Kay De Wolf and Lucas Coenen set for 1-2 finish as Nestaan Husqvarna dominates the FIM MX2 World Motocross Championship.
The race is truly on for an incredible finish to the 2024 FIM Motocross World Championship, with both Lucas Coenen and Kay de Wolf going bar-to-bar for the top honours in MX2 in China. One thing is for certain: Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing will celebrate first and second in the 2024 MX2 World Championship by the end of the season.
After securing an impressive sixth double race win at the 2024 MXGP of China, Lucas Coenen is now only 36 points behind his teammate Kay de Wolf, who currently leads the standings.
De Wolf had started the Chinese event – held at the fast, but soft and sandy, 1,620m Shanghai International Off-Road Circuit – with a 44-point advantage over his teammate. However, after Coenen locked in his sixth double race win of the year, the gap was cut to 36 points. Adding to the pressure of the weekend, the threat of a typhoon forced organisers to shorten the event into a condensed one-day format.
In the opening moto, Coenen did everything he needed to do – securing the holeshot (his third of 2024) and leading from the front in commanding style, flag to flag. De Wolf chased hard, battling with Simon Längenfelder, and passed Liam Everts on lap 14 to take third. Coenen’s pace was further highlighted as the Belgian stretched out a nine-second gap from his teammate at the final flag.
In the second moto, Coenen secured another victory, maintaining a comfortable lead throughout the race and finishing with a 7.4-second margin. Kay de Wolf took an early lead, but suffered a crash mid-race, dropping to third. However, the Dutchman turned up the pace enough to fight back and finish second.
In MXGP, Mattia Guadagnini had reason to smile. With humidity and winds steadlily increasing into the afternoon, the Italian brought serious speed and style to his motos. In race 1, he finished in ninth place, just under 24 seconds behind winner Romain Febvre. In race 2, Guadagnini maintained consistent form, finishing ninth again. Placing inside the top ten in both motos earned him 24 points for the weekend, bringing his total to 307 and cementing his 12th place position in the standings.
It all comes down to the wire as the 2024 FIM World Motocross season concludes at the MXGP of Castilla la Mancha in Cozar, Spain, on 29th September. May the best rider win!
Click here to download hi-res images from the 2024 MXGP of China
#101 – Mattia Guadagnini: “It was a challenging weekend with the changing weather and track conditions, but I’m pleased with my consistency. I managed to finish 9th in both motos, which earned me valuable points in the championship. The humidity and winds made it tough, but I felt strong on the bike. Now, it’s all about finishing the season on a high note in Spain and securing the best result possible in the final standings!”
#74 – Kay de Wolf: “I gave it everything out there today. The conditions were tough with the heat and the threat of the typhoon, but I’m happy with my performance overall. After taking the lead in the second moto, I made a small mistake that cost me, but I’m glad I managed to fight back and secure second. Lucas is closing the gap in the standings, so I know I have to stay sharp. It’s going to be an exciting final round in Spain, and I’m ready to give it everything to bring home the title!”
#96 – Lucas Coenen: “I need to push, and get every single point I can – we only have one race left now. The heat here in China has been very intense; when you stop the race it is actually more, so it has been important to try to recover physically. I want to say sorry to Liam Everts, it was a total mistake to make contact, and I hope he is ok! For the championship, I’ve got my fight on now – I want to beat him [Kay de Wolf], and just win every race. I’m doing everything I can, so let’s see how things go at the final race in Spain. Let’s go!”
Results – 2024 FIM Motocross World Championship, Round Nineteen:
MXGP – Overall:
1. Jorge Prado (GASGAS) 47pts; 2. Romain Febvre (Kawasaki) 45pts; 3. Jeffrey Herlings (KTM) 38pts; 9. Mattia Guadagnini (Husqvarna) 24pts
1. Jorge Prado (GASGAS) 47pts; 2. Romain Febvre (Kawasaki) 45pts; 3. Jeffrey Herlings (KTM) 38pts; 9. Mattia Guadagnini (Husqvarna) 24pts
MXGP – Moto One:
1. Romain Febvre (Kawasaki) 34:32.847; 2. Jorge Prado (GASGAS) 34:38.573; 3. Jeffrey Herlings (KTM) 34:41.223;9. Mattia Guadagnini (Husqvarna) 34:56.628
MXGP – Moto Two:
1. Jorge Prado (GASGAS) 34:32.163; 2. Tim Gajser (Honda) 34:35.054;3. Romain Febvre (Kawasaki) 35:01.120; 4. Jeffrey Herlings (KTM) 35:11.797;9. Mattia Guadagnini (Husqvarna) 35:25.126
MXGP – Standings:
1. Jorge Prado (GASGAS) 943pts; 2. Tim Gajser (Honda) 936pts; 3. Jeffrey Herlings (KTM) 895pts; 12. Mattia Guadagnini (Husqvarna) 307pts
MX2 – Overall:
1. Lucas Coenen (Husqvarna) 50pts; 2. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 42pts; 3. Simon Längenfelder (GASGAS) 42pts; 5. Andrea Adamo (KTM) 31pts; 9. Liam Everts (KTM) 22pts; DNS. Sacha Coenen (KTM) 0pts
MX2 – Moto One:
1. Lucas Coenen (Husqvarna) 34:14.906;2. Simon Längenfelder (GASGAS) 34:20.160;3. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 34:23.684;4. Liam Everts (KTM) 34:25.560; 6. Andrea Adamo (KTM) 34:29.121; DNS. Sacha Coenen (KTM)
MX2 – Moto Two:
1. Lucas Coenen (Husqvarna) 35:06.258; 2. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 35:11.846;3. Simon Längenfelder (GASGAS) 35:20.578; 5. Andrea Adamo (KTM) 35:31.099; 17. Liam Everts (KTM) 1:45.521;DNS. Sacha Coenen (KTM)
MX2 – Standings:
1. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 915pts; 2. Lucas Coenen (Husqvarna) 879pts; 3. Simon Längenfelder (GASGAS) 811pts; 4. Liam Everts (KTM) 749pts; 6. Andrea Adamo (KTM) 632pts
8. Sacha Coenen (KTM) 456pts; 19. Marc-Antoine Rossi (GASGAS) 122pts
8. Sacha Coenen (KTM) 456pts; 19. Marc-Antoine Rossi (GASGAS) 122pts