Campeonato del Mundo MXGP

Catch Up: Thomas Covington

“I was really surprised.”

Published

7 years ago

May 31, 2017

James Burfield

Thomas Covington has been a revelation in the FIM Motocross World Championship thus far. Covington – a two-time overall winner in MXGP – has managed to unearth raw bursts of speed each week, no matter the conditions. Small issues always stand in his way though and stop him from garnering the results that he deserves.

MX Vice: Speed was there again but, whenever I saw you, you seemed to be fighting your way up from the back. Just talk us through what happened.

Thomas Covington: Actually I was struggling with the track all weekend, from the first practice and warm up on Saturday. I was really surprised with how tight and technical the track was – super steep hills and tight corners. It is my first time here, so it took me the whole weekend to kind of find a rhythm out there. In the motos I felt a lot better, just two dead-last starts did not help things. First moto I was able to come back to eleventh. In the second one my riding was really good, actually. I came back to seventh. Kind of a bummer weekend, but I have just got to forget about it and move onto the next one.

Did you crash off the starts then or just suck off the gate?

The first one I just sucked off the gate. The second one I sucked off the gate too, but then my teammate actually went down in front of me a couple times on the first lap. I was just in the rut behind him and waiting on him to pick up his bike. I guess you could say I crashed on the first lap. A little disappointed, but I have just got to move on and keep working.

Site-Thomas-Covington-2 — Thomas Covington is on the verge of a Grand Prix win on European soil.
Husqvarna Motorcycles

These little things that seem to happen to you, are they frustrating this year? You have got the speed to win each and every time. At Teutschenthal you were far and away the best rider! I am guessing it is kind of frustrating as well, because it is not exactly something you’re doing wrong – you are just kind of in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Yeah, I think a lot of it has to do with the starts. My starts are just really inconsistent. One moto I’ll nearly have the holeshot, then the next moto I’ll be last. I have just got to work on my starts and then I’ll be there every weekend, I think.

Have you got kind of any goals for yourself now? Obviously championship is kind of out the window ever since first couple. I guess winning each week is what you are looking for?

Yeah, pretty much just going for race wins. Trying to put myself in a position to do that. As far as the championship goes, I’m not too worried about it. Not thinking about results much at all in general, just trying to get better every weekend and do my best.

Is there any particular reason why things are clicking for you this year? Obviously, compared to the European rounds last year, you are far and away a better rider.

Yeah, well, last year I think I made a big improvement too. I broke my ankle just after Thailand and then I rode a bunch of them injured with that. Then I ended up breaking my hand in Mexico last year and missed about five rounds. When I came back I was building up and had a few good results at the end, but I think if I would have had the full season I could have done some of the same. It is definitely cool to see some good results coming up. I know I can do it – just got to put it all together and not make any mistakes.

Now that these results are starting to come, are you kind of getting more interest from American teams?

Yeah, for sure. As far as America goes, I have not really decided when I want to go back or if I want to go back. It’s definitely in the back of my head. It’s cool to see the fans and everybody in the pits in America sort of following the GPs a little bit. Now that I’m actually up front on TV every now and then everybody’s keeping up and rooting for me, so that’s pretty cool.

Interview: Lewis Phillips | Lead Image: Husqvarna Motorcycles

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Lead Image: Antonio Cairoli / Ducati

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JK Racing Yamaha signs Isak Gifting for the 2024 MXGP season

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Words: Press Release | Lead Image: JK Racing

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Australian Motocross

Stat Attack: Top Threes of 2023

Read now.

Published

1 day ago

December 6, 2023

Edward Stratmann

As we look towards the 2024 season, MX Vice and Paul Pearcy have joined forces again to deliver some quality statistics, as we’ll be running through the top 10 in each championship across 2023 (MXGP, MX2, 450, 250 – AMA Supercross, SMX and Outdoors and Australian Supercross). Here are all the riders that secured 3rd in their respective title races.

MX2

3) Simon Laengenfelder

1st in Timed Practice: 5; Trentino, Agueda, Lommel, Uddevalla, Afyonkarahisar
Qualifying Race Wins: 5; Trentino, Vantaa, Afyonkarahisar, Maggiora, Matterley Basin (2nd most wins in class)
Qualifying Race Podiums: 13; out of 16 attempts (81% podium rate in qualifying races, best percentage in class)
Qualifying Race Laps Led: 57; (2nd best in class)
Race Podiums: 18; 3rd most in class
Race Wins: 8; 2nd most in class
GP Podiums: 9; 3rd most in class
GP Wins: 2; 1-1 at Intu Xanadu, Uddevalla
Race Laps Led: 141; (21% of total laps, 2nd most in class)

Averages

Timed Practice: 3.187; Best in class
Qualifying Race Finishes: 2.875; Best in Class
Qualifying Race First Lap Position: 3.562; Best in Class
Qualifying Race Points: 131; Most in Class
Race Finishes: 3.375 in Race 1(Best in Class), 3.875 in Race 2(3rd best in class)
GP Overalls: 3.5; 2nd best in class
Race First Lap Position: 4.968; 3rd best in class
Race Points: 321 from Race 1(2nd most in class), 303 from Race 2(4th best in class), Total of 624

Series Points: 755

MXGP

3) Jeremy Seewer

1st in Timed Practice: 1; Frauenfeld
Qualifying Race Podiums: 6; Intu Xanadu, Villars Sous Ecot, Teutschenthal, Sumbawa, Loket, Uddevalla
Qualifying Race Laps Led: 2
Race Podiums: 15
Race Wins: 2; Race 1 at Villars Sous Ecot, Race 2 at Uddevalla
GP Podiums: 7
GP Wins: 3; Villars Sous Ecot, Uddevalla, Maggiora
Race Laps Led: 62; (9% of total laps)

Averages

Timed Practice: 4.421; 4th best in class
Qualifying Race Finishes: 6.778
Qualifying Race First Lap Position: 5.222; 4th best in class
Qualifying Race Points: 105; 4th best in class
Race Finishes: 6.157 in Race 1, 4.157 in Race 2(3rd best in class)
GP Overalls: 4.684; 3rd best in class
Race First Lap Position: 6.842
Race Points: 310 from Race 1, 344 from Race 2, Total of 654 (3rd most in class)

Series Points: 759

250 West Coast Supercross

3) Levi Kitchen

Heat Race Podiums: 4
Heat Race Wins: 3; Seattle, Denver, Salt lake City
Heat Race Laps Led: 26
Main Event Podiums: 4; Anaheim 2, Glendale, Denver, Salt Lake City
Main Event Win: 1; Anaheim 2
Main Event Laps Led: 20; (11% of total laps)

Averages

Qualifying: 5th
Heat Race Finishes: 2.857; 3rd best in class
Heat Race First Lap Position: 5th
Main Event Finishes: 6.556
Main Event First Lap Position: 7.253

Series Points: 156

250 East Supercross

3) Max Anstie

1st in Qualifying: 1; Houston
Heat Race Podiums: 3; Houston, Indy, Nashville
Heat Race Laps Led: 3
Main Event Podiums: 4; Houston, Tampa, Daytona, East Rutherford
Main Event Win: 1; East Rutherford
Main Event Laps Led: 14; (8% of total laps)

Averages

Qualifying: 4.7
Heat Race Finishes: 4.667
Heat Race First Lap Position: 5.333
Main Event Finishes: 5.7; 4th best in class
Main Event First Lap Position: 4.741; 2nd best in class

Series Points: 182

450 Supercross

3) Cooper Webb

Heat Race Podiums: 7
Heat Race Wins: 2; Seattle, Atlanta
Heat Race Laps Led: 19
Main Event Podiums: 9
Main Event Wins: 2; Tampa, Arlington
Main Event Laps Led: 17; (3% of total laps)

Averages

Qualifying: 6.133
Heat Race Finishes: 4.5
Heat Race First Lap Position: 4.181
Main Event Finishes: 2.785; 2nd best in class
Main Event First Lap Position: 4.307; 3rd best in class

Series Points: 304

250 American Outdoors

3) Jo Shimoda

Moto Podiums: 10
Moto Wins: 3; Moto 2 at Southwick, 1-1 at Ironman
Overall Podiums: 4; Southwick, Millville, Budds Creek, Ironman
Overall Wins: 1; Ironman
Moto Laps Led: 53

Averages

Qualifying: 6.363
Moto Finishes: 4.636 in Moto 1, 4.545 in Moto 2(2nd best in class)
Overall Finishes: 4.454 (3rd best in class)
Moto First Lap Position: 6.545

Series Points: 393

450 American Outdoors

3) Aaron Plessinger

Moto Podiums: 5; Moto 1 at Hangtown, Moto 2 at Thunder Valley, Moto 2 at Washougal, Moto 2 at Budds Creek, Moto 2 at Ironman
Overall Podiums: 3; Thunder Valley, Budds Creek, Ironman
Moto Laps Led: 7; 3rd most in class

Averages