This weekend, the iconic Maggiora MX Park in Italy will host the 10th round of the FIM Motocross World Championship, marking the halfway point of the 2024 season. This event, the third in a series of three consecutive race weekends, will feature the debut of the VRT Yamaha Official team in MX2, with Ivano van Erp, Karlis Reisulis, and Gavin Towers lining up as wildcard entries.
After moving into the top five in the MXGP Championship Standings last weekend, Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s Calvin Vlaanderen is eager to make further progress in Maggiora. The 27-year-old has shown phenomenal speed on his YZ450FM and aims for a strong second half of the season, with a podium finish as his goal.
Andrea Bonacorsi, after withdrawing from Race Two at the Latvian Grand Prix, has been cleared to compete. The Italian rider has spent the past few days resting and recovering and looks forward to returning to the gate at his home Grand Prix.
Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2’s Rick Elzinga is focused on making fundamental improvements in his second season. The tall Dutchman has identified key areas for enhancement and aims to put all the puzzle pieces together this weekend.
Yamaha’s presence in Maggiora will be further highlighted by MJC Yamaha Official EMX125’s Mano Faure, Dani Heitink, and Jarne Bervoets, who will compete in the seventh round of the EMX125 Championship.
Additionally, De Baets Yamaha Supported MX team’s Lotte van Drunen will enter the fifth round of the WMX Championship with the red plate firmly attached to her GYTR kitted YZ250F. She holds an 8-point lead in the series with only three rounds remaining.
Calvin Vlaanderen
5th MXGP Championship Standings, 299-points
“All good vibes going into the weekend in Maggiora. It’s a very nice track with a lot of history. I always enjoy racing there in front of the Italian fans. I think after the rain over the last few weeks, it will be technical with deep lines, which I enjoy. I’ve raced well there in the past but haven’t been on the podium, so that will be the goal going into the weekend.”
Andrea Bonacorsi
16th MXGP Championship Standings, 92-points
“I have a good feeling going into Maggiora this weekend. I’ll be on homeland with the home crowd, this always gives me a nice feeling. It’s calming. I like this track a lot. It’s very Italian style so it’s a nice change and that helps me. I’ve had so many good memories of this place since I was a kid. This weekend, my goal is to stay strong the whole weekend.”
Rick Elzinga
7th MX2 Championship Standings, 278-points
“I love Maggiora, especially because of its special location and layout. It’s always nice to go to these legendary places. The track has a special layout with many challenging aspects. I love racing there. In the past, I have had some good results but never managed to put a whole weekend together. I put the fastest lap in Timed Practice there last year, so I’ll try to do the same again this year. The plan of attack is to get the execution right. It was missing in Latvia last week, so I am going to focus on that this weekend.”
