After going second and third in race one, Honda HRC duo Tim Gajser and Ruben Fernandez were primed and ready to fight for the podium spots at the MXGP of Switzerland, however in an unfortunate string of events, both riders’ hopes were dashed, and the pair leave the Frauenfeld circuit extremely dejected with what happened.
In Saturday’s qualification race, Fernandez and Gajser looked in great form, going one-two and giving the whole team a big boost of confidence. However, after taking Easter Sunday off from racing, the Swiss GP resumed today where things took a turn for the worse. In race one, the pair got off to excellent starts, with the Honda CRF450R showing its power as the pair quickly moved into second and third. And on the tight, narrow and technical Frauenfeld circuit, that’s where they crossed the line, with speed and consistency keeping them clear of any major problems or battles.
Excited for race two and the opportunity of podium performances, the pair’s fortunes didn’t hold up as Fernandez was involved in a first turn crash, remounting in last position. Knowing that valuable championship points were at stake, he tried his hardest for the duration of the race, passing an incredible 25 riders in the 30 minutes to cross the line in 12th place in what was an outstanding display from the Spaniard. Unfortunately unbeknownst to him, mid-way through the race, he had been knocked off the track and had to pass through pit-lane, where due to an incident in Trentino, he was more focused on re-joining the track in the correct position, than remembering one of the rules was that he had to come to a complete stop. This caused him to be disqualified, but due to the system in place, he only found out once he had completed the rest of the moto, meaning all his hard-work was for nothing.
Whilst racing, Fernandez was unfortunately passing his stricken teammate Gajser, who had had a crash early-on while trying to pass for the lead. The red-plate holder was thrown from his bike on a high-speed portion of the track, where due to his location, he had to wait a long time for medical assistance. Eventually the doctors got to the Slovenian and were able to take him to the on-site facilities where tests and exams took place to assess the situation. At this stage there is no definitive conclusion, but further tests will be done tomorrow, where Gajser – who still leads the 2025 MXGP Championship by 27 points – will be able to prepare himself for Portugal in two weeks’ time.
In the MX2 class, Valerio Lata showed his continued improvement by posting his highest points tally of the season, after ten-six results in a couple of hard-fought motos. After a holeshot in Saturday’s qualification, the #18 once again rocketed out of the gate in race two and gave himself the perfect opportunity to post his best GP results of the season. Despite battling against riders with far more experience, Lata showed great determination to finish in sixth place and give himself eighth overall.
Alongside him, Ferruccio Zanchi wasn’t able to quite match his teammate off the line and instead had to fight his way through the field. In race one, that meant coming from 30th to 14th in an impressive display of overtaking on the narrow circuit. In race two, things started off better, but he still had to come back from outside the top 15 to receive the chequered flag in 11th place. It’s still not where the Italian wants to be, but with a better starting position, the speed suggests he isn’t too far off the best riders in this highly competitive MX2 class.
After three GPs in a row, there is now a welcome break in the schedule as the team get one weekend off before making the trip to Agueda, Portugal in what is one of the better circuits on this 2025 world motocross championship calendar.
MX2 Race 1
- Simon Längenfelder (GER, KTM), 33:45.698; 2. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:08.412; 3. Liam Everts (BEL, Husqvarna), +0:09.029; 4. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, Triumph), +0:09.570; 5. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), +0:19.642; 6. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), +0:20.475; 7. Guillem Farres (ESP, Triumph), +0:28.467; 8. Cas Valk (NED, KTM), +0:30.123; 9. Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM), +0:30.848; 10. Valerio Lata (ITA, Honda), +0:45.074; … 14. Ferruccio Zanchi (ITA, Honda), +1:17.415;
MX2 Race 2
- Simon Längenfelder (GER, KTM), 33:38.608; 2. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), +0:09.039; 3. Liam Everts (BEL, Husqvarna), +0:10.555; 4. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:19.681; 5. Thibault Benistant (FRA, Yamaha), +0:21.029; 6. Valerio Lata (ITA, Honda), +0:34.368; 7. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, Triumph), +0:35.799; 8. Guillem Farres (ESP, Triumph), +0:50.467; 9. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), +1:00.685; 10. Rick Elzinga (NED, Yamaha), +1:03.422; 11. Ferruccio Zanchi (ITA, Honda), +1:05.786;
MX2 GP Classification
- Simon Längenfelder (GER, KTM), 50 points; 2. Liam Everts (BEL, HUS), 40 p.; 3. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 40 p.; 4. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 38 p.; 5. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, TRI), 32 p.; 6. Guillem Farres (ESP, TRI), 27 p.; 7. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 26 p.; 8. Valerio Lata (ITA, HON), 26 p.; 9. Cas Valk (NED, KTM), 22 p.; 10. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 21 p.; … 13. Ferruccio Zanchi (ITA, HON), 17 p.;
MX2 Championship
- Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 281 points; 2. Simon Längenfelder (GER, KTM), 278 p.; 3. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 258 p.; 4. Liam Everts (BEL, HUS), 251 p.; 5. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 203 p.; 6. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, TRI), 191 p.; 7. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 189 p.; 8. Cas Valk (NED, KTM), 174 p.; 9. Valerio Lata (ITA, HON), 142 p.; 10. Ferruccio Zanchi (ITA, HON), 140 p.;
Tim Gajser 243
Definitely not how I hoped the day would end, especially after the second-place in the first moto. I felt like I was doing okay, finding some different lines so I could make my move and try to win the race. I wasn’t too far off the line, but my rear wheel hit a solid mound and just bucked me off the bike. I was sitting off the track for a long time before medics were able to get to me, but eventually we were able to get checked out. After those results, I will get further tests done tomorrow and see where I’m at. I will keep fighting though and use this weekend off to recover as best as possible for Portugal.
Ruben Fernandez 70
I am very disappointed with how the second race went. After a good first moto where I finished third, I was excited to line up for the second moto and try and fight for a podium spot. Unfortunately, I was knocked over in the first turn and had to fight from last. I really fought as hard as possible, pushing the limits and sometimes going over and I passed nearly 30 riders to finish in 12th place. However, during the race I was bumped off the track and had to navigate pitlane, and my focus was just on rejoining in the right position and I didn’t stop. Only when I crossed the finish line, did I find out I was disqualified. This was very frustrating because I tried so hard for the whole moto and then to find out after I finished, after I risked further injury on a sketchy track, doesn’t seem like a good way of doing things. It really is tough to take and I’m very disappointed with the procedures involved.
Ferruccio Zanchi 73
This isn’t where I want to be battling on the track, and it is frustrating for me. I know that I’m better than this, but I can’t get into the fight for the top spots and instead I’m trying to get into the top 10. We will keep working though, and now we have a weekend off so we can get some testing done and try and figure out how we can get closer to the top guys. I’m trying to stay positive, and I definitely appreciate all the work the team does, so now it is down to me to reward them.
Valerio Lata 18
It has definitely been a learning weekend, but one that I’m proud of. I am quickly realising the level that you have to be at, not just for one lap, but for every single lap and that is now going to be my focus moving forward. My sixth in race two is much closer to where I want to be and I think I’m showing that I’m getting closer to the top riders with my speed, so now the goal is bring that speed for the whole race.
Marcus Pereira de Freitas
HRC General Manager – MXGP
Very disappointing how things went in the second races. For Tim to crash out and Ruben to be unluckily disqualified is not the best way to end the day, especially with the circumstances surrounding both incidents and how they were handled. Hopefully things will improve in the future though as rider safety is the most important thing in the sport. Valerio was a bright spot in MX2 and now we have a weekend off to try and get everyone feeling better and in their best positions to do as well as possible in Portugal.
Race 1
Pos. Rider Num Nation Points Team Time/Gap
1 Coenen Lucas 96 BEL 25 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 33:46.050
2 Gajser Tim 243 SLO 22 Honda HRC – MXGP 0:05.978
3 Fernandez Ruben 70 SPA 20 Honda HRC – MXGP 0:10.189
4 Bonacorsi Andrea 132 ITA 18 Fantic Factory Racing MXGP 0:13.202
5 Renaux Maxime 959 FRA 16 Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team 0:14.123
6 Febvre Romain 3 FRA 15 Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP 0:15.535
7 Seewer Jeremy 91 SWI 14 Ducati Factory MX Team 0:29.220
8 Horgmo Kevin 24 NOR 13 Honda SR Motoblouz 0:36.885
9 Vlaanderen Calvin 10 NDL 12 Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team 0:38.045
10 Coldenhoff Glenn 259 NDL 11 Fantic Factory Racing MXGP 0:42.000
11 Guillod Valentin 92 SWI 10 Wildcard Rider 1:02.173
12 Pancar Jan 253 SLO 9 TEM JP253 KTM Racing Team 1:04.244
13 Geerts Jago 93 BEL 8 Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team 1:05.526
14 Herlings Jeffrey 84 NDL 7 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 1:06.555
15 Tonus Arnaud 4 SWI 6 Wildcard Rider 1:11.369
16 Stauffer Marcel 411 AUT 5 Wildcard Rider 1:12.793
17 Sterry Adam 811 GBR 4 KTM Kozak Team 1:25.642
18 Watson Ben 919 GBR 3 MRT Racing Team Beta 1:29.969
19 Lupino Alessandro 177 ITA 2 Ducati Factory MX Team 1:34.559
20 Brumann Kevin 87 SWI 1 Wildcard Rider 1:35.315
Race 2
Pos. Rider Num Nation Points Team Time/Gap
1 Coenen Lucas 96 BEL 25 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 33:57.096
2 Febvre Romain 3 FRA 22 Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP 0:04.689
3 Seewer Jeremy 91 SWI 20 Ducati Factory MX Team 0:10.876
4 Herlings Jeffrey 84 NDL 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 0:16.061
5 Bonacorsi Andrea 132 ITA 16 Fantic Factory Racing MXGP 0:27.867
6 Coldenhoff Glenn 259 NDL 15 Fantic Factory Racing MXGP 0:29.927
7 Watson Ben 919 GBR 14 MRT Racing Team Beta 0:36.134
8 Horgmo Kevin 24 NOR 13 Honda SR Motoblouz 0:39.716
9 Vlaanderen Calvin 10 NDL 12 Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team 0:45.595
10 Pancar Jan 253 SLO 11 TEM JP253 KTM Racing Team 0:50.713
11 Geerts Jago 93 BEL 10 Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team 0:57.221
12 van de Moosdijk Roan 34 NDL 9 KTM Kozak Team 1:16.530
13 Ludwig Noah GER 8 1:18.917
14 Lupino Alessandro 177 ITA 7 Ducati Factory MX Team 1:20.312
15 Brumann Kevin 87 SWI 6 Wildcard Rider 1:22.645
16 Sterry Adam 811 GBR 5 KTM Kozak Team 1:35.485
17 Gilbert Josh GBR 4 1 lap
18 Nickel Cato GER 3 1 lap
19 Tonus Arnaud 4 SWI 2 Wildcard Rider 1 lap
20 Pape Romain 53 FRA 1 Wildcard Rider 1 lap
Rider Standings
Pos. Rider Num Nation Points Team
1 Gajser Tim 243 SLO 305 Honda HRC – MXGP
2 Febvre Romain 3 FRA 278 Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP
3 Coenen Lucas 96 BEL 227 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
4 Coldenhoff Glenn 259 NDL 224 Fantic Factory Racing MXGP
5 Renaux Maxime 959 FRA 188 Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team
6 Fernandez Ruben 70 SPA 178 Honda HRC – MXGP
7 Bonacorsi Andrea 132 ITA 163 Fantic Factory Racing MXGP
8 Horgmo Kevin 24 NOR 163 Honda SR Motoblouz
9 Seewer Jeremy 91 SWI 138 Ducati Factory MX Team
10 Vlaanderen Calvin 10 NDL 126 Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team
11 Watson Ben 919 GBR 102 MRT Racing Team Beta
12 Pancar Jan 253 SLO 91 TEM JP253 KTM Racing Team
13 Jonass Pauls 41 LAT 86 Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP
14 Geerts Jago 93 BEL 86 Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team
15 Guadagnini Mattia 101 ITA 84 Ducati Factory MX Team
16 Gifting Isak 517 SWE 78 JK Racing Yamaha Active
17 Guillod Valentin 92 SWI 72 Wildcard Rider
18 Herlings Jeffrey NDL 65
19 Bogers Brian 189 NDL 61 Fantic Factory Racing MXGP
20 van de Moosdijk Roan NDL 49
21 Sterry Adam GBR 38
22 Brumann Kevin 87 SWI 32 Wildcard Rider
23 Koch Tom 226 GER 24 MRT Racing Team Beta
24 Stauffer Marcel 411 AUT 23 Wildcard Rider
25 Ludwig Noah GER 19
26 Spies Maximillian GER 13
27 Gilbert Josh GBR 13
28 Cairoli Antonio 222 ITA 10 Ducati Factory MX Team
29 Lupino Alessandro 177 ITA 9 Ducati Factory MX Team
30 Tonus Arnaud 4 SWI 8 Wildcard Rider
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