| Victory in Vantaa? Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP & MX2 Fired Up for Finnish Grand Prix |
| The Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP and MX2 teams are fired up and ready for their third consecutive Grand Prix in as many weeks as they arrive in Vantaa, Finland for the 14th round of the FIM Motocross World Championship.
Vantaa is a new track for many of the riders, as it has not hosted a premier class round of the FIM Motocross World Championship since 1995. However, it has already proven itself as a fantastic venue, hosting prestigious events such as the FIM Junior Motocross World Championship last year, at which Yamaha’s Ivano van Erp secured his second Junior World title, as well as European Championship rounds in 2009 and 2010, and the Junior Motocross World Championship in 2006, where Glenn Coldenhoff powered his Yamaha YZ85 to fifth-place finish.
Despite the shift in venue, arriving in Finland still triggers fond memories for the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP team, who in 2022, celebrated its most successful Grand Prix ever, with all three riders – Coldenhoff, Jeremy Seewer, and Maxime Renaux – achieving a historic podium sweep.
The sand track in Vantaa is similar to what the Dutch and Belgian riders grew up racing on, so it should suit them well. Coldenhoff is feeling confident after a strong showing in Lommel, Belgium, where he won his first Qualifying Race of the season and added another podium finish to his 2023 campaign. He is the most recent Finnish Grand Prix winner and is determined to challenge for the top spot again. However, he will face tough competition from teammate Seewer, who finished second in Finland last year and is aiming for his second Grand Prix win of the season.
Seewer will line up third in the MXGP Championship Standings, while Coldenhoff lines up fifth, just 1-point shy of fourth.
Fresh off an emotionally charged home Grand Prix victory at which he gained 27 pivotal points in the MX2 title fight, Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2’s Jago Geerts arrives second in the Championship Standings, just 13-points down on the leader and determined to keep momentum.
Geerts will be joined on the gate by his rookie teammate Rick Elzinga, who arrives 11th in the rankings. Though having never raced in Finland, the sand track should play to the Dutchman’s strengths.
Unfortunately, Thibault Benistant will not participate in this round as he continues to recover from the Qualifying Race crash in the Czech Republic.
Jeremy Seewer 3rd MXGP Championship Standings, 506-points “Lommel was tough, but I am in good condition, so I recovered quickly. Still, this week, I took it easier than usual. Just focused on recovery to be sure my mind and body is ready for this weekend. Last year in Finland, I struggled a bit in the beginning, but managed to turn it around and got second overall after some good riding. Vantaa is sand again, and I think I showed in Lommel that I am also good in the sand. So, I am positive I can do well this weekend, and be back on the box.”
Glenn Coldenhoff 5th MXGP Championship Standings, 480-points “Lommel is always a tough race, so my muscle were a little bit sore on Monday, but not too bad. I don’t do anything specific to prepare for back-to-back GP’s. The plan stays the same. Recover as quick as possible and keep training to be sharp again for the weekend. I rode in Vantaa in 2006 Junior World Championship. So, it has been quite a while since I have been there, but from what I remember it’s similar sand like last year in Hyvinkaa, but only a little bit smaller. Last year I won the GP in Finland so I will give everything to repeat that.”
Jago Geerts 2nd MX2 Championship Standings, 551-points “With the back-to-back races, there is not a lot of time to recover, so I have been taking it easy. I went riding in Vantaa last year to prepare for the GP in Hyvinkaa. It’s also a sand track, so the track should suit me well. The goal is to fight for the win.”
Rick Elzinga 11th MX2 Championship Standings, 228-points “There is a lot of traveling at the moment, and after an intense GP in Lommel, I will rest a little bit more than usual, and only ride once instead of twice. I watched the Junior World Championship to get an idea of how the track looked, and it looked quite intense. It’s not soft like Lommel, but it’s still sandy with nowhere to rest. So, I’m prepared for another heavy weekend.” |
