Jorge Prado (Red Bull KTM) raced to the win in today’s MX2 qualification moto at the MXGP of Indonesia at Pangkal Pinang, round 12 of the of the FIM Motocross World Championship.

Davy Pootjes (LRT KTM) took the holeshot but Prado, who trails his team-mate Pauls Jonass by just nine points in the championship, hit the front within a handful of turns and was never headed as he claimed an important psychological victory.

Britain’s Ben Watson (Kemea Yamaha) nailed a great start and quickly moved into second. Jonass then stuck a hard pass for third on Pootjes that left the young Dutchman on the ground which allowed Thomas Kjer Olsen (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) and his American team-mate Thomas Covington through.

At the front of a depleted field of just 15 series regulars and four local riders, Prado and Watson began to pull clear and after five minutes the Spanish teenager was two-and-a-half seconds ahead of the Brit with Jonass a further five seconds adrift.

A big mistake from Jonass let Olsen and Covington close on the rapidly-drying track and four laps from the end the defending champion slipped off and dropped back to fifth.

In the closing stages Watson almost got onto Prado’s back wheel but he held on to win by a second to ensure first gate pick tomorrow. Olsen was over 14 seconds further back in third from Covington and Jonass with Calvin Vlaanderen (Team HRC) sixth ahead of Henry Jacobi (STC Husqvarna), Jago Geerts (Kemea Yamaha), Pootjes and Michele Cervellin (Martin Honda).

Adam Sterry (F&H Kawasaki), the only other British rider in action following Conrad Mewse’s Hitachi ASA KTM UK team’s decision not to attend, crossed the line in 11th.

MXGP Indonesia MX2 qualifying race result

1    61    Prado, Jorge    ESP     RFME    KTM    24:05.264    13    0:00.000    0:00.000    1:47.953    3    50.6
2    919    Watson, Ben    GBR     ACU    Yamaha    24:06.318    13    0:01.054    0:01.054    1:48.435    3    50.4
3    19    Olsen, Thomas Kjer    DEN     DMU    Husqvarna    24:20.777    13    0:15.513    0:14.459    1:49.187    5    50.1
4    64    Covington, Thomas    USA     MUL    Husqvarna    24:24.215    13    0:18.951    0:03.438    1:49.421    6    50
5    1    Jonass, Pauls    LAT     LAMSF    KTM    24:26.176    13    0:20.912    0:01.961    1:48.646    5    50.3
6    10    Vlaanderen, Calvin    RSA     KNMV    Honda    24:38.034    13    0:32.770    0:11.858    1:49.670    6    49.8
7    29    Jacobi, Henry    GER     DMSB    Husqvarna    24:47.151    13    0:41.887    0:09.117    1:50.389    6    49.5
8    193    Geerts, Jago    BEL     FMB    Yamaha    24:49.248    13    0:43.984    0:02.097    1:50.285    5    49.6
9    46    Pootjes, Davy    NED     KNMV    KTM    24:51.040    13    0:45.776    0:01.792    1:50.529    9    49.5
10    747    Cervellin, Michele    ITA     FMI    Yamaha    25:01.285    13    0:56.021    0:10.245    1:51.461    5    49
11    811    Sterry, Adam    GBR     ACU    Kawasaki    25:03.006    13    0:57.742    0:01.721    1:50.857    4    49.3
12    172    Van doninck, Brent    BEL     FMB    Husqvarna    25:07.275    13    1:02.011    0:04.269    1:51.136    4    49.2
13    98    Vaessen, Bas    NED     KNMV    Honda    25:08.547    13    1:03.283    0:01.272    1:52.027    4    48.8
14    66    Larranaga Olano, Iker    ESP     RFME    Husqvarna    25:26.540    13    1:21.276    0:17.993    1:51.727    3    48.9
15    95    Furlotti, Simone    ITA     FMI    Yamaha    25:29.683    13    1:24.419    0:03.143    1:53.074    4    48.3
16    281    Pattipi, Yosua     INA     IMI    Husqvarna    24:57.695    11    2 laps    2 laps    2:05.966    3    43.4
17    206    Ismayana, Diva     INA     IMI    Husqvarna    25:47.728    11    2 laps    0:50.033    2:05.008    2    43.7
18    325    Delvintor Alfarizi, Muhammad    INA     IMI    Husqvarna    25:50.663    11    2 laps    0:02.935    1:59.871    4    45.6
19    204    Maksum, Hilman    INA     IMI    Husqvarna    26:11.304    11    2 laps    0:20.641    2:10.815    4    41.8