The Honda World Motocross team is heading to the Grand Prix of Brazil this weekend for round seven of the MX1 World Championship in Beto Carrero, where Evgeny Bobryshev will return to action with teammate Max Nagl.
With weather being the main topic ahead of last year’s race, which turned into a lottery after heavy downpours throughout the event, the forecast is currently not looking promising for the race this weekend, and this is likely to play an important part in the results, which will follow the Super Final format seen at the previous overseas rounds.
However, for the Honda World Motocross team the aim is for solid motos, especially as this race is sponsored by Honda Brazil, and it will be important for both Max Nagl and Evgeny Bobryshev to put on strong performances for the many Honda fans in attendance that will be supporting the two racers.
Nagl has been improving his results race-by-race, and his goal is to make a good start to both motos, as this has been an area he hasn’t totally mastered so far this season, to enable him to get away with the front-runners.
Last weekend Nagl raced in the national German championship, which he is leading, and as the event was a big mud race, it may end up being perfect preparation for the race in Brazil. The German racer has been unwell this week however, with a fever and a cold, so he hopes to have made a good recovery by Saturday’s first practice.
“I did a big mud race at the weekend in Germany and that might be good practice for Brazil, as the forecast isn’t good,” said Nagl.
“The bad thing is I’m really sick with a fever, and in my nose. I’ve been in bed right up until we left and although I’m a little bit better now, I need to be a lot better for the weekend.
“I’ve not raced in Brazil before, and the track looked really nice in the dry in an arena like setting, so I hope we can race in the dry. The forecast is for rain though, so this could be an important point, especially having seen what happened last year.”
Bobryshev has missed three races with injury and is keen to get back on the bike after fracturing his fibula in training just over one month ago. The 25-year-old Russian is still suffering with some pain in his leg, but has raced and ridden during the last week in preparation for the weekend, where he hopes he can begin to build his race pace once again.
Bobryshev said: “After not riding Portugal I did some training before the Dutch championship race last week, and I used that event just to get comfortable and into the swing of things, as I haven’t raced for a long time.
“I have been practicing too, but not for speed, I have just needed time on the bike. The leg is still painful and not quite 100%, but I have been training in the gym and I’ve had a few days off the bike since we’ve been travelling, so by the weekend with some pain relief, the sharp pain won’t be like it was in Portugal.
“I am happy to be here as it’s a big event and it’s a Honda race with Honda Brazil putting so much effort in. I like to come here and it’s one of the best tracks we go to, with a really good design. It may be a mud race, but it’s the same for everybody. The goal is to stay on the bike and just take it session by session.”
Not only is it an important race for Honda with the event being sponsored by Honda Brazil, it’s also a special weekend for the Honda World Motocross team’s chief mechanic, Marcus Freitas, who is Brazilian and will also be hoping the riders put on a good show at his home Grand Prix.
