The Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP squad sprung back into action today, as the second part of the Turkish double header was run on the same Afyonkarahisar circuit. The Grand Prix of Afyon acted as round nine of the current campaign.
Jeremy Seewer executed his start very well in the first moto, despite a disappointing qualifying session, as he used the power within the YZ450FM to round the first turn inside of the top five. Seewer kept pace with the leaders to begin with, but an unfortunate fall meant that he could only salvage a fourteenth at the end of the moto. An incident on lap one of moto two, coupled with a one-lined track, meant that Seewer could only manage a thirteenth. Thirteenth was also the position that he picked up in the overall classification – he is still sixth in the championship standings.
Glenn Coldenhoff kept his head down at the Grand Prix of Afyon and charged through the field each time; he started outside the top ten in both motos. The fashion in which he moved forward in the first moto was impressive, as he started sixteenth and finished eighth. The second stint was hindered by a crash, unfortunately, so he could only secure nineteenth and fourteenth overall on the day. Coldenhoff is currently eighth in the standings, with many rounds left to run.
Ben Watson made significant progress in the two days that had passed since the Grand Prix of Turkey – he showed some impressive speed and matched the lap times of those on the cusp of the top five in race one. Eleventh was the position that he reached the chequered flag in. A tricky start in moto two meant that he was unable to secure points, so sixteenth was the overall result that he acquired. Watson is still tenth in the championship standings.
Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP will exit Turkey now and focus on what is to come – the tenth round of the 2021 FIM Motocross World Championship will be run in the power-sapping sand of Riola Sardo next weekend.
Jeremy Seewer: “I thought I was going to have a good day, but it was a disaster. I pushed as much as I could for two motos on Sunday and I was pretty stiff, so that took a while to go away. I just could not manage. I started off really well in the first moto, but crashed on the fastest corner on the track. I just lost everything after that. I was nearly dead last in the second moto, but came back to P13.”
Glenn Coldenhoff: “Really difficult day. We tried a few things in the morning and it didn’t really work out, so we put everything back to what I am used to and it was much better. In the first race I ended up completely off track. I lost 10 positions, I think. Still, it was a good moto because I fought my way back to eighth on a track where there was almost nowhere to pass. In the second race, my start was not great and I struggled with my breathing. I crashed and from there on I had nothing left.”
Ben Watson: “I just felt a bit lost all day. Not worse than Sunday, but on a similar level. I really struggled in qualifying and the start is unfair here, so I was all of the way on the outside. I was top ten in the first moto, which was a good start from where I was, and I just followed. That was the first race. I just had no connection to the track. The second moto was no better. It was just not my day.”
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