Race report: Argentina MXGP – Fernandez stuns the world!
Spaniard Ruben Fernandez stunned himself and the world to win his first ever GP and did so in style with a start to finish second moto win, destroying the opposition in a superb performance in Argentina on a track that looked loamy but was very deceptive, making concentration crucial on every lap.
Fernandez was running second in race one until he went down and finished fifth but a 5-1 was good enough with Prado, after a perfect ride to win race one had a more subdued sixth in race two – but he leads the championship with the ten points added for the qualifying race win!
Jeffrey Herlings somehow turned his weekend around overnight to take second on the podium with 4-2 score and salvage what was looking a difficult weekend after a tenth on Saturday. Herlings is back where he needs to be.
After is big qualifying race crash, then crashing twice in race one, Jeremy Seewer overcame all the adversity to power through to third and salvage some points as his teammates both crashed in the second moto, Renaux out of fourth and Coldenhoff out of sixth. Both were okay and remounted and stay in the points hunt.
A stunned Fernandez said: “I still can’t believe it. I led the moto for the beginning to the end it is the first time that happened to me. I was a little bit nervous at the end but I had a comfortable gap.
Herlings said: “It was my goal to come here and be top five, yesterday definitely wasn’t great but today was a step in the right direction- not too bad to be 9 or 10 behind after the first race.”
| MXGP – GP Classification |
| 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 42 points; 2. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 42 p.; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 38 p.; 4. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 38 p.; 5. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, GAS), 34 p.; 6. Jorge Prado (ESP, GAS), 32 p.; 7. Alberto Forato (ITA, GAS), 30 p.; 8. Valentin Guillod (SUI, YAM), 27 p.; 9. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 22 p.; 10. Brian Bogers (NED, HUS), 22 p.; 11. Henry Jacobi (GER, HON), 20 p.; 12. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM), 16 p.; 13. Ben Watson (GBR, KAW), 15 p.; 14. Alvin Östlund (SWE, YAM), 15 p.; 15. Nicholas Lapucci (ITA, FAN), 12 p.; 16. Mitchell Evans (AUS, HON), 12 p.; 17. Ivo Monticelli (ITA, HON), 11 p.; 18. Panagiotis Kouzis (GRE, GAS), 8 p.; 19. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 2 p.; |
| MXGP – World Championship Classification |
| 1. Jorge Prado (ESP, GAS), 50 points; 2. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 48 p.; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 44 p.; 4. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 41 p.; 5. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 40 p.; 6. Pauls Jonass (LAT, HON), 36 p.; 7. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, GAS), 33 p.; 8. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM), 26 p.; 9. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 25 p.; 10. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 24 p.; 11. Alberto Forato (ITA, KTM), 20 p.; 12. Brian Bogers (NED, HON), 19 p.; 13. Benoit Paturel (FRA, YAM), 18 p.; 14. Valentin Guillod (SUI, HON), 18 p.; 15. Ben Watson (GBR, BET), 15 p.; 16. Brent Van doninck (BEL, HON), 13 p.; 17. Alvin Östlund (SWE, HON), 11 p.; 18. Hardi Roosiorg (EST, HON), 5 p.; 19. Joaquin Poli (ARG, KAW), 5 p.; 20. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, BET), 4 p.; |
In MX2 Jago Geerts used his experience and speed to go 1-1 in Argentina as his young rivals made mistakes despite having a similar speed to the Belgian.
It was a three way battle in moto one with Benistant having passed Geerts for the lead with de Wolf right there in third until a wayward backmarker took out Benistant and de Wolf ran into the pair and went down as well leaving Geerts back in the lead!
Benistant regrouped and caught Geerts again but then fell right at the end when going for the win as Geerts took the victory.
Geerts then eased away to the win in race two after both Benistant and de Wolf both crashed during the moto after average starts stopped them from keeping pace early with Jago. Kevin Horgmo rode fantastic for second in race two after coming from last to 8th in the opening moto after getting caught up in the big crash between Coenen and Laengenfelder who collided going for the holeshot.Laegenfelder somehow salvaging fourth overall, with Coenen suffering a DNF then ninth in race two.
Andrea Adamo took second overall in a great debut for Red Bull KTM with Benistant doing enough for the podium.
| MX2 – GP Classification |
| 1. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 50 points; 2. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 40 p.; 3. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 35 p.; 4. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, KAW), 34 p.; 5. Rick Elzinga (NED, YAM), 32 p.; 6. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, HUS), 32 p.; 7. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 29 p.; 8. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 26 p.; 9. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 24 p.; 10. Jan Pancar (SLO, KTM), 20 p.; 11. Emil Weckman (FIN, HON), 17 p.; 12. Yago Martinez (ESP, KTM), 16 p.; 13. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, KAW), 15 p.; 14. Lucas Coenen (BEL, HUS), 12 p.; 15. Tom Guyon (FRA, FAN), 12 p.; 16. Tomás Moyano (ARG, KAW), 10 p.; 17. David Braceras (ESP, KAW), 9 p.; 18. Leopold Ambjörnson (SWE, HUS), 8 p.; 19. Cornelius Toendel (NOR, KTM), 5 p.; 20. Franco Iavecchia (URU, HUS), 5 p.; |
| MX2 – World Championship Classification |
| 1. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 60 points; 2. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 49 p.; 3. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 41 p.; 4. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 37 p.; 5. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, KAW), 36 p.; 6. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, HUS), 36 p.; 7. Rick Elzinga (NED, YAM), 33 p.; 8. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 31 p.; 9. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 31 p.; 10. Jan Pancar (SLO, KTM), 20 p.; 11. Emil Weckman (FIN, HON), 17 p.; 12. Yago Martinez (ESP, KTM), 16 p.; 13. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, KAW), 15 p.; 14. Lucas Coenen (BEL, HUS), 15 p.; 15. Tom Guyon (FRA, FAN), 12 p.; 16. Tomás Moyano (ARG, KAW), 10 p.; 17. David Braceras (ESP, KAW), 9 p.; 18. Leopold Ambjörnson (SWE, HUS), 8 p.; 19. Cornelius Toendel (NOR, KTM), 5 p.; 20. Franco Iavecchia (URU, HUS), 5 p |
Report: Jonathan McCready
Images: InFront Moto Racing
