Who impressed: MX2 British GP
Pauls Jonass: It was another brilliant performance by Pauls Jonass who did what he had to do to beat his teammate Jorge Prado in both motos, wit( the duo setting a blistering pace that no-one else could match. Jonass and Prado finished nearly 50 seconds ahead of third in race one and 40 seconds in race two – that was how hard they were pushing! But it was the world champ showing why he was the world champ who took the win, using his extra experience to make the moves and cope under the intense pressure. Jonass is riding superb this year but he has to to keep his hungry young teammate behind him!
Pic: Nigel McKinstry
Jorge Prado: The young Spaniard went toe-to-toe with his teammate and athlough he didn’t get the win he matched Jonass stride for stride in both motos at a pace no one else could get close too. Prado looks to be getting stronger and stronger and on a hard pack track in the heat he didn’t fade one little bit as he appears to now be the full package and have all the pieces of the puzzle. The only thing he doesn’t have right now is the experience of Jonass but he is gaining that quickly as the season progresses and his poise win or lose is very, very impressive.
Ben Watson: Ben Watson rode fantastic at Matterley but unfortunately bad starts halted what could well have been a podium finish. Even so, he still came up just one point short in fourth overall and his ability to come through the field on a track that wasn’t that easy to pass was very impressive. Watson is the real deal this season and now realises he belongs at the front, it’s great to see his progress and if he can get his starts back he would have more podiums already and be learning the pace of the KTM men.
Watson commented: “ Fourth time fourth place. On the one hand, it’s a bit frustrating to miss the podium again. On the other hand, I can’t complain about my speed, my riding. I was the third fasted rider on the track. And I’m getting really close on Olsen, who’s third in the world championship. There’s only one thing I can complain about: my starts. We need to work on that. Overall, my home GP was a good GP. It was great to ride before my home crowd. Extra stress? Maybe a bit before the start of the first moto. But it was more an extra motivation.”
Watson rode superbly but just missed the podium. Pic: Nigel McKinstry
Marshall Weltin: Where did that performance come from?! Marshall Weltin had been struggling to score points for most of the season but in the first moto at Matterley the American got a start and ride superb for fifth. Weltin acknowledged improvements to the Vamo Honda and a familiarity with the Matterley Basin circuit and the fast style tracks seemed to suit a Weltin perfectly. It was a nice reward for Weltin who had been trying hard all season and finally got some good reward for his work ethic.
