Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP & MX2 Ready to Go for Gold in Germany
After an impressive display of speed, heart and determination in Latvia, the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP and MX2 teams are eager to translate their strong pace into success this weekend at the upcoming ninth round of the FIM Motocross World Championship in Teutschenthal, Germany.
The MXGP of Germany will take place at the Talkessel Circuit. Talkessel is a rutty hard-pack track that sprawls out over the Teutschental hillside. It offers plenty of climbs and drops and usually develops many tricky square-edged bumps. The venue is very familiar to all the MXGP riders. It hosted its first Grand Prix in 1971, and then after a 22-year hiatus, the popular venue made its return to the calendar in 1993 and has since become a familiar fixture, with 25 Grands Prix taking place over the last 29 years.
Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s Jeremy Seewer is excited to attack the fun old-school track. Having grown up racing in Germany and as a native German speaker, the ‘91’ has had many happy memories at the venue. The hilly clay-based track has played to his strengths in the past. After a confidence-boosting victory at the Monster Energy MXGP of France a couple of weeks ago, the Swiss star is optimistic he can uncork another bottle of podium champagne this weekend. He is currently fifth in the MXGP Championship Standings, 21 points shy of fourth.
Also aiming to reach the podium this weekend, Glenn Coldenhoff arrives ready to build on the same astonishing form that saw him come close to a podium finish in Latvia. The Dutchman is currently ranked sixth in the standings, just 13 points behind Seewer, and arrives in Germany determined to make up ground in the championship race.
In MX2, Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2’s Thibault Benistant is excited to return to Teutschenthal, the track at which he won his first-ever Grand Prix last year. Benistant lines up having led more laps than any other rider on the gate, and due to the absence of Jago Geerts, he also lines up as the most successful rider on paper with three career Grand Prix wins to his credit. This weekend, the 21-year-old Frenchman arrives happy and motivated to reel in the championship leader Kay de Wolf. He is currently third in the standings, 19-points down on de Wolf.
After a month of recovery, Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2’s Rick Elzinga will return to action this weekend. Over the past month, the young Dutchman has been focusing on regaining his strength and getting back into top shape after sustaining a collarbone injury in May. He will line up in Germany without any pressure or expectation. Both Elzinga, and the team, are aware that he might not be at his peak performance just yet, but they’re determined to make the most of this weekend’s race, where the focus will be on helping the ‘44’ gradually regain his competitive edge, all while enjoying the thrill of being back on the bike. Despite missing three rounds this season, Elzinga remains 12th in the Championship Standings.
Joining the MXGP and MX2 riders on the hunt for glory after an incredible weekend in Latvia, the Hutten Metaal Yamaha Official EMX250 and MJC Yamaha Official EMX125 teams will be in attendance for the sixth rounds of the EMX250 and EMX125 Championships.
After celebrating his fifth consecutive podium finish in Latvia, Hutten Metaal’s Andrea Bonacoris currently leads the way in the EMX250 series. As a result, he now leads by 30 points. At the same time, his rookie teammates Karlis Reisulis and Ivano van Erp have been making significant progress this season. Van Erp recently celebrated his first-ever EMX250 round win in Latvia and hopes to maintain his momentum as he aims to climb the leaderboard. He is currently seventh, just 5 points shy of K.Reisulis in sixth. Notably, van Erp celebrated his first-ever EMX125 race and round victory at the EMX125 round of Germany in Teutschenthal in 2021.
Speaking of EMX125, MJC Yamaha Official EMX125’s young mega-talent Janis Reisulis boasts a 100% podium record in 2023 and currently leads the championship by 14 points. The 15-year-old Latvian sensation hopes to continue his impressive podium streak this weekend. At the same time, Julius Mikula is working hard to regain his competitive form after sustaining an untimely injury in March that sidelined him for the first three rounds. Despite this setback, the young Czech rider has already made significant progress, finishing just outside the top five in Latvia last weekend. As a result, Mikula has leapt to 16th place in the championship standings.
Jeremy Seewer
5th MXGP Championship Standings, 273-points
“I‘m looking forward to it! It’s not close to where I grew up, but as I grew up racing in Germany, it feels familiar and more special than other GP‘s! I hope lots of Swiss fans will show up! This weekend, podium is the goal, as per usual. But more than anything, I really want to enjoy the race, which I felt was not the case in Kegums, so I’m looking forward to having more fun this weekend.”
Glenn Coldenhoff
6th MXGP Championship Standings, 260-points
“Teutschenthal is definitely not my favourite track, but I usually do alright there. It’s another tight week with back-to-back GP’s, but I will probably still ride at least once. It’s no surprise what my goal is this weekend. We’re still aiming to be back on the box.”
Thibault Benistant
3rd MX2 Championship Standings, 348-points
“To go back to Teutschenthal, the place where I won my first ever GP, is a really special feeling. I really like the track, and because I took my first GP win there, it is something I will always remember. I think the track suits my riding style because it’s quite hard, and bumpy with a lot of ruts and jumps and all the things I like. The goal this weekend will be to take good starts and fight for the top step of the podium.”
Rick Elzinga
12th MX2 Championship Standings, 121-points
“I’m happy to be back on the gate this weekend. I’ve had a month I didn’t ride, so now I will be back on the bike three times before Germany. This weekend will be to see where I’m at, and to keep improving. I really like Teutschenthal. It’s a difficult track but I like to ride there.”
