Team Suzuki Press Office – June 26.
Jeremy Seewer just missed his eighth podium of the season in front of a 27,000 crowd wedged into the banks of the Nuvolari circuit in Mantova for the Fullback Grand Prix of Lombardia and a fixture that pulled the 2016 FIM Motocross World Championship up to round 12 of 18 today.
The Swiss pushed his RM-Z250 to sixth position and then seventh (for seventh overall) in two motos run in sunny and sweltering conditions and in somewhat controversial circumstances. The start gate malfunctioned in Saturday’s qualification heat and led to a restart. The same glitch seemed to occur at the beginning of the second moto and Seewer was one of a group of riders that was impeded but the sprint was not stopped. Team Suzuki World MX2 felt compelled to protest the action to the FIM.
Italy was again the destination for MXGP and for the second time in 2016 as the series moved south from the rainy climes of the UK and encountered an authentic summery climate in the Lombardia region north of Bologna and south of Verona. Seewer came to Mantova keen for more silverware and after having ridden well at Matterley Basin. The 21-year-old was quick through Saturday practice and miscued his start in the Qualification Heat (he rose to fourth for the same slot in the gate for the motos) but learned a valuable lesson for Sunday.
Seewer used the lively power of the RM-Z250 to a top-10 launch around the jump-laden and rough insubstantial sandy course in the first moto. Mantova was typically tight, compact and challenging with a lap-time that crested the two-minute mark. Seewer worked-up to the fringe of the top-five before another fall meant he had to rally again from 10th and was within four-tenths-of-a-second from seizing fifth place from Max Anstie at the finish. The second race began contentiously as the gate seemed to move but not drop. Seewer was one of several briefly trapped on the line and needing to again thread through the field. He rode well and was in a pack of four riders disputing the final podium step. He was close to passing Thomas Covington for fifth place but a small mistake dropped him to ninth with three laps to go. He recovered to sixth but was disappointed to miss the box by just one point.
