Spanish sensation Jorge Prado (Red Bull KTM) loosened his team-mate Pauls Jonass’ grip on the 2018 FIM Motocross World Championship MX2 title fight with overall victory at the MXGP of Trentino in Pietramurata today.
The 17-year-old, who took a career-first victory last year at the Italian circuit, won the opening moto by almost eight seconds after grabbing the holeshot and leading all the way to the flag.
He took another holeshot in race two and led until the last lap of the 30-minute plus two-lap moto when America’s Thomas Covington (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) stuck a dramatic pass on him after diving up the inside in a heavily-rutted left-hand turn.
However, with Jonass – who was unbeaten so far this season heading into Trentino – struggling to 4-9 finishes on the spectacular hard-pack track, the defending champion from Latvia has seen his advantage slashed to just 28 points as Prado moves into second in the title chase.
“The second moto was good,” said Prado. “I did my best but the last lap I didn’t choose the right rut and he passed me but first overall is good and I’m happy with the win.”
After leading the opening race around the first turn, Prado looked smooth and controlled as he pulled away from Henry Jacobi (STC Husqvarna) and Danish star Thomas Kjer Olsen (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna).
Jonass was ninth on the opening lap after getting squeezed out into the first turn and on a track where passing was tough never looked a threat as for once he lost his cool and began to make mistakes.
Just 10 minutes into the moto Prado was already six seconds clear of Jacobi with Jonass, who barged his way past Covington for fourth, a further eight seconds behind.
At two-thirds distance Olsen snatched second from Jacobi but with two laps to go the German regained the position to follow Prado across the line seven-and-a-half seconds adrift.
Prado led the second moto from the first corner until the last lap when Covington, who’d held second for the full race distance, finally managed to make a pass stick to secure second overall. Jacobi – despite a collision with Jonass that left them both on the ground and punted him out of fifth – claimed a career-best finish with 10th second time out just good enough for third overall from Russian Vsevolod Brylyakov (Kemea Yamaha).
Jonass ended the second race in ninth which earned him fifth overall but Olsen, who started the day second in the championship, could only manage 16th in race two after a crash and drops to third in the championship.
Ben Watson (Kemea Yamaha) – who hit the gate in the opening race and started dead last – was best of the Brits in ninth overall with an 11-7 card from Conrad Mewse (Hitachi ASA KTM UK) who made up for a disappointing 20th in race one with a fighting fourth in the second. The pair now hold fourth and fifth in the championship.
Adam Sterry (F&H Kawasaki) was a solid 10th first time out but DNF’d race two at two-thirds distance and as a result slips to 16th in the points table.
MXGP Trentino MX2 race two
1 64 Covington, Thomas USA MUL Husqvarna 35:29.253 19 0:00.000 0:00.000 1:50.130 13 54.2
2 61 Prado, Jorge ESP RFME KTM 35:31.423 19 0:02.170 0:02.170 1:50.005 6 54.3
3 18 Brylyakov, Vsevolod RUS MFR Yamaha 35:53.945 19 0:24.692 0:22.522 1:50.665 9 54
4 426 Mewse, Conrad GBR ACU KTM 35:59.763 19 0:30.510 0:05.818 1:51.494 14 53.5
5 10 Vlaanderen, Calvin RSA KNMV Honda 36:01.845 19 0:32.592 0:02.082 1:50.931 11 53.8
6 46 Pootjes, Davy NED KNMV KTM 36:06.457 19 0:37.204 0:04.612 1:52.185 13 53.2
7 919 Watson, Ben GBR ACU Yamaha 36:07.712 19 0:38.459 0:01.255 1:51.261 9 53.7
8 14 Beaton, Jed AUS MA Kawasaki 36:10.838 19 0:41.585 0:03.126 1:51.630 4 53.5
9 1 Jonass, Pauls LAT LAMSF KTM 36:26.308 19 0:57.055 0:15.470 1:51.235 9 53.7
10 29 Jacobi, Henry GER DMSB Husqvarna 36:27.048 19 0:57.795 0:00.740 1:51.400 5 53.6
11 747 Cervellin, Michele ITA FMI Honda 36:29.570 19 1:00.317 0:02.522 1:52.676 9 53
12 66 Larranaga Olano, Iker ESP RFME Husqvarna 36:31.814 19 1:02.561 0:02.244 1:52.194 17 53.2
13 193 Geerts, Jago BEL FMB Yamaha 36:33.634 19 1:04.381 0:01.820 1:52.183 10 53.2
14 872 Boisrame, Mathys FRA FFM Honda 36:43.572 19 1:14.319 0:09.938 1:53.423 9 52.6
15 161 Östlund, Alvin SWE SVEMO Yamaha 36:43.831 19 1:14.578 0:00.259 1:53.426 11 52.6
16 19 Olsen, Thomas Kjer DEN DMU Husqvarna 36:56.767 19 1:27.514 0:12.936 1:51.659 10 53.5
17 321 Bernardini, Samuele ITA FMI TM 36:58.935 19 1:29.682 0:02.168 1:52.833 6 52.9
18 95 Furlotti, Simone ITA FMI Yamaha 36:59.401 19 1:30.148 0:00.466 1:53.173 8 52.8
19 118 Rubini, Stephen FRA FFM KTM 37:04.787 19 1:35.534 0:05.386 1:54.504 12 52.1
20 172 Van doninck, Brent BEL FMB Husqvarna 37:09.220 19 1:39.967 0:04.433 1:53.613 16 52.5
21 338 Herbreteau, David FRA FFM KTM 37:15.904 19 1:46.651 0:06.684 1:53.932 12 52.4
22 44 Lesiardo, Morgan ITA FMI KTM 35:32.178 18 1 lap 1 lap 1:54.744 11 52
23 56 Weltin, Marshal USA AMA Honda 35:32.691 18 1 lap 0:00.513 1:54.327 12 52.2
24 26 Bertuzzi, Nicola ITA FMI KTM 35:42.048 18 1 lap 0:09.357 1:56.223 9 51.4
25 959 Renaux, Maxime FRA FFM Yamaha 35:42.971 18 1 lap 0:00.923 1:55.932 9 51.5
26 211 Lapucci, Nicholas ITA FMI Yamaha 35:49.090 18 1 lap 0:06.119 1:53.850 9 52.4
27 101 Pichon, Zachary FRA FFM KTM 35:53.494 18 1 lap 0:04.404 1:55.428 8 51.7
28 34 De Waal, Micha-Boy NED KNMV Honda 35:56.110 18 1 lap 0:02.616 1:51.726 12 53.4
29 199 Zaragoza, Jorge ESP RFME Yamaha 35:57.862 18 1 lap 0:01.752 1:53.304 13 52.7
30 226 Koch, Tom GER DMSB KTM 36:01.026 18 1 lap 0:03.164 1:55.502 10 51.7
31 520 Clochet, Jimmy FRA FFM KTM 36:03.208 18 1 lap 0:02.182 1:56.085 10 51.4
32 783 Toriani, Enzo FRA FFM Husqvarna 36:05.336 18 1 lap 0:02.128 1:56.716 11 51.2
33 275 Furbetta, Joakin ITA FMI KTM 37:26.988 18 1 lap 1:21.652 1:54.058 6 52.3
34 98 Vaessen, Bas NED KNMV Honda 24:58.937 13 6 laps 5 laps 1:52.106 10 53.3
35 811 Sterry, Adam GBR ACU Kawasaki 25:07.675 13 6 laps 0:08.738 1:52.672 11 53
36 102 Sikyna, Richard SVK SMF KTM 12:13.435 6 13 laps 7 laps 1:56.196 5 51.4
37 70 Fernandez, Ruben ESP RFME Kawasaki 2:18.280 1 18 laps 5 laps 2:02.034 1 48.9
MXGP Trentino MX2 race one
1 61 Prado, Jorge ESP RFME KTM 35:49.470 19 0:00.000 0:00.000 1:49.674 3 54.4
2 29 Jacobi, Henry GER DMSB Husqvarna 35:57.083 19 0:07.613 0:07.613 1:50.920 4 53.8
3 19 Olsen, Thomas Kjer DEN DMU Husqvarna 36:00.020 19 0:10.550 0:02.937 1:51.094 4 53.7
4 1 Jonass, Pauls LAT LAMSF KTM 36:01.241 19 0:11.771 0:01.221 1:51.194 4 53.7
5 64 Covington, Thomas USA MUL Husqvarna 36:02.360 19 0:12.890 0:01.119 1:51.489 3 53.6
6 747 Cervellin, Michele ITA FMI Honda 36:08.203 19 0:18.733 0:05.843 1:51.691 3 53.5
7 193 Geerts, Jago BEL FMB Yamaha 36:20.411 19 0:30.941 0:12.208 1:51.452 3 53.6
8 46 Pootjes, Davy NED KNMV KTM 36:28.008 19 0:38.538 0:07.597 1:51.724 4 53.4
9 18 Brylyakov, Vsevolod RUS MFR Yamaha 36:29.340 19 0:39.870 0:01.332 1:52.827 6 52.9
10 811 Sterry, Adam GBR ACU Kawasaki 36:33.306 19 0:43.836 0:03.966 1:53.000 6 52.8
11 919 Watson, Ben GBR ACU Yamaha 36:34.833 19 0:45.363 0:01.527 1:51.813 17 53.4
12 321 Bernardini, Samuele ITA FMI TM 36:54.083 19 1:04.613 0:19.250 1:53.606 3 52.6
13 98 Vaessen, Bas NED KNMV Honda 36:58.630 19 1:09.160 0:04.547 1:53.518 3 52.6
14 66 Larranaga Olano, Iker ESP RFME Husqvarna 37:04.365 19 1:14.895 0:05.735 1:53.225 7 52.7
15 14 Beaton, Jed AUS MA Kawasaki 37:07.695 19 1:18.225 0:03.330 1:54.462 7 52.2
16 101 Pichon, Zachary FRA FFM KTM 37:10.890 19 1:21.420 0:03.195 1:53.742 5 52.5
17 26 Bertuzzi, Nicola ITA FMI KTM 37:12.232 19 1:22.762 0:01.342 1:53.528 4 52.6
18 172 Van doninck, Brent BEL FMB Husqvarna 37:12.968 19 1:23.498 0:00.736 1:54.029 5 52.4
19 118 Rubini, Stephen FRA FFM KTM 37:13.873 19 1:24.403 0:00.905 1:53.748 10 52.5
20 426 Mewse, Conrad GBR ACU KTM 37:16.347 19 1:26.877 0:02.474 1:54.210 5 52.3
21 44 Lesiardo, Morgan ITA FMI KTM 37:20.717 19 1:31.247 0:04.370 1:54.087 4 52.3
22 959 Renaux, Maxime FRA FFM Yamaha 37:23.044 19 1:33.574 0:02.327 1:55.118 3 51.9
23 95 Furlotti, Simone ITA FMI Yamaha 37:24.072 19 1:34.602 0:01.028 1:55.107 3 51.9
24 161 Östlund, Alvin SWE SVEMO Yamaha 37:27.899 19 1:38.429 0:03.827 1:54.946 5 51.9
25 199 Zaragoza, Jorge ESP RFME Yamaha 37:28.896 19 1:39.426 0:00.997 1:55.386 6 51.7
26 70 Fernandez, Ruben ESP RFME Kawasaki 37:33.995 19 1:44.525 0:05.099 1:52.708 1 53
27 226 Koch, Tom GER DMSB KTM 37:36.025 19 1:46.555 0:02.030 1:56.301 19 51.3
28 56 Weltin, Marshal USA AMA Honda 37:36.353 19 1:46.883 0:00.328 1:54.774 18 52
29 211 Lapucci, Nicholas ITA FMI Yamaha 37:42.935 19 1:53.465 0:06.582 1:55.634 15 51.6
30 520 Clochet, Jimmy FRA FFM KTM 36:11.186 18 1 lap 1 lap 1:56.384 3 51.3
31 102 Sikyna, Richard SVK SMF KTM 36:15.218 18 1 lap 0:04.032 1:56.013 6 51.5
32 783 Toriani, Enzo FRA FFM Husqvarna 37:56.174 18 1 lap 1:40.956 1:57.008 4 51
33 275 Furbetta, Joakin ITA FMI KTM 28:03.372 14 5 laps 4 laps 1:55.761 10 51.6
34 338 Herbreteau, David FRA FFM KTM 26:08.697 13 6 laps 1 lap 1:56.359 8 51.3
35 34 De Waal, Micha-Boy NED KNMV Honda 21:41.254 11 8 laps 2 laps 1:54.223 6 52.3
36 872 Boisrame, Mathys FRA FFM Honda 20:02.026 10 9 laps 1 lap 1:54.294 3 52.2
37 110 Verhaeghe, Alexis FRA FFM KTM 10:25.109 5 14 laps 5 laps 1:59.448 4 50
38 10 Vlaanderen, Calvin RSA KNMV Honda 0:00.000 0 19 laps 5 laps 0:00.000 0