It was two years, a snapped knee and two broken feet in the making but Steven Frossard’s first podium appearance since the opening round of the 2012 FIM Motocross World Championship could help the Frenchman’s cause for snaring one of the few MXGP factory saddles remaining in the paddock for 2015.
With Ryan Villopoto now heavily tipped to be moving to the Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team in the wake of Gautier Paulin’s departure and allegedly bringing former team-mate and good friend Tyla Rattray with him, Frossard seems to be out of the picture at the works KRT set-up after just one season.
The Frenchman is also unlikely to take a spot at Red Bull KTM, IceOne Husqvarna or Honda World Motocross, which leaves a return to the factory Yamaha fold…or precious little else.
The Finnish GP runner-up is now in a group of riders that include the likes of Shaun Simpson (also taking a season’s best result at Hyvinkää), Christophe Charlier, Dean Ferris, Milko Potisek, Alessandro Lupino, Rui Goncalves, Matiss Karro and Tanel Leok still without firm links to teams or bikes for next year.
“It was a long time! In Qatar I was close but today was a 2-2 and I made a strong race. Physically I was perfect today and not tired at all,” Frossard said of his impressive performance across one of the hardest racing surfaces encountered so far in 2014.
It seems that the former MX1 championship runner-up is still waiting on an official word from Kawasaki, who are allegedly cool on the progress Frossard has made in terms of results this season; his first trophy coming at round 13 and only just moving into the top five of the MXGP standings.
His status at Monster Energy KRT also depends on confirmation of Villopoto. “I don’t know. At the moment I don’t have so many options,” he revealed. “If I have a good proposition to stay with KRT then I would like to stay there. We must see together with the team.”
