Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 team’s Thibault Benistant has placed 10th overall at the MXGP of Germany. The Frenchman was on form in Race One, placing fifth, and was on course to finish sixth in Race Two until a crash on the penultimate lap dropped him to 11th. Benistant’s teammate, Karlis Reisulis, delivered consistent race results for 13th overall.
Benistant headed to Teutschenthal focused on maintaining his strong run of mid-season form. With the hardpack and technical track to his liking, the Frenchman showed strong pace aboard his Yamaha YZ250FM in Race One. Moving forwards from seventh on lap one, Benistant crossed the line in fifth, side by side with Valerio Lata in fourth.
Ahead of Race Two, rain fell for around an hour, creating difficult and slippery conditions. Once again, Benistant started inside the top 10 and reached sixth as the race entered the final stages. Frustratingly, the 22-year-old crashed with two laps remaining, finishing 11th for 10th overall. With 10 of 20 rounds now complete, Benistant sits sixth in the MX2 World Championship.
Reisulis also showed impressive speed in Germany but was unable to match the strong starts of his teammate. After placing 12th in Race One, the Latvian delivered a determined charge through the field in Race Two, starting 28th and finishing 14th despite the tough conditions. Leaving Germany, Reisulis remains 14th in the series standings.
Next weekend, the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 team heads to the MXGP of Latvia for the third round in as many weeks, with the Grand Prix marking the home race for Reisulis.
Click here for all the results from the MXGP of Germany.
Thibault Benistant
10th MXGP of Germany, 26-points
6th MX2 Championship Standings, 337-points
“I’m struggling with my starts at the moment and that made for a tough weekend. I’ve been working on them, although I’m still not quite there with them, but I’ll keep on working. The second race today was tough with the rain. I was riding well and then fell off with two laps to go. So that was frustrating, but my riding was good, so I’m feeling positive for the next Grand Prix.”
Karlis Reisulis
13th MXGP of Germany, 16-points
14th MX2 Championship Standings, 170-points
“The weekend is over now, and despite not having the speed, we made some changes with the bike. They were all positive, so, with what we’ve learned as a team I think we will be better at the upcoming races.”
Photocredits Full Spectrum Media
