Team HRC’s Tim Gajser came into Sunday in pole position after qualifying first on Saturday.

He kept true to his qualifying form and won race one ahead of Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jeremy Van Horebeek and race two just over five seconds ahead of Team HRC teammate Evgeny Bobryshev.

With his performance Gajser takes over the red plate heading into Leon, Mexico.

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“I’m really happy, its actually a perfect weekend and it couldn’t be better,” Gajser said in the post-race press conference.

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jeremy Van Horebeek had his best results of the year finishing 2-3 for second overall.

After a good pre-season Jeremy struggled in the first two rounds of the championship but he is now looking like a contender for wins.

“My pre-season was really good, in Qatar and Indonesia I don’t know what happened,” said Van Horebeek. “[But] I’ve regrouped, me and my team made some changes to the bike, both today and yesterday I felt like myself, I felt comfortable and ready to fight for wins.”

Meanwhile Team HRC’s Evgeny Bobryshev, who was feeling unwell with a virus, fought through the pain and his 5-2 results gave him his first overall podium of the year.

Bobryshev passed both Desalle and Van Horebeek in race 2 giving team HRC a 1-2 race finish with both riders on the overall podium.

Bobryshev said: “I’ve been sick for a few weeks and coming here I didn’t really expect to be on the podium. Today I was feeling better and stronger. I’m really pumped for sure to be third overall.”

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Gautier Paulin worked his way forward in both races. Gautier was in eighth on the first lap of race 1 and at times, he was in a three-way battle with his Husqvarna teammates but he would lead the three with a sixth place at the finish.

In race 2 he started one better in fifth on the first lap but would pass the early leader Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Clement Desalle for fourth, which is where Paulin would finish receiving fourth overall on the weekend.

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Romain Febvre also made his way forward as he started 11th in race 1, but made quick work and in one lap was seventh. He then continued to move ahead for a fourth place finish.

In race 2 he had a similar start with a 10th but eventually moved into fifth until a fall cost him the position and left him to finish eighth for fifth overall.

Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Clement Desalle looked good throughout the weekend.

The Belgian finished third in race 1, he then rocketed out of the gate in race 2 behind Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Glenn Coldenhoff and then lead the first three laps before falling back to 10th. His 3-10 finishes put him in sixth overall.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tony Cairoli was perhaps the one rider who had the hardest charge. Cairoli struggled on both starts and he was positioned as low as 22nd in race one before finishing ninth and then 15th in race 2 before working his way to fifth. Cairoli showed the heart of a champion by recouping valuable championship points.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Max Nagl traditionally does well in Argentina and though it may not be the results he was hoping for his consistent top 10 finishes landed him in eighth overall.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings had his best result in MXGP so far, finishing seventh in race 2 and taking ninth overall. It is clear he is determined to improve and expects to do so in the following rounds.

MXGP Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), 35:25.581; 2. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:07.150; 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:10.968; 4. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +0:12.239; 5. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:14.082; 6. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Husqvarna), +0:15.046; 7. Max Anstie (GBR, Husqvarna), +0:18.326; 8. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Husqvarna), +0:19.268; 9. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:20.011; 10. Shaun Simpson (GBR, Yamaha), +0:31.372

MXGP Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), 34:07.642; 2. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:05.315; 3. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:06.723; 4. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Husqvarna), +0:08.878; 5. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:17.959; 6. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Husqvarna), +0:22.477; 7. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:23.506; 8. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +0:26.071; 9. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), +0:29.400; 10. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:35.513

MXGP Overall Top Ten: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 50 points; 2. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 42 p.; 3. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, HON), 38 p.; 4. Gautier Paulin (FRA, HUS), 33 p.; 5. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 31 p.; 6. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 31 p.; 7. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 28 p.; 8. Maximilian Nagl (GER, HUS), 28 p.; 9. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 23 p.; 10. Max Anstie (GBR, HUS), 23 p.

MXGP Championship Top Ten: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 106 points; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 96 p.; 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 91 p.; 4. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 84 p.; 5. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, HON), 82 p.; 6. Gautier Paulin (FRA, HUS), 72 p.; 7. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 65 p.; 8. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, SUZ), 56 p.; 9. Shaun Simpson (GBR, YAM), 55 p.; 10. Max Anstie (GBR, HUS), 49 p.

MXGP Manufacturers: 1. Honda, 106 points; 2. Yamaha, 103 p.; 3. KTM, 100 p.; 4. Kawasaki, 91 p.; 5. Husqvarna, 80 p.; 6. Suzuki, 56 p.

MX2

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Pauls Jonass took the second overall and 1-1 finish of his MX2 season in Patagonia, Argentina yesterday.

The Latvian started well and by the finish of both races he separated himself from the rest of the field.

“I really enjoyed this track and I really enjoy racing here,” he said. “I’m very happy with the final results.”

Meanwhile the other Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Jorge Prado Garcia had good starts taking both FOX holeshots. He then battled with his teammate before losing ground, his 2-3 finish put him on the second spot of the overall podium.

Jorge said: “It was a really good battle, I really enjoyed it. I lost a little bit of energy there in the second race but I found a little bit more and was able to get a second place overall.”

Team Suzuki World MX2 Team’s Jeremy Seewer admittedly struggled with his race 1 start, from eighth on the first lap he moved his way up to fifth.

In race 2 he started third and he was able to make his way around Jorge Prado Garcia’s bike but it was not close enough to challenge Jonass. Jeremy took the third overall but more notably the points lead and the red plate.

Kemea Yamaha Official MX Team’s Benoit Paturel was impressive in race 1 and his second place finish had him leading the points coming into race 2.

His luck changed in race 2 though when the possibility of taking the red plate disappeared as he went down and his ninth place finish put him one spot off the overall podium for a fourth. Benoit now sits third in the championship standings.

The American rookie, Monster Energy DRT Kawasaki Racing’s Darian Sanayei had the best weekend of his MX2 career. He qualified third on Saturday and followed it with 6-4 finishes on Sunday.

Sanayei was second in race 1 before being passed by Paturel, he then slid out while trying to retaliate. The American showed some speed and looked to be a podium contender after his fifth overall.

LRT KTM’s Julien Lieber came into Patagonia, Argentina with the red plate but he lost invaluable ground in the championship after going down and remounting in 31st position on lap 2. He eventually passed 14 riders to finish 16th in race 1.

Race 2 was a different story and he finished fifth. Lieber would end the weekend 10th overall and slip to fourth in the championship.

MX2 Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 35:21.092; 2. Benoit Paturel (FRA, Yamaha), +0:04.318; 3. Jorge Prado Garcia (ESP, KTM), +0:07.107; 4. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:08.386; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki), +0:10.398; 6. Darian Sanayei (USA, Kawasaki), +0:24.237; 7. Brent Van doninck (BEL, Yamaha), +0:27.793; 8. Thomas Covington (USA, Husqvarna), +0:33.721; 9. Michele Cervellin (ITA, Honda), +0:35.480; 10. Vsevolod Brylyakov (RUS, Kawasaki), +0:35.534

MX2 Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 34:04.845; 2. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki), +0:03.278; 3. Jorge Prado Garcia (ESP, KTM), +0:25.893; 4. Darian Sanayei (USA, Kawasaki), +0:29.301; 5. Julien Lieber (BEL, KTM), +0:34.137; 6. Brent Van doninck (BEL, Yamaha), +0:36.225; 7. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:40.989; 8. Vsevolod Brylyakov (RUS, Kawasaki), +0:42.865; 9. Benoit Paturel (FRA, Yamaha), +0:46.656; 10. Adam Sterry (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:48.515

MX2 Overall Top Ten: 1. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 50 points; 2. Jorge Prado Garcia (ESP, KTM), 40 p.; 3. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, SUZ), 38 p.; 4. Benoit Paturel (FRA, YAM), 34 p.; 5. Darian Sanayei (USA, KAW), 33 p.; 6. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 32 p.; 7. Brent Van doninck (BEL, YAM), 29 p.; 8. Vsevolod Brylyakov (RUS, KAW), 24 p.; 9. Michele Cervellin (ITA, HON), 22 p.; 10. Julien Lieber (BEL, KTM), 21 p.

MX2 Championship Top Ten: 1. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, SUZ), 110 points; 2. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 107 p.; 3. Benoit Paturel (FRA, YAM), 104 p.; 4. Julien Lieber (BEL, KTM), 99 p.; 5. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 99 p.; 6. Brent Van doninck (BEL, YAM), 73 p.; 7. Samuele Bernardini (ITA, TM), 70 p.; 8. Jorge Prado Garcia (ESP, KTM), 67 p.; 9. Michele Cervellin (ITA, HON), 62 p.; 10. Vsevolod Brylyakov (RUS, KAW), 59 p

MX2 Manufacturers: 1. KTM, 142 points; 2. Suzuki, 110 p.; 3. Yamaha, 109 p.; 4. Husqvarna, 99 p.; 5. Kawasaki, 83 p.; 6. TM, 70 p.; 7. Honda, 40 p.