Rider quotes following the MXGP of Europe.
Gautier Paulin – 1st MXGP
“It’s been an amazing GP. We started off with a good pace in qualifying. I was feeling good on the bike ever since I stepped foot on this track, so I was very positive of some good results. We had a perfect opening moto. I got a clear holeshot and managed to successfully defend my lead until the finish line. Despite not getting the best of starts in moto two, I stayed focused on the goal of winning the overall. I kept pushing and as soon as I saw other riders suffering physically I gave one last push for the overall victory. I honestly have no words to thank my Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team for all their hard work and dedication. This victory has given us a big confidence boost for the races to come.”
Jeffrey Herlings – 2nd MXGP
“I’ve been winning here seven years in a row and even though things haven’t been going well lately I think the fans still expected a podium and that’s what we did. I felt like we were close to the win. We had a really bad start to the season with the broken hand and we were riding but we weren’t really ‘riding’ and I just went from GP to GP. I felt terrible. I was in positions I shouldn’t be in and I even felt embarrassed, but now I’ve been on the bike a few weeks so we can work on being better and better and get back in the shape where we should be. I didn’t expect these [MXGP] guys to be so fast and it is like all-out war from the moment the gate drops to the finish flag and it is something we haven’t been used to. But we are getting back the speed and we just need to get those starts together.”
Jeremy Van Horebeek – 3rd MXGP
“I got a virus in Mexico and I was really sick. I lost 4 kilograms and I though it was over but then again today I got stomach cramps. I actually felt really good in the second race and I thought at one point ‘ok let’s go for the win’, but then my health decided otherwise. I am very happy to be on the podium again, and to have this sort of consistency. It will pay off at the end of the season.”
Antonio Cairoli – 4th MXGP
“It was a race where I should have gone 1-1 so I’m disappointed. I like the sand and the bad start should not have happened; when you are in the pack you cannot control the rest of the people so I got stuck between some crashes. I then used all my tear-offs and later had some sand and irritation in my right eye that made my vision blurry and I had to slow. I was really disappointed with that moto. My eye was still bothering me a bit in the second moto and I wasn’t 100% but I tried for the good start and it worked. To take twenty-five points for the championship was good but it wasn’t my goal for the weekend.”
Tim Gajser – 5th MXGP
“Today was ok. I made some big mistakes in the first race when I was second and I couldn’t come back to find my rhythm and I finished sixth which I was a little bit disappointed with. The second race was better, even though I didn’t have the best start. I came from seventh back to fourth which was good so I will take some important points away from this race and refocus for Latvia. If I am honest I didn’t like that track at all so I am glad this is done and I am really looking forward to racing in Latvia and having a one week break at home.”
MX2
Paul Jonas – 1st MX2
“I felt good all weekend and we made improvements from yesterday to today and actually all the time with the bike. I enjoyed the track even if it was rough and pretty sketchy in places because it was hard underneath with some square-edge bumps but it was nice to ride. I cruised in the first moto. I like riding here and to go home with the 1-1 means I am looking forward even more to my home GP next.”
Jeremy Seewer – 2nd MX2
“I think we made the best out of the day, after yesterday’s performance” said Seewer, “we turned it around with two good starts, that would have been right up there had I had a good gate pick. Both motos I came from like 15th and immediately passed so many riders so that was a good point from today. First moto my setup wasn’t quite on point so I had to settle for fourth, rather than push on for third but it was still good to get some confidence back after yesterday. Then in the second moto we made some good changes on the bike which made my RM-Z250 really good for this track. I was even better on the start and passed the other riders even quicker and got up to second. I even managed to cut Pauls Jonass’ lead at the front which was a nice feeling. Overall I think it was a positive day, despite losing some points in the championship. To be able to come back from Saturday’s result, and only lose a few points is acceptable. The next round is Latvia and I really like that track so I’m looking forward to doing even better there.”
Hunter Lawrence – 6th MX2
“It was a good day. First moto I got a decent start, around 10-15 but then I made a mistake as I was going over a bump, letting off the gas and allowing the bike to stall. It took me a little time to start the bike again by which time I’d dropped down outside the top 20. I then put on a charge which got me up to 10th position, so I was pretty happy with how I was riding and made me look forward to race two.
“Then in the second moto I got another good start on board my RM-Z250, which was running great all day. I moved up from around 10th and just put my head down, rode my own race, got my lines sorted and was really trying to play with the track and link some sections together. I ended up passing some good riders to finish fifth and I was really happy with how I was riding and how the Suzuki World MX2 team progressed throughout the weekend. From Saturday to Sunday it was a nice improvement and I hope to keep this level up for the upcoming GPs. This sixth overall was my best ever finish, combined with my best moto result so I have a lot of positives to takeaway and I’m excited to head to Latvia for the next round.”