Jeremy van Horebeek: “I am happy to be second but I made too many mistakes today. I crashed in the first moto and lost time. In the second moto I had a bad start and had to come back through the pack. At the end of the race I was almost on Clement’s rear wheel and if it had not been for those mistakes then maybe I could have gone for it [the win]. Anyway, I’m pleased to be back on the podium and the consistency shows that Thailand was not a lucky shot. It feels good to be making the same results in MXGP like I did in MX2. I know I am really fit and I gave my all today. I hope to continue like this and soon win a GP because we are getting close now.”
David Philippaerts: “It was a hard day because the track was so difficult and with so little grip. In the first moto I was riding OK but it was hard to pass. In the second moto I changed the tyre for hard-pack but it did not really work for the start. I lost traction in one corner and crashed. Now we have to focus for Bulgaria and the coming races. I’m disappointed I couldn’t do better at my home grand prix. I liked the track but not the ground. We launched the team here and I’m really happy with the set-up and the structure. I have to reach the same standard myself now!”
Rui Goncalves: “I thought I might struggle at this track and disappointingly it turned out this way. We tried changing a few settings to find grip and more speed but I couldn’t get the feeling I needed to get comfortable. We’ll keep working for better next weekend.”
Glenn Coldenhoff: “Good to be back on the podium again. Especially with that first moto result. I had a bad start and the track was very one-line then. I was a bit too slow in the first 10 minutes and by the time I picked-it-up, I missed some momentum to make the passes. I finished eighth. The team suggested some set-up changes and I didn’t really agree but they paid off; so I’m really happy those guys are behind me. I followed Guillod until I could see that he would slow down a little bit. I took the lead and held it to the finish line.”
Jeremy Seewer: “For sure this was another step forward. Yesterday I was already good with the starts and the speed. The first moto was one of the best of my career! I almost got the holeshot and led half the lap; right at the front of the MX2 world championship. In the end I took fifth which was pretty good and my best result yet. The second moto was a bit of a disaster with people swapping gates on the line. I had to switch mine three times, which was not normal. My speed was good again but I lost ground in the beginning of the race as I battled with Pocock. Next time I should pass quicker. I’m already looking forward to the next GP.”
Clement Desalle: “I came here relaxed and had a good feeling on the track. The races were good and I had some decent starts. I was second throughout the first moto and it was hard to make the difference here. I came back on Gautier Paulin sometimes, but would make some small mistakes to lose some time; it went like that all the way through. It was easy to make a mistake on this track but I’m really happy with how it worked out today. The season did not start how I expected but I was feeling better in Thailand. I don’t have pain in my shoulder and feel good on the Suzuki. I don’t know if I am 100% yet but I am close.”
Kevin Strijbos: “I had two good races today despite the fact that it was far from easy; I struggled to find my rhythm and speed on this track. I made two good starts and put my head down in both motos. I’m happy I am on the podium. After the last GP we changed some stuff and I was riding a bit more; all that work has paid off.”
Max Nagl: “The biggest positive from today is that we improved the bike a lot from the starts. I had two good starts where I was right with the first five guys so that’s a big improvement. The team did a really good job with the bike, but all today I was struggling with the track, like it was not possible for me to turn. I could not put the bike flat in the turns because it always moved and slipped so I had the feeling I would crash, so I had to keep the bike upright and then you are really slow. I was really aggressive and pushing hard in the second race behind van Horebeek but the track was very strange and I made some mistakes and just couldn’t make that one second extra that I needed today.”
Kiara Fontanesi: “I really tried to push this weekend. In the first moto I didn’t want to take any risks, so I did what I could to get up from sixth to third and was determined for the second moto today. I gave my all at the start and reached second place on the first corner. From there I could ride smoothly and with my own rhythm. I saw I was faster and was waiting for the right moment to pass Meghan when she crashed. It was good for me because I recovered a lot of points in the championship. I’m happy to win the GP, especially here in Italy. I did a lot of things wrong in Qatar so this is like a new start to the championship. We go to Valkenswaard next and I like the sand. I think we can do well there.”
Luke Styke: “I’m happy the results are getting better. I managed to improve my result from Brazil and that was the goal. I’m still not where I should be at but at least we see an upward trend in the results. I will keep on working hard and I’m looking forward to go to Bulgaria next week discovering another new track.”
Max Anstie: “Not the weekend we were looking for. We were switching between set-ups and finally went with what we knew. Today I went down quite heavily on the first lap of the first race. I was lucky not to be landed on. It ruined the moto. In the second one I really wanted to get a good start but I hit the gate; which I never do! I can’t believe I did it. I had to come from the back again and I found the track like a skating rink because it had been watered. It was one-liney. I tried passing but struggled. The others were better than me today. Back to the drawing board and we’ve got a lot of testing and work ahead of us.”
Petar Petrov: “There’s not so much to say to be honest. The story of the last weeks continued here in Italy. In the first race I came together with Tonus in the start and I was in the last position. I charged hard and after a couple of laps I was already riding in the points. I felt pretty good and my speed was alright, but then we had a mechanical problem. This is part of racing. In the second race I had an average start and when I got to 10th position I had a small crash in a corner and lost five or six positions. By the time I got back to tenth the gap to the next rider was too big. 10th is not bad but it’s not where I should be. Now we’re going to my home round in Bulgaria next week.“
Arnaud Tonus: “The first race was incredible. I had a problem at the first corner as the bike stopped; maybe it was a stone in the rear wheel, but I don’t know for sure. I was last but I passed many riders during the first lap and I had a good rhythm so I was able to come back to second. I felt physically OK for the second race, but I made some small mistakes; I got another GP podium and keep the red plate, so it was a good weekend for me.”
Dylan Ferrandis: “I didn’t feel so comfortable on this track, and crashed at the start of the qualifying race; the bike was damaged but I still recovered to finish twelfth. My start in the first GP race was not so good, but I came through to sixth position until I crashed and finished tenth. My second start was much better and I was fighting with Butron; we touched each other and in the incident my gear pedal was broken so I couldn’t continue the race.”
Thomas Covington: “This track was not the best to get used to a new bike for me, I struggled with the lines and the grip as it was very strange and slippery.”
Alessandro Lupino: “I only got Tommy’s bike just before this GP, and I didn’t know what to expect in the MXGP class. In the first moto I had some arm pump, but that’s normal as the 450 is very different to the 250 and I rode with Tommy’s settings. In the second moto I hit the gate and was last at the first corner, but I had good speed and was happy with my riding. I felt more comfortable, I was changing gear at the right moment, and for sure with some more training and tests I will be more confident for the remaining races.”
Gautier Paulin: “It could have been a perfect weekend, but it was not to be and of course I am frustrated this evening. It was more important than ever to have good starts here at this track, so we worked a lot on this and I got two holeshots. In the first moto I posted a couple of fast laps and then controlled my rivals, and the plan was to do the same in the second race. I had another holeshot, but after five laps I had to stop as a stone hit the crankcase.”