Gajser, Waters and Vlaanderen ready for round 12 of MXGP!
Team HRC is on its way to Indonesia to take part in the first of two back-to-back events in the Southeast Asian country, scheduled at Bangka Island’s largest city Pangkal Pinang. The team will be at full capacity again, with Tim Gajser and Todd Waters riding the Honda CRF450RW in the MXGP class and Calvin Vlaanderen representing Honda Racing Corporation in the MX2 category aboard the all-new CRF250RW machine.
With the round now taking place on the border between the months of June and July, everyone involved in the event now hopes to avoid the type of weather encountered one year ago, when torrential rain led to the cancellation of Saturday’s timed practice and qualifying races for both classes – with no second moto for MXGP on Sunday either. Even the sessions and race that actually took place where marked by an unprecedented level of difficulty.
After missing the podium by one point at Ottobiano two weekends ago, despite a second-place finish in race two, Tim Gajser is looking forward to returning to action in order to try and make some ground to the top of the standings while aiming at entering the top-five. Fifth place is where Calvin Vlaanderen is currently placed in the title race, with the recently-turned 22-year-old South African hoping to bounce back after a bittersweet MXGP of Lombardia. Following an expectedly demanding return to action from injury, Todd Waters hopes to build some momentum and speed on a track he has never race upon before.
The schedule for the weekend sees all sessions and races taking place earlier than the European rounds, with free practice for MX2 and MXGP underway this Saturday (30 June) at 9:45 and 10:15, respectively. The gates will drop for the first Sunday motos at 12:15 (MX2) and 13:15 (MXGP), with the second races set to begin at 15:10 and 16:10 local time (GMT +7).
Tim Gajser 243
The upcoming GP is Indonesia and surely it’s going to be hot and humid. I’m ready for that, so I’m looking forward to ride out there and give my best, be consistent and score two strong results. I like the track: last year, however, was really muddy so I hope things will be different this time around so that we can put up a good show for the fans.
Calvin Vlaanderen 10
It’s cool to be here in Indonesia for the next round. Fly away GPs are easy when you have such a great team that organises everything. Last year it was a mudfest here in Pangkal Pinang so we’re hoping this year it will be better. I had a good weekend off from racing and I’m ready to get back into it.
Todd Waters 42
Looking forward to racing this weekend as we have had a good couple of weeks training on the bike. I’m really motivated to improve and love working together with the HRC guys. I’ve never been to indonesia before, which adds to the excitement of this two-round trip. We’ll give our best and see where we end up on Sunday.
Marcus Pereira de Freitas
HRC General Manager – MXGP
We’re happy to be back in Indonesia, a country that is known for its incredible hospitality and beautiful scenery. It’s also known for the considerable amount of rain that can fall at times, but hopefully not this time! This is a very important event for MXGP and for Honda, which has a very significant presence in this country. Tim and Calvin are hungry for results, while Todd will try to get up to speed after his return to action at Ottobiano. The team is ready and focused and the bikes are working well, so we only need to get started!
Words: HRC Honda
Pic: Shot by Bavo
