Cozar, Spain – the third time the MXGP calendar visits the country this year – will host the 2024 MXGP Championship finale in what has been an intense title run for Team HRC’s Tim Gajser. An unfortunate series of events at the penultimate round in China meant that he arrives in Spain seven points down on his title rival, with three races (one qualification and two GP-scoring motos) left to race. With 60 points up for grabs, the Honda CRF450R rider knows he has to score as close to the maximum as possible if he wants to win his sixth world motocross championship and everyone in the team will be trying their hardest to make that happen.
Teammate Ruben Fernandez will feel very much at home, as he gets to race in Spain for the first time this year. He was unlucky to miss the races in Lugo and Arroyomolinos due to the injury he sustained in Argentina, but now he has raced the last three rounds – with some excellent results – and is very much looking forward to putting three more good races in to finish 2024 on a high.
Also hoping that this final round will go well is Ferruccio Zanchi, who is finishing off his rookie MX2 campaign this weekend. The youngster needs a handful of points to cement a top 10 championship standing, which will be an excellent outcome after what has been a much longer season than he has ever experienced before. The Italian rider has had a number of good results in 2024 and will hope that he can make these last three races count, so that he can head into the off-season excited by his achievements and motivated for even more in the future.
After China’s schedule was affected by an incoming typhoon, we are back to the regular two-day format for the MXGP of Castilla La Mancha, with the free practice and timed practice sessions leading into the Saturday evening qualification race. With 10 points and gate position for the Sunday motos at stake, this will be another crucial day of action, before the entire 2024 campaign comes to its climax on Sunday afternoon when the 50 points are up for grabs in the two GP-scoring motos. Once they are concluded, we shall know who will be crowned 2024 MXGP Champion, and whether Tim Gajser will improve his standing amongst the legends of this sport even further.
Tim Gajser 243
I know what I have to go out and do in Spain this weekend, and I will do everything I can to try and make it happen. I know it won’t be easy but its races like this that are the reason we do this sport. If I can go out and win these three races, I know I stand a very good chance of winning the title so that is my one and only aim. The team has worked really hard this year, in what has been the most gruelling season ever, and now we just have one round left, so I really want to end it on a high, for them and for myself.
Ruben Fernandez 70
It is nice to finally be able to race in Spain this year. I missed the two previous rounds in my home country at the beginning of the season due to injury but it feels good to be racing here now. I have really enjoyed my riding since returning to the series, and leading the race in China was another really positive step for me, so I want to go out there and give it everything I have for what will hopefully be a big crowd of Spaniards.
Ferruccio Zanchi 73
This is the final round of the season and I have really learnt a lot. There have been a lot of ups and downs, but I know I have become a much better rider throughout it all. No one has ridden this Spanish track, so it’s another new experience but one I am looking forward to, and I really want to finish the season strongly, putting in three good races across the weekend.
Marcus Pereira de Freitas
HRC General Manager – MXGP
This is round 20 of the year, and it has been a tough one for everyone involved with Team HRC. A lot of races, a lot of bad weather and a lot of travelling, but we have worked hard and done everything we can to help our riders perform at the highest level. And now we just have three races to go and we really will be trying to make sure that all the guys finish up as well as they can. They each have different motivations but obviously for Tim, he is aiming for the title and that is extremely important for everyone. He needs to win the races and we will go all out for him to make that happen.
Ruben, of course has a home crowd to impress and we saw in China that he is fully capable of putting in good results and Ferro has done a great job this year and wants to finish strongly too. We’ve never been to this track before and we hope now to make some really good memories from there!
@shotbybavo
