Over the weekend, the first race of the 2024 Motocross World Championship took place in
Villa La Angostura, in Patagonia-Argentina and both riders of the MRT Racing Team Beta Factory team showed up in excellent shape for this first world event.
Ivo Monticelli, riding a Beta RX 450 4T, made the most of his start among the leaders and ended Qualifying in eighth position. The rider also made a good start in the first heat, but a crash forced him to make a comeback, ending in thirteenth position, which he also maintained in the second heat. Ivo closes the first stage in thirteenth position both in the overall race and in the Championship.
Ben Watson, riding a Beta RX450 4T, also immediately proved to be in good form, finishing the qualifying eleventh, close to the top ten, after a good comeback. The rider continued to race close to the top ten even in the first heat, where he finished in tenth position. In Race 2 he made the most of the first laps to get close to the best, but a crash in the third lap caused him to lose some positions, once back on the bike he managed to recover up to twelfth position. Ben confirms his twelfth placing both in the overall race and in the championship.
Ivo Monticelli:
“The day went very well on Saturday. In qualifying, after maintaining sixth position for a good part of the time, I finished eighth. In the first heat I started again very well, fifth. At the end of the first lap however I slipped and when I got up I was far behind. My pace was really good and I’m convinced that without that crash I could have done better than thirteenth place. In Race 2 I started twelfth and maintained my position for almost the entire race, right at the end I was overtaken by my teammate, finishing thirteenth. The final result is good because we are not far from the top ten and, step by step, we will soon be able to compete with the best.”
Ben Watson
“The first world race of the season left me a little confused. I felt good on Saturday. In qualifying I was a bit tied, but that’s normal at this point in the season. I finished eleventh, guaranteeing myself a good start at the gate for the main heats. In the first moto I felt really good, my speed was good and I finished tenth. In the second I didn’t get off to a great start but in the first two laps I recovered several positions. Unfortunately, in an attempt to climb to seventh place, I forced myself into the corner and slipped to the ground. Once I got back on the bike, I lost a few laps to get back into the rhythm but I recovered up to twelfth position. The sensations on the bike are good and I am confident about the results we can achieve in Spain.”
Having archived the long South American trip, the MRT Racing Team Beta Factory will be involved in the Spanish Grand Prix on the weekend of March 24, second round of the 2024 Motocross World Championship, hosted on the Arroyomolinos circuit, just outside Madrid, Spain.
Words: Press Release
Image: Beta
