Red Bull Ducati Factory MXGP made further progress with Andrea Bonacorsi at the Grand Prix of Sweden. The Italian rider was competing in only his second Grand Prix since returning to racing and secured his best result of the season with an eighth-place finish in the second moto. For Calvin Vlaanderen, the weekend ended prematurely following an incident at the start of the second moto.
The 28th Swedish Grand Prix was held at Glimminge Motorstadion, located in a granite quarry near Uddevalla, under sunny summer conditions. A record number of spectators attended the event.
Bonacorsi started the weekend with a ninth-place finish in Saturday’s qualifying race. In the first moto, the Ducati rider made a strong start, but a crash on the second lap dropped him back to the rear of the field. On a circuit where it was difficult to create significant gaps, he eventually fought his way back to 20th place.
Several adjustments were made to the Desmo450 MX ahead of the second moto. Bonacorsi once again made a strong start and rode an excellent race, setting fast lap times. He first worked his way into the top ten before gaining another two positions. Two laps from the finish, the race was stopped following an incident and the red flag was shown. Bonacorsi was classified in eighth place, giving him his best result of the season.
Andrea Bonacorsi: “It was a good Grand Prix, with a positive Saturday where I qualified ninth. Unfortunately, a crash on the second lap of the first moto cost me many positions and, on a track where it was difficult to make a difference, coming back through the field was almost impossible. In the second moto, we made a few adjustments and, thanks to the work of the entire team, I was able to pass several riders and finish eighth. It’s a shame about the red flag because it brought my charge to an end.”
For Calvin Vlaanderen, the weekend was less successful. The Dutchman finished 15th in Saturday’s qualifying race after a crash and went on to finish 11th in the first moto. In the second moto, he made a decent start but was hit by another rider. This resulted in a multi-rider crash, forcing Vlaanderen to retire from the race.
Calvin Vlaanderen: “It was a tough weekend and not what I had hoped for. Unfortunately, the crash at the start of the second moto completely ruined our result. Now we’ll focus on coming back and finishing the season strongly.”
Red Bull Ducati Factory MXGP now turns its attention to the next round of the World Championship, the MXGP of the Netherlands in Arnhem, where the riders will return to the sand next weekend.
