Defending champion Pauls Jonass (Red Bull KTM) underlined his position as the fastest MX2 rider in the world with a devastating double win at the opening round of the FIM Motocross World Championship at Neuquen in Argentina.
The 21-year-old Latvian backed up his win in yesterday’s qualification race with a two-second victory in today’s opening 30-minute plus two lap moto before backing this up with a five-second win in race two.
Hunter Lawrence (114 Motorsports Geico Honda) holeshot the first race before Darian Sanayei (Bike It DRT Kawasaki) muscled his way to the front. Jonass had been squeezed out down the long start straight but wasted no time in making a succession of passes and was quickly into contention as leading Brit Ben Watson (Kemea Yamaha) fought it out near the front of the field.
Lawrence took the lead on lap three and began to pull clear as Jonass found himself held up behind Sanayei which allowed the Aussie to open up a three-and-a-half second gap.
After 10 minutes Jonass found a way past Sanayei but needed a further 10 minutes to get onto Lawrence’s rear wheel before diving up the inside on a sweeping right-hand turn to take the lead.
Dynamite Dane Thomas Kjer Olsen (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) also got stuck behind Sanayei but finally made a pass stick before the American was forced to retire with a technical issue.
At the flag it was Jonass from Lawrence and Olsen with Watson a fantastic fourth ahead of Germany’s Henri Jacobi (STC Racing Husqvarna). Conrad Mewse (ASA Hitachi KTM UK) was sixth and fellow Brit Adam Sterry (F&H Kawasaki) came home a brave 13th after aggravating a hand injury in yesterday’s quali race.
Jonass, who ran 1-1 at the facility in 2017, took the lead within a few corners of the start of race two and was never headed. Once Olsen moved into second the top two overall was settled and attention switched to the battle for third between Lawrence and Watson.
Lawrence held the initial advantage but appeared to be slowed by arm-pump which let Watson through. With time running out, South African Calvin Vlaanderen (Team HRC) made a late pass on Lawrence and almost got Watson at the flag but the Brit held on for a career-best GP finish although he missed out on a place on the podium by a single point.
Mewse struggled to 19th for 13th overall but Sterry, clearly suffering with his hand injury, ended the race a lap down in 21st for 21st overall.
MXGP Neuquen MX2 race two
1 1 Jonass, Pauls LAT LAMSF KTM 34:00.087 18 0:00.000 0:00.000 1:45.632 2 52.8
2 19 Olsen, Thomas Kjer DEN DMU Husqvarna 34:05.347 18 0:05.260 0:05.260 1:46.426 3 52.4
3 57 Sanayei, Darian USA ACU Kawasaki 34:10.813 18 0:10.726 0:05.466 1:46.887 6 52.2
4 919 Watson, Ben GBR ACU Yamaha 34:13.951 18 0:13.864 0:03.138 1:46.932 11 52.1
5 10 Vlaanderen, Calvin RSA KNMV Honda 34:14.080 18 0:13.993 0:00.129 1:46.731 18 52.2
6 96 Lawrence, Hunter AUS MA Honda 34:14.996 18 0:14.909 0:00.916 1:47.185 4 52
7 61 Prado, Jorge ESP RFME KTM 34:33.173 18 0:33.086 0:18.177 1:47.855 11 51.7
8 14 Beaton, Jed AUS MA Kawasaki 34:34.548 18 0:34.461 0:01.375 1:47.931 3 51.6
9 18 Brylyakov, Vsevolod RUS MFR Yamaha 34:40.127 18 0:40.040 0:05.579 1:48.277 6 51.5
10 193 Geerts, Jago BEL FMB Yamaha 34:41.741 18 0:41.654 0:01.614 1:47.622 10 51.8
11 161 Östlund, Alvin SWE SVEMO Yamaha 34:42.490 18 0:42.403 0:00.749 1:48.437 10 51.4
12 66 Larranaga Olano, Iker ESP RFME Husqvarna 34:52.381 18 0:52.294 0:09.891 1:47.633 10 51.8
13 98 Vaessen, Bas NED KNMV Honda 34:55.913 18 0:55.826 0:03.532 1:48.441 3 51.4
14 46 Pootjes, Davy NED KNMV KTM 34:58.791 18 0:58.704 0:02.878 1:47.824 1 51.7
15 118 Rubini, Stephen FRA FFM KTM 35:01.153 18 1:01.066 0:02.362 1:48.686 6 51.3
16 29 Jacobi, Henry GER DMSB Husqvarna 35:02.531 18 1:02.444 0:01.378 1:48.850 7 51.2
17 321 Bernardini, Samuele ITA FMI TM 35:02.735 18 1:02.648 0:00.204 1:48.673 2 51.3
18 64 Covington, Thomas USA MUL Husqvarna 35:15.834 18 1:15.747 0:13.099 1:48.098 1 51.6
19 426 Mewse, Conrad GBR ACU KTM 35:28.122 18 1:28.035 0:12.288 1:49.428 3 50.9
20 44 Lesiardo, Morgan ITA FMI KTM 35:40.042 18 1:39.955 0:11.920 1:50.630 9 50.4
21 811 Sterry, Adam GBR ACU Kawasaki 34:03.113 17 1 lap 1 lap 1:49.120 3 51.1
22 194 Vasquez, Javier CHL FMC Honda 34:51.268 17 1 lap 0:48.155 1:52.157 3 49.7
23 891 Souza, Gustavo BRA CBM Honda 35:25.621 17 1 lap 0:34.353 1:52.425 4 49.6
24 375 Seibel, Pablo Julian ARG CAMOD Honda 35:26.169 17 1 lap 0:00.548 1:53.957 1 48.9
25 122 Bratschi, German URU FUM Husqvarna 35:36.546 17 1 lap 0:10.377 1:54.568 1 48.7
26 276 Villaronga, Sergio CHL FMC Honda 35:48.815 17 1 lap 0:12.269 1:53.727 3 49
27 833 Toro, Lautaro ARG CAMOD Kawasaki 28:01.234 13 5 laps 4 laps 1:55.737 3 48.2
28 172 Van doninck, Brent BEL FMB Husqvarna 25:07.320 12 6 laps 1 lap 1:50.470 9 50.5
29 133 Righi, Luciano ARG CAMOD Husqvarna 18:19.035 8 10 laps 4 laps 1:56.161 4 48
30 747 Cervellin, Michele ITA FMI Honda 9:49.121 4 14 laps 4 laps 1:48.378 3 51.4
31 56 Weltin, Marshal USA AMA Honda 2:02.157 0 18 laps 4 laps 0:00.000 0
MXGP Neuquen MX2 race one - conditions dry
1 1 Jonass, Pauls LAT LAMSF KTM 34:44.373 19 0:00.000 0:00.000 1:43.195 7 54
2 96 Lawrence, Hunter AUS MA Honda 34:46.366 19 0:01.993 0:01.993 1:42.777 3 54.2
3 19 Olsen, Thomas Kjer DEN DMU Husqvarna 34:56.882 19 0:12.509 0:10.516 1:43.335 5 53.9
4 919 Watson, Ben GBR ACU Yamaha 35:05.913 19 0:21.540 0:09.031 1:43.683 9 53.8
5 29 Jacobi, Henry GER DMSB Husqvarna 35:24.059 19 0:39.686 0:18.146 1:44.618 7 53.3
6 426 Mewse, Conrad GBR ACU KTM 35:24.557 19 0:40.184 0:00.498 1:44.070 5 53.6
7 14 Beaton, Jed AUS MA Kawasaki 35:26.264 19 0:41.891 0:01.707 1:44.502 5 53.3
8 747 Cervellin, Michele ITA FMI Honda 35:27.611 19 0:43.238 0:01.347 1:45.380 7 52.9
9 18 Brylyakov, Vsevolod RUS MFR Yamaha 35:29.324 19 0:44.951 0:01.713 1:44.489 7 53.4
10 64 Covington, Thomas USA MUL Husqvarna 35:37.098 19 0:52.725 0:07.774 1:45.424 11 52.9
11 66 Larranaga Olano, Iker ESP RFME Husqvarna 35:42.773 19 0:58.400 0:05.675 1:45.150 7 53
12 193 Geerts, Jago BEL FMB Yamaha 35:47.668 19 1:03.295 0:04.895 1:46.222 11 52.5
13 811 Sterry, Adam GBR ACU Kawasaki 35:48.848 19 1:04.475 0:01.180 1:46.068 5 52.6
14 98 Vaessen, Bas NED KNMV Honda 35:49.665 19 1:05.292 0:00.817 1:45.402 6 52.9
15 321 Bernardini, Samuele ITA FMI TM 36:00.073 19 1:15.700 0:10.408 1:45.726 2 52.7
16 61 Prado, Jorge ESP RFME KTM 36:03.320 19 1:18.947 0:03.247 1:44.999 6 53.1
17 118 Rubini, Stephen FRA FFM KTM 36:04.818 19 1:20.445 0:01.498 1:46.056 9 52.6
18 10 Vlaanderen, Calvin RSA KNMV Honda 36:05.408 19 1:21.035 0:00.590 1:45.316 2 52.9
19 46 Pootjes, Davy NED KNMV KTM 36:12.710 19 1:28.337 0:07.302 1:45.887 2 52.6
20 172 Van doninck, Brent BEL FMB Husqvarna 36:17.237 19 1:32.864 0:04.527 1:46.993 7 52.1
21 56 Weltin, Marshal USA AMA Honda 36:19.832 19 1:35.459 0:02.595 1:46.885 6 52.2
22 891 Souza, Gustavo BRA CBM Honda 34:53.068 18 1 lap 1 lap 1:46.335 4 52.4
23 161 Östlund, Alvin SWE SVEMO Yamaha 35:00.961 18 1 lap 0:07.893 1:46.607 3 52.3
24 276 Villaronga, Sergio CHL FMC Honda 35:33.819 18 1 lap 0:32.858 1:47.954 5 51.6
25 375 Seibel, Pablo Julian ARG CAMOD Honda 36:04.953 18 1 lap 0:31.134 1:51.168 2 50.1
26 194 Vasquez, Javier CHL FMC Honda 36:12.206 18 1 lap 0:07.253 1:49.852 1 50.7
27 122 Bratschi, German URU FUM Husqvarna 34:47.152 17 2 laps 1 lap 1:50.754 3 50.3
28 133 Righi, Luciano ARG CAMOD Husqvarna 34:53.941 17 2 laps 0:06.789 1:52.307 1 49.6
29 833 Toro, Lautaro ARG CAMOD Kawasaki 35:18.321 17 2 laps 0:24.380 1:54.153 3 48.8
30 57 Sanayei, Darian USA ACU Kawasaki 19:21.481 10 9 laps 7 laps 1:44.126 4 53.5
31 44 Lesiardo, Morgan ITA FMI KTM 20:07.480 10 9 laps 0:45.999 1:47.157 5 52