Social Spot: Fresh Start

Happy New Year! A lot of MXGP stars took to social media last night to reflect on the past twelve months and wish their followers the best of luck for the future, so there is a chance that you struggled to keep up with it all. So, with that in mind, we collected the best posts and placed them into this edition of ‘Social Spot’ on MX Vice. The focus is now firmly on the future and the upcoming FIM Motocross World Championship.

Max Anstie finished ninth in his maiden term aboard a bigger bike, despite the fact that he missed two rounds with injury, and ended the year on a high. Two consecutive podium finishes were obtained and then he had a dominant ride at the Motocross of Nations, so will he be a contender this year?

A slightly different post from Antonio Cairoli, who has had an eventful off-season. Cairoli got married, held championship-winning parties and is now dabbling in some winter sports. The upcoming FIM Motocross World Championship may be one of his toughest challenges yet, but will he clinch a tenth title?

Tim Gajser is certainly not lying when he says that he has learnt a lot from the previous season, as it was a turbulent campaign with countless highs and lows. The latter was all anyone wanted to talk about, unfortunately, but it is important to remember just how good he was at the start of the season.

Darian Sanayei may be one of the most exciting talents to watch when the FIM Motocross World Championship fires into life, as he has the potential to become a podium regular. There is no doubt that he will improve on his eleventh from this year.

There are still a lot of question marks surrounding Romain Febvre, despite the fact that the previous season is complete and there is a lot of data to fall back on. The campaign was far from what he expected, as he recorded just a single moto win, so can he contend for a title again this year?

Bas Vaessen issued a simple, yet effective, message to wish fans a Happy New Year. The media that accompanies the text is a treat too, as there is an additional video of him aboard his new steed. Vaessen is another underrated talent who should land on the podium at least once during the upcoming season.

Jorge Prado is looking for a brilliant season and it is likely that he will have exactly that. The Spanish youngster made huge leaps forward last year and won multiple overalls, so the next logical step is for him to fight for a title. It is likely this season will be his last in the FIM Motocross World Championship.

Shaun Simpson won an MXGP round just last year and that is an extremely point to remember, as most opt to focus on the negatives. Although there were some rough patches along the way, such as two individual injuries, there were a lot of bright points that indicate that he’ll contend for podiums again this season. 

Davy Pootjes is another underrated talent, despite the fact that most tipped him to be the next in line for the throne just a handful of years ago. An unfortunate string of injuries have set him back over the last twenty-four months, but all he needs is a little bit of luck this season. Can he stay healthy?

Riding for Team HRC brings a certain level of attention, as Calvin Vlaanderen found out. Five of his top nine posts from this year were of him in red. Will that fuel the fire within him or cause some additional pressure when the new season fires into life?

Jeremy Seewer summed up his season perfectly in this post, which includes snippets from the previous season. Seewer showed great speed at the Motocross of Nations, hence why that is one of his highlights, and means that expectations will be high when the FIM Motocross World Championship begins.

What more can be said about the year that Pauls Jonass had? It was simply perfect in many ways, although there some health struggles. Mastering those will be extremely important, as well as maintaining the same level of consistency as he had this year, as there are some young riders ready to steal his crown.

Thomas Covington made a significant amount of progress this year and is undoubtedly ready to challenge for a title. After mastering the stereotypical European tracks, such as Pietramurata, all he needs to do is match the consistency that Pauls Jonass possesses. Can he do it?

Happy New Year from Hunter Lawrence! Lawrence made huge strides forward this season and reaped the benefits, as he signed a four-year deal with Honda that includes a move to United States. This will be his final term in the FIM Motocross World Championship, so can he get the job done?

Words: Lewis Phillips | Lead Image: Husqvarna Motorcycles/J.P Acevedo