we are not here ‘for three points’ we are here to win races. I will be looking for some positive signs in the next few weeks.”
Courtney Duncan was the sensation of WMX as world champion Kiara Fontanesi suffered a first race crash that left her with a painful ankle. The New Zealander, who has already humbled racers of the opposite sex in her own national series, was outstanding, winning both motos at a canter on the JCR Yamaha.
“It is my first GP so I didn’t know what to expect from the competition but also all aspects from the track to the timetable and everything else,” she confessed. “Regarding the racing I settled in, got two solid starts and made my way into the lead. I maintained my lap-times and we’d had a solid summer [of training] in New Zealand so I had put the work-in and I’m just happy to come away with the 1-1.”
After waiting for MXGP to crank into life since last September, motocross fans will now only have to pause six more days before digesting round two. The time zone difference increases for the mainly-European paddock as Suphan Buri will stage the Grand Prix of Thailand and be the third different circuit the MXGP riders have tackled in three years. Stifling heat and humidity will be characteristics of the event…will the racing be as intense as the conditions?