2024 Monster Energy FIM MXoN Open RAM Qualifying Race
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MotoriTrascrizione
00:00and we'll see you in a bit.
00:30Welcome back to Matterley Basin, it's the 77th edition of the Monster Energy FIA Motocross
00:34Nations.
00:35My name's Paul Malin.
00:36We're live on MXGP TV and as you've probably known by now, I'm joined in the booth by Jason
00:42Thomas of Fly Racing and we've had two fantastic RAM qualifying races out of the way so far
00:48and we are getting ready for our first RAM quali race of the day.
00:53Next up is the Open Class Riders.
00:55We're a couple of miles away from Winchester, the Open Class Riders out on track for their
01:00sighting lap.
01:01You can see the ripples on the track here.
01:03The sun's starting to drop so you're going to get that shadowing.
01:05This left-hand corner here, we saw an MX2 rider just tip over there in the final stages
01:11of the RAM qualifying race a few moments ago.
01:14I wonder if that sun just dropping had something to do with that.
01:18A tricky racetrack, Jason, this time of the afternoon.
01:20It is.
01:21There's a lot of shadows over the top of the berms and there's a lot of trust that
01:25has to be involved and imagine just riding into sections where you have no depth perception
01:29because you can't really see the bottoms of the ruts.
01:31That's what these riders are going to be facing.
01:32You know why?
01:33There's too much smokescreen.
01:34Atmosphere here on point as always.
01:38It is the Motocross Nations, of course.
01:40Sector 1 from the finish line, back down the start straight through turn 1, 2.
01:45Coming out of turn 3, we have that double.
01:47That's end of sector 1.
01:49Sector 2, just after the quad.
01:51Sector 3, just before they step down into the bottom of the valley.
01:54And then sector 4, as they hit the Monster Energy finish line.
01:57The racetrack, 1,880 meters.
01:58A little bit shorter than it has been over previous years, notably through sort of like
02:02turn 3.
02:03Back down the hill in the opposite direction and just before the GoPro waves.
02:09Great atmosphere over there and you can see how the wind is picking up.
02:12It's been like that most of the afternoon, but more importantly, it's not raining.
02:17We've had blue skies, we've had sunshine and that's only been good for the racetrack.
02:21Lisa Leyland was down on the grid a few moments ago.
02:23She caught up with a rider from France, Maxime Renaud.
02:26Before that though, a German by the name of Max Nagel.
02:32We're almost ready for the final race of the day, the RAM Open qualifying race, but let's
02:36catch up with one of the most experienced riders here at the Motocross of Nations.
02:40It's Max Nagel from Team Germany.
02:42Max, I know this is your 18th appearance representing your nation.
02:46What is it that keeps motivating you to keep coming back?
02:49Yeah, it's really nice to be selected again from Team Germany.
02:53I'm trying hard.
02:54There's coming some young riders, but I'm still putting a lot of effort in and we had
02:58the German title this year and I'm doing also some Czech races, other international races,
03:02so I still like and enjoy the race.
03:04It's not MXGP anymore, but I'm still good, let's say, for these races and I hope I can
03:09do a decent result also this weekend.
03:11Well, it's really nice to see you back in the paddock.
03:13Not the best skate pit for Team Germany.
03:15In fact, it was actually the worst skate pit.
03:17However, said that, Simon did a great job in that second race.
03:21He was third.
03:22So what are you expecting from this race here?
03:24Yeah, it's true. We were pretty unlucky with the gate pick here with the last.
03:28But also Kenny and Simon, they did quite good on the start, not on the straight, but then
03:33in the corner they managed to go through quite well.
03:36I hope I can do something similar.
03:38It's difficult because I'm a bit older, so I don't take that much risk anymore like the
03:42young guys, but I hope I can find some good lines and sneak through a little bit.
03:47You're not that old. Best of luck, Max. Thank you.
03:50I'm going to speak to a nice Frenchman now.
03:53It's Maxime Renaud from Team France, our defending champions, coming in with number three on
03:57his bike. Maxime, from the first two races, you guys are five points in the lead so far
04:02in the classifications.
04:04That's a good start to your campaign, isn't it?
04:07Yeah, sure. It's looking good.
04:08The guys did a great job.
04:10Now I've just got to finish the work, do a good moto.
04:14We don't have pressure for this moto.
04:15We have four points, so it's really good.
04:18So let's see if we can gain a little bit.
04:20And if not, then we're satisfied with this.
04:23A little bit of feedback from some of the guys that have already been out on track.
04:26It's pretty deep out there.
04:27How was your warm-up earlier this morning?
04:30Yeah, the warm-up was pretty good.
04:31The speed was all right.
04:33The track is pretty deep, so there's a lot of ruts.
04:36You need to stay really focused.
04:37So, yeah, it's going to be important to really keep composure and avoid mistakes.
04:41And yeah, then obviously a good start and good speed.
04:45And just quickly, for those that are wondering, how are you feeling physically
04:48coming into the biggest event of the year?
04:50Yeah, I'm feeling pretty good.
04:52I've, yeah, came back on myself after Spain,
04:56tried to erase everything, and now I feel pretty good.
04:59So I'm going to enjoy some nice racing.
05:02Thanks a lot, Maxime. Thank you for chatting to us.
05:03Good luck to all the guys.
05:04It's time for the final race of the year, Open RAM Qualifying Race.
05:12So, Lisa Leyland down there, then, with Max Nagel and Maxime Renault,
05:19a couple of Maxis down there.
05:20And I'll tell you what, Jason, I was impressed with that comment.
05:23Not the best gate pick, but actually the worst.
05:26Yeah, very insightful from Lisa there,
05:28but 18 times for Max Nagel at this event now,
05:32so I'm sure he'll be able to figure it out.
05:33And he's already seen both of his compatriots there from Germany figure it out.
05:37And actually, when he did his first Motocross Nations,
05:41Simon Langenfelder, his MX2 teammate, wasn't even born, 2003.
05:45I'm sure that doesn't make Max feel great about this.
05:48Absolutely not.
05:49Well, let's take a look at the classification coming into the final race today.
05:52This is with both the MXGP and MX2 categories counting for now.
05:58So France have had a 3-1.
05:59Germany, they're 2nd on 9 points.
06:02Spain are 3rd on 10.
06:04They had a win with Jorge Prado in the first race,
06:079th for Auriel Oliveira in the next one.
06:09The Netherlands, and then the USA.
06:11They've had a couple of 7th place finishes.
06:13Australia are next, and then Italy and Great Britain.
06:17They go to the line 8 as it stands right now.
06:19Belgium go to the line 9th, and then Switzerland, Denmark,
06:22Czech Republic, Slovenia, Norway, New Zealand, and Austria.
06:26And just look how tight it is on the next page that we're not going to see.
06:30But, uh, it's Jeff Emick.
06:33The bro himself.
06:36But, uh, here's how the riders line up.
06:39Obviously from the ballot, Belgium getting the first pick.
06:41So in this race, it's going to be Yago Kitt.
06:43Japan getting the second pick with Yuki Okura and the rest.
06:47Rupert Fernandez, 4th pick for Spain, 5th pick for Italy.
06:50The Netherlands there with the 8th pick this time.
06:52Captain MX on for the Netherlands.
06:54The Hoff, Glenn Koldenhoff.
06:56Uh, who else have we got in there?
06:57Jason Mirra for Ireland in 10th place.
06:59And then we've got the French with Maxime Renaud, 12th gate pick for them.
07:03Australia are next in 17th.
07:05Canadians with Dylan Wright, 18 behind them.
07:09Aaron Plessinger, gate pick for the 20, uh, gate pick 24 for the Americans.
07:15And, uh, as we focus on the gate here, there is Yago Kitt, number 15.
07:19The Polish rider alongside him.
07:21And then I think, is that A-Rod to the side of him, possibly?
07:24But, uh, as we look down the, uh, order here and catch up with Maxime Renaud,
07:30team France, I'm just looking at the point situation.
07:33Brazil are the last qualified nation at the moment on 38.
07:36Going to the B final.
07:37Finland on 39 at the moment.
07:40Estonia on 41.
07:41South Africa on 42.
07:43Ireland on 44.
07:45There needs to be some big performances from their men in this final race.
07:49Yeah, it's going to be a really fluid situation throughout this race
07:52to see who sneaks in there.
07:53The last thing you want to do is have big aspirations for Sunday
07:57and have to go through the B final to get there.
07:59Yago Kitt has, uh, not had the best season.
08:02Injured at the opening round in Argentina.
08:03Didn't see him until Lommel.
08:05Maybe came back too early with a setting that didn't quite suit him
08:08with not a lot of time on the bike.
08:10He's taken time away.
08:11He's coming back to the biggest race of all.
08:12Hopefully, fingers crossed for Belgium, he's okay.
08:15But, uh, we just saw Glenn Koldenoff.
08:16Here's Jet Lawrence, team Australia.
08:19And, uh, Jet was pretty decent in the, uh, free practice session earlier today.
08:24But Spain's Ruben Fernandez was about six hundredths behind him
08:28in the free practice session.
08:29Of course, those times only for sort of bragging rights, if you like.
08:33Uh, France, Maxime Reneau.
08:35He was third fastest ahead of Mews.
08:36Guillaume Koldenoff, Bonacorsi here for Italy.
08:39And, uh, Andrea Bonacorsi had his debut 450 appearance
08:42at this event last year at R&A.
08:44Yeah, he's, he's kind of putting it together.
08:46Figuring out his top ten several times throughout MXGP this year.
08:49And he is way, way young to be all the way in MXGP.
08:52Five gates inside the box on the left side there.
08:54The number five, the Australian Jet Lawrence.
08:57There is the number 24 of Aaron Plessinger, team USA.
09:01His second European Nations, the first one, I think,
09:04caught him a little bit by surprise, but he enjoyed it anyway.
09:07Do you think he's feeling a little bit more relaxed now?
09:08I asked him that before the ballot yesterday.
09:11And just being in an English-speaking country,
09:13said, makes a lot of difference for him.
09:15He wants redemption.
09:16He has not ridden to his potential outside of one moto,
09:19one senior moto in France last year.
09:21He wants to show everybody what he's made of here in England.
09:25So the Fly Racing 15-second board,
09:27getting ready to go up for the final time today.
09:30The open RAM qualifying race here, 20 minutes plus two laps.
09:34We are at the Monster Energy FIM Motocross Nations at Matale Basin.
09:38The 77th edition of this event that's been running since 1947.
09:42And there is the Fly Racing 15-second board right on cue.
09:46The start straight, long, heavy and ripped,
09:48but it's a wide 180 left turn.
09:51The 33 there of Harry Kulas of Estonia.
09:54There's Fernandez, the red helmet of the Spaniard.
09:58The five-second board turns.
09:59Keep your eye, about five gates inside the box.
10:04Lawrence hanging off the back of the bike.
10:06Can he get there first? No, he can't.
10:08It's the bridge and there's a bit of barbanging in there.
10:11And it's going to be the 48 around the outside.
10:14And that is Fabio Presidio dos Santos.
10:18Jet working some magic there.
10:19He did not get a clean exit,
10:21but he went outside, then inside to move up here.
10:24That was beautiful by Jet,
10:26but interesting he didn't quite get the jump
10:28that he's normally getting.
10:29He'll want to clean that up for Sunday.
10:31Well, Brazil, they needed a big start.
10:33They've got one at the moment, haven't they?
10:37But already find his way through.
10:39The Spaniard, Ruben Fernandez.
10:42Lawrence there in third place.
10:44Fourth, for Renault.
10:46Fifth, the Italian, Bonacorsi.
10:48Then Koldenoff, Tondale, Panza, Plessinger in ninth.
10:50Mews 10, then Iago here to Belgium.
10:54And there's a sneaky little rivalry here
10:56between Jet and Maxime Renault.
10:58For a while, Maxime Renault was the only rider
11:00who invested Jet Lawrence on a 450.
11:02And I think Maxime was kind of speaking to that.
11:05He was letting people know that was the case.
11:07And I don't think Jet loved the comment,
11:08even though he had to respect it.
11:10So if these two kind of stay together,
11:12I think there could be a battle that unfolds
11:14or that not many people would be expecting.
11:17Jet Lawrence getting by Fabio De Santos
11:19in at the top end of the circuit,
11:22or trying to at least.
11:23Knows he doesn't need to rush anything on this opening lap,
11:26but just up on the pegs, sits down at the last minute.
11:28And look how quick he just gets into that next turn.
11:31Yeah, Jet is incredibly patient.
11:32That's one of his strong suits amongst,
11:34I don't know, an ocean of strong suits,
11:37but he doesn't really rush it on the first lap.
11:39So his MO really is to kind of suss the track out a bit,
11:42find his flow.
11:43And then once he starts really leaning into it,
11:46that's when he starts dropping his lap time.
11:48So it really bodes well for him to be up front this early.
11:51He can try to kind of figure Fernandez out.
11:53And he's going to be looking for lines here,
11:55which is what he always does.
11:56And once he pieces the track together,
11:59that's when you're going to see the lap times drop
12:00and he will be out of here.
12:02Fernandez leads Jet Lawrence, De Santos,
12:05Renault, Bonacorsi, Cordon Offit, Mu6, Tondale 7,
12:09Plessiger 8, Panzer 9, and here it's 10.
12:12Dylan Wright of Canada.
12:13He is in 11th, 12th place.
12:15Then Gio, Alberto, Kulas, Nagel for Germany,
12:19Kratzer, Okura, Teresak, and Ostlund.
12:22Just looking down the order.
12:23Natski for New Zealand in 30th place.
12:25The Kiwis do not need that.
12:26They are going to the B-final
12:28if he can't get himself up the leaderboard
12:31because three riders, Estonia on 32,
12:35New Zealand and Japan on 32.
12:37They are 20, 21, and 22 in the leaderboard
12:40or the B-final leaderboard, if you like.
12:43They need 29 points to get the better of South Africa.
12:51Yeah, and I would expect to see Jet be really careful here.
12:54They're in a great position.
12:55I don't think he feels an imminent threat, really,
12:57from Fernandez running away from him or anything.
12:59So patience is a virtue.
13:01He doesn't have any pressure from behind him.
13:03You wonder if Renault or Goldenhoff could mount the charge,
13:05but this is going exactly how Jet would want it to.
13:13And Renault up the inside to move into third place,
13:16finding its way past Dos Santos.
13:20As Jet Lawrence trying to find his way.
13:22Look how low the sun is now as they come this way.
13:24See the long shadows.
13:26Trying to make a move there.
13:27Don't need to rush anything here.
13:28And you just, they can't see the bottom of the rut, right?
13:31So it could be six inches or it could be 12 inches,
13:33and they wouldn't really know the difference,
13:35but their bike's going to be moving around unexpectedly.
13:37And that's the trouble spot.
13:39Things that you would normally be ready for are going to catch you out
13:41because simply you can't see it coming.
13:45We've seen good speed since his return for Ruben Fernandez,
13:49notably in, I think it was China, maybe even in Turkey,
13:53when he was doing his bit for his wingman, Tim Geiser.
13:58And he's doing it again here for Team Spain.
14:00He put the flag out now.
14:01Spain are on pole position with two points.
14:04France on four, Australia on six.
14:06They will get the third gate pick.
14:08Then Germany with nine.
14:10The Netherlands on 10.
14:12Great Britain will go to the line in sixth
14:14ahead of Slovenia, Italy, Belgium, the USA on 10.
14:19And they will go to the gate in 10th place at the moment
14:21because Plessinger is in eighth place.
14:23He's just found his way past Cornelius Tondale of Norway.
14:28And extremely tight there.
14:30If AP could move up a few spots,
14:32he could jump up three, four, five spots really quickly.
14:34Yeah, very, very tight.
14:36In those, what, nine, 10, 11, 12, 13, 13 and 14,
14:40they are the points from fourth Germany to the USA in 10th.
14:49You heard the comments from Hunter Lawrence there
14:51in our intermission session from the paddock.
14:53This is not a track that these riders face very well.
14:56So, you know, Jet Lawrence,
14:58I truly believe he might be the best rider on the planet,
15:00especially if you look at all disciplines,
15:02but it's not like he's pushing the limit here
15:04or doing anything fantastic,
15:06but the track simply won't let you.
15:08You can not push the pace here or the track will bite you.
15:11So I think simply putting the track together smoothly
15:15is the key.
15:16Koldenhoff and Mews.
15:21Mews going around to the outside of the Dutchman.
15:23Konrad Mews up in the sixth place.
15:25Loves riding at home, does the British.
15:27Mews might be the least known fastest rider on the planet.
15:30And I say that especially on English soil
15:32because most, you know, most people stay inside.
15:35They wouldn't know much about Konrad Mews,
15:37but you find him at a British championship race
15:39or somewhere he feels very comfortable.
15:40He will absolutely wow you.
15:42Ask Geoffrey Hurlings
15:43if Konrad Mews can ride quickly or not.
15:45He gave him everything he wanted
15:46this year in the British championships.
15:48So Jet Lawrence setting the fastest lap
15:50last time around with a 2.067
15:51compared to the 2.071 of Fernandez.
15:54The Australian has got the Spaniard right
15:56in his line of sight again.
15:57He spent the last couple of laps and as quick as that,
16:00he nips up the inside, finds his way into the lead.
16:02He played the patient game,
16:04but doesn't want to hang around anymore.
16:06He's done eating roost sandwiches.
16:08And Jet Lawrence will cross the line at the end of lap two
16:11as the new leader for Team Australia.
16:13And that will give them another point.
16:15In fact, they'll only leave this race with a point.
16:17Bit short there on the landing for Fernandez, though.
16:21You talk about the mutual respect,
16:22these guys really haven't seen Jet race in a long time.
16:25Like they saw him at Motocross Nations last year,
16:26but they see all the success.
16:28Even Jeffrey Hurling's got a Jet Lawrence jersey
16:30for his collection this weekend.
16:31But these guys truly respect each other
16:33and the levels that they have in their respective series.
16:36So Fernandez is probably like, oh, there's Jet.
16:38And you know, these guys know each other
16:40from afar all too well.
16:42Fabio De Santos, the Brazilian.
16:44He's still there in fourth place.
16:45He's got the Italian number nine,
16:47Andrea Bonacossi behind him.
16:49And then coming in, lurking large in the background,
16:51number 30, Conrad Mews for Team Great Britain.
16:54He's in sixth, having found his way past Koldnoff
16:57on that part of the racetrack a lap ago.
16:59And he's really riding with a lot of heart and desire.
17:03Here's Conrad Mews in this RAM qualifying race.
17:06He's a little bit offline there,
17:08but he keeps it on track just about,
17:10unlike Vial in the MX2 race.
17:12Yeah, much cleaner, but a similar dynamic,
17:15kind of crossed back the wrong way there.
17:18I like the way Mews looks here.
17:20This is a guy that, honestly, most of the time,
17:23he's his own worst enemy.
17:24Mentally, he just cannot harness his best stuff
17:27and bring his A game.
17:28And if he can, it bodes well for Team GB.
17:31Fabio De Santos in yellow for Brazil on the 48.
17:34He is helping Brazil at the moment
17:35to qualify in 12th place on 20 points,
17:39because they can get rid of the 22
17:41from their first rider earlier on in the day.
17:45Bonacossi with shades of Ken Dedeiker here.
17:47Just a huge body type running number nine,
17:49running around out there.
17:50Different color motorcycle, of course,
17:52but that's what it reminds me of.
17:55There's Mews looking to find his way past the number nine,
17:58the Italian on that Yamaha.
18:01These two are going to be fighting,
18:02well, these three are going to be fighting
18:03over fourth position at the moment.
18:05Good job, this, from Fabio De Santos.
18:08Bonacossi, though, itching to find his way past.
18:10He knows he's being closed down.
18:11There is Bonacossi's teammate,
18:13Albi Ferrata on the 3.
18:15He's got three normally,
18:17but riding number seven this weekend for Team Italy.
18:20Mews just losing ground a little bit to these two
18:23towards the end of that lap.
18:24Bonacossi, impatient again,
18:26goes chasing the dirt around the outside.
18:28Not once, but twice.
18:31That's a breakout performance for De Santos here.
18:34Absolutely it is.
18:38Now, you know the names of Enzo Lopes, right?
18:41Racing Monster at the Supercross.
18:43Member of, well, he's heard all year,
18:45but would have been a member of Monster Energy
18:47Yamaha Star Racing.
18:48But De Santos is not a household name.
18:51To be running around in front of the likes of the riders
18:54he's beating is a really nice performance from him.
18:57Yeah, he's done a few nations as De Santos.
19:01And obviously from his side, you know,
19:03like anything just to get the home nation,
19:06his home nation, into the main event.
19:09And he's obviously doing that at the moment.
19:12He's got a couple of tasty riders behind him
19:15De Santos with his seventh appearance.
19:17Didn't qualify on the first four in 2015, 17, 18, and 19.
19:21But Brazil did qualify in Redbird in 2018.
19:25They got 16th there and 16th in France a year ago.
19:29So from that side of things,
19:32he's used to sort of, you know,
19:34helping his team out of a tricky situation, if you like.
19:41Lawrence, two and a half seconds clear
19:42at the head of the field.
19:43Fernandez second for Spain.
19:45Renault third.
19:46Ride of the day so far though, has to be Fabio De Santos.
19:50The rider for Brazil.
19:51He's still hanging on to fourth place.
19:53Even if Bonacorzi and Mews go by,
19:56he's only gonna lose a couple of points.
19:58That'll drop him down to 24, the same as Denmark.
20:02And Mews getting around the outside of Bonacorzi.
20:05He knows he's there.
20:05Three riders, three different routes.
20:08And Bonacorzi, the beneficiary.
20:10He moves by, he moves up into fourth place.
20:13And Mews goes through into fifth as well.
20:15Yeah, it's funny.
20:17You saw Mews push forward and it changed the entire dynamic.
20:20Bonacorzi couldn't make a move, couldn't make a move.
20:22Mews comes up and pushes one time.
20:24Gets in there and boom, both of them go by immediately.
20:26And it's just funny, the mental aspects.
20:28It's like the dam broke for De Santos
20:30and they immediately go by.
20:32Aaron Plessinger, he's two and a half seconds
20:34behind De Santos.
20:36So the US could do with a point there
20:38in seventh at the moment.
20:39And Mews looking to find his way past
20:41Bonacorzi.
20:43The British fans on their feet all around this racetrack
20:46for their home rider at this Home Nations.
20:50Mews on the Honda, number 30,
20:52just getting a little bit of traction there.
20:58Nicely on the gas early.
21:00And you see him crisscrossing, right?
21:01All he's trying to do is stay out of that roost
21:03of Bonacorzi in front of him.
21:04He goes from inside to outside.
21:06Wherever Bonacorzi is not, that's where you'll find Mews.
21:09But also trying to open up the racetrack,
21:10just trying to find a way.
21:12Rule number one is, obviously,
21:14to find a way past the rider ahead.
21:15You're not going to do that
21:16if you're wheel to wheel the whole time.
21:18Looking for the momentum, looking for anything
21:20because he can go wide.
21:21There can be a little mistake here and there
21:23from the rider ahead of him.
21:24That will give you a little bit more drive and traction
21:26maybe just to execute the pass.
21:28But it doesn't look like he's playing
21:30the patient waiting game, does it?
21:32No, he's up in fifth.
21:33You know, it'll be fourth.
21:34I don't know that he's going to make up
21:3511 seconds up to Renault,
21:37but this would at least give him a clear racetrack.
21:39And also, he probably sees Plessinger
21:42lingering back there as well.
21:43So he's going to want to clear himself of that.
21:44And actually, they're tied on points
21:46with Germany at the moment.
21:47Germany on nine, GB on nine.
21:50Which race do you throw?
21:52And how do you finalize the...
21:55Well, they've given him ten points to start with,
21:57so they'll just leapfrog anyway.
21:59So they'll move up to fourth place.
22:02And he goes around the outside of Bonacorzi,
22:04top of the racetrack,
22:06and he carves his way past the Italian.
22:08He moves up into fourth place.
22:12Yeah, just looking at the overall score,
22:13you know, this is such an interesting format.
22:15And for Spain, right, they're going to come out of this,
22:17they have a great chance at qualifying first on Saturday.
22:21The question will be, just as it was last year,
22:23can Aurelio Oliveira deliver on Sunday?
22:26Ruben Fernandez had a horrible Sunday a year ago,
22:29but you see the form he's capable of.
22:31That third rider, that fifth score,
22:33is what will really come down to.
22:35Plessinger has found his way past the 48.
22:38He moves up into sixth.
22:40He's going after Bonacorzi.
22:41Koldunov finds his way past the Brazilian now.
22:43They've got room in their pocket, though,
22:45have the Brazilians.
22:46They should qualify with this performance
22:48from Fabio de Santos.
22:51Just behind de Santos,
22:52you've got Cornelius Tondell of Norway.
22:55He's about to hit the line any moment now.
22:56In ninth place for the Norwegians,
22:58they are looking at 11th place as it stands right now
23:03in the qualifying, when you drop your worst result.
23:07And for Norway, that will be their MX2 rider.
23:15I think it's really important here for the mental game
23:18for AP to stay in front of Koldunov.
23:21In the end, will it really change a whole lot?
23:23Probably not.
23:24You know, as far as on paper, what is the actual effect?
23:27But I just think for confidence and for AP going in and say,
23:30yeah, okay, well, another one's supposed to be in this thing.
23:32When I was able to hold him off for 25 minutes, no problem.
23:35Like these little things, you're trying to build confidence
23:38and it's the last thoughts you have going to sleep
23:40on Saturday night before you wake up on Sunday is,
23:43are you confident?
23:44Do you feel like you can truly go out and do it?
23:46You know, a rider like Cooper Webb, for example,
23:48in the MX2, like he's gonna have to ask himself
23:50some hard questions.
23:51Can I find speed?
23:52Can I find two seconds a lap going into Sunday?
23:55Those little things, AP still has a chance to answer here.
23:58Just looking at the ever-changing conditions,
24:01the sun getting lower and lower as we reach what?
24:05444 local time here in the UK.
24:09This race will fall at a similar time,
24:11the final race tomorrow.
24:13And if we have bright conditions like this,
24:16these are the kind of conditions
24:17the riders are gonna be facing.
24:19So from that side, rain or no rain,
24:22you want cloud cover at this time of the day
24:25just to give you all round perfect visibility.
24:27Yeah, and you know, part of it,
24:28this track got so much moisture a week ago
24:32that there's not much margin.
24:33If we get rain, it's immediately going to get
24:35softer and softer and softer.
24:37So it's gonna be a very, very tricky Sunday.
24:40And I think the conditions are gonna change several times
24:42throughout the three races.
24:43Federica Cezzi there, the mechanic of Ruben Fernandez.
24:48I think she's the only female mechanic in the paddock.
24:51And she's there right at the high end for Team HRC.
24:54She's worked her way through the ranks.
24:56And Fernandez there in second position.
24:59And look, she does turn a few heads
25:01when you don't see that.
25:02And you know, for the first time you see it,
25:03you think, did she just ride in the bike
25:05down to the weight and stuff?
25:06No, she throws spanners, she does everything.
25:08You gave me 10 chances I wouldn't be able
25:10to pronounce the name you said.
25:11So she's doing a fantastic, I did not even know
25:14that he had a female mechanic.
25:15I thought that was a great step forward.
25:16And I mean, she has to be enjoying this right there.
25:18They're running a pretty uncontested second place so far.
25:21And honestly, kept Jett right in their sights.
25:24Yeah, she was at SM Action Yamaha for a few years
25:26when Ruben was in EMX 250 as well.
25:30And then obviously, not sure at what point
25:32she ended up at HRC, whether they went at the same time.
25:34But she's been there for a few years now.
25:37And when Ruben was injured, she was even working
25:40very, very closely with Tim Geisser as well.
25:42So yeah, great to see that.
25:44Yeah, that's the whole thing is changing
25:47what people think is possible, right?
25:49The expectation and yeah, it's a great first for her.
25:54Dylan Wright is 13th for Canada.
25:56Harry Kulas of Estonia is in 14th.
25:59Gio of Switzerland is in 15th.
26:00Teresak is next, 16th, and Kratsov,
26:03Kerr, Vidsant and Perdon.
26:05Natski, up to 25th place.
26:08New Zealand on 32, one point behind Estonia
26:13as it stands right now.
26:14And Harry Kulas is in 14th.
26:16He's a second behind Dylan Wright.
26:18He's about a second ahead of Valentin Gio.
26:21And Josiah Natski, though, is nearly three seconds
26:24behind Jason Mirra of Ireland.
26:26Ireland are going to the B-final on 44 points
26:28as it stands right now.
26:30They will not be using or utilizing this score,
26:33which is the same as Cole McCullough,
26:34who was 24th in the MX2 category.
26:37So again, some nervy moments
26:39for some of the B-final regulars.
26:45Coming into land, AP, Aaron Plessinger,
26:49going after his court, Andrea Bonacorzi.
26:51And actually, Plessinger looks a lot more relaxed
26:53this time around, more so than he did in Erne.
26:56I don't know if that's because it's his second Nations
26:58in Europe.
26:59Older and wiser knows exactly what to expect.
27:01He said at the press conference he feels fresher
27:03than he did this time a year ago,
27:05having done for the first time 31 races in a season.
27:08But at the same time, different kind of dirt.
27:10Erne, like Saint-Jean, a lot more rocky.
27:13Yeah, and it's lack of traction, too.
27:15It's so slippery, so many off-cambers.
27:17We saw riders crashing last year out of nowhere.
27:20RJ Hampshire in the first lap.
27:22That's, I think, what really caught him out,
27:23is just trying to figure out how to ride this racetrack.
27:26Not only, you know, to your best ability,
27:28but also against riders who know their track well,
27:30some of the best riders in the world.
27:32So it's a really tough ask.
27:34But I think if you had to choose between the two,
27:36they would prefer these ruddy, tricky conditions
27:39versus the low-traction environment we had a year ago.
27:41Well, you put the flag out now.
27:42USA qualify in eighth place on 13 points,
27:45with a seventh from their first
27:47and a sixth from this last race.
27:49A little bit of back-market issue there.
27:52That's the normal Saturday environment here, right?
27:55A rider like that wouldn't be in the A-final tomorrow.
27:58But, yeah, heads-up move.
28:00But he probably thought he would be gone
28:02by the time he got here.
28:03The rider was trying to get out of the way, to be fair.
28:05It's just, yeah, that's what happens.
28:06Yeah, Kowalski, Poland.
28:09So he's got his eyes set on Bonacorsi.
28:12If he can find his way into fifth,
28:13that'll give him five points as opposed to six.
28:17That will give them 12 points, I guess.
28:25But it won't change their position, will it?
28:27They'll still go to the line eight, as it stands right now.
28:30Yeah, and I would expect all three of these guys
28:32to push to the end.
28:33AP's going to try to get around Koldnoff.
28:35Koldnoff was going to close some time there,
28:37going up the inside.
28:38So it'll be interesting to see how that three-way battle
28:40plays out in the last few laps.
28:44Too close.
28:46Too close to call.
28:47When you see that pull up and awkward movement from Reneau,
28:50that's an uncomfortable moment for Reneau.
28:54When you can see the circuit just getting closer,
28:57the part of the circuit that shouldn't be getting closer.
28:59And when we see a rider of this guy's caliber,
29:01former MX2 world champion, look like a novice in the air,
29:04that's because he's doing everything possible
29:05to get the motorcycle back to the right.
29:10Conrad Mews, fourth place.
29:12Doesn't need to keep on pushing.
29:14He's 13 seconds behind Maxim Reneau.
29:18He's five seconds clear of Andrea Bonacorsi.
29:21Good stellar ride for Conrad Mews, Great Britain.
29:26And they will be good enough for fourth gate pick on eight
29:30points.
29:30So the MXGP race, 15th of Tommy Searle in race one,
29:35will be ditched in favor of a fourth from Max Anstey
29:38and a fourth here from Conrad Mews
29:39to give them their eight points.
29:41I think Mews has to be happy with this fourth place.
29:43Yes.
29:44Well, it's kind of settles the nerves, doesn't it,
29:47when you get a race result like this?
29:50It's just it's more, and I believe it's confirmation.
29:52You know, like, OK, I can do this.
29:54No problem.
29:54Need to get the start.
29:55But the riding part of this equation, I have figured out.
30:02Just very patient, top of the hill.
30:04Look at the ruts there.
30:05Look at the shadowing.
30:05Look at everything else.
30:06You know the bumps.
30:07It is so technical, so tricky, challenging.
30:10Low visibility because of the setting sun.
30:14This is good situational preparation for them tomorrow,
30:19right?
30:19They're going to be racing in this same environment.
30:22Assuming the sun is out, that may be wishful thinking.
30:25But this will help them for tomorrow be more prepared.
30:28Can they think about running a different goggle lens?
30:29Are there things that they can do
30:31to help them in these, you know, see all those shadows,
30:33that transitional area?
30:36Waved yellows on one of the downhills there,
30:37probably in the right hander at the bottom of the hill,
30:39bottom of the valley.
30:40Looks like that's been cleared.
30:41But just saw the 18 of Gio there, I think it was.
30:49Here's Koldenhoff.
30:50Made the pass on AP.
30:53So that came out of nowhere.
30:54Koldenhoff was closing, wasn't he?
30:56But you saw AP go outside there.
30:59That was a problem.
31:00I don't think he meant to go out there.
31:01I knew Koldenhoff would close.
31:02I didn't think he would already have made the move.
31:04You see it.
31:05Koldenhoff made able to double there.
31:07Yeah, he pulled up short.
31:08And then all of a sudden, Blesinger just
31:10gains that ground again.
31:11So Koldenhoff now up in 2.6.
31:13Doesn't jump again.
31:14Something's going on with Koldenhoff.
31:15Yeah, so what's the issue there with De Hoff?
31:19See if he doesn't jump this.
31:20Yeah, he's not going to jump.
31:21Yeah, something's up here.
31:23Some sort of mechanical something is happening.
31:25Has he got a flat tire, maybe?
31:26Flat tire, maybe, on the rear.
31:27Would he not be running a boost, though?
31:29Normally, he would.
31:30I would imagine.
31:31Is he going to jump the finish line, jump even behind AP?
31:34We don't know.
31:34Because we followed AP over the finish line.
31:38Koldenhoff, he goes down to seventh position then.
31:41And he's in cruise mode.
31:42He's just got two laps to go.
31:43Can he ride around, whatever issue it is?
31:46Something's going on.
31:47Broken wheel.
31:47No, it's not a tire.
31:49Something's happening.
31:50No, back brake, maybe.
31:53He's trying to use it.
31:54But I don't think he's got a rear brake.
31:56I don't know.
31:57Let's see now.
31:58Yeah, there you see him pumping it there.
32:00I saw him stab it several times.
32:01Yeah, that's a rear brake.
32:03So it's either a broken line, maybe a rock,
32:06or a collision with another rider.
32:07He could have released it as well, too.
32:09Boil that fluid a bit.
32:11Which a lot of times, if you boil the fluid,
32:13the rear brake will go away.
32:14And you try to pump it several times to bring it back.
32:17But in any case, he's just going to bring this thing home.
32:20They'll still qualify sixth.
32:22No big loss there.
32:24They weren't going to use the score anyway.
32:26That's the silver lining for the Netherlands.
32:30Yeah, because of their results in the first and second races.
32:36So the Netherlands with 10 points at the moment.
32:405-5 with Geoffrey and Kai De Wolff.
32:44Geoffrey Hurlington, Kai De Wolff, of course.
32:46But almost eight seconds clear.
32:48And Jet Lawrence looks like he's in cruise mode at the moment.
32:50He got there, created the gap.
32:52Fernandez kept him honest for a few laps.
32:56Kept the gap to a respectable two seconds or thereabouts.
32:59But either Jet's just been consistently in that 2.05.
33:03But Fernandez, last time around, was a 2.07.
33:05He's going to hit the finish line this time around
33:08with a 2.08.
33:10So that's where the situation has changed
33:13in favor of Jet Lawrence.
33:15Fernandez just backing it off, rather than
33:17Lawrence feeling like he's had to up his game
33:19in the second half of the race.
33:21It's going to be really interesting to see.
33:23And there will be many other people involved.
33:25But Jet Lawrence and Jorge Prado tomorrow,
33:28because their styles are very, very different.
33:30Have a yellow flag there.
33:31Yeah, was that Tondell just tipping over there?
33:33Either way, cold enough.
33:34And now down to 11th place, 12th place, as Nagel goes through.
33:38So it is the final lap.
33:41These two guys' styles are very different.
33:43Prado's going to try to disappear at the front.
33:45And Jet likes to be really patient, right?
33:47Jet's a little bit like Iceman from Top Gun.
33:50Wears you down, gets you bored, you do something stupid,
33:53and he's got you.
33:53Prado may be gone by the time Jet picks up the pace
33:57and starts to attack.
33:58So that's something he's going to have to be really mindful of.
34:00He's got to always be thinking, where's Prado?
34:02Is Prado pulling away?
34:03So two different styles.
34:05Which one will win out?
34:06That's what we're here for.
34:06That's what makes the Motocross of Nations so great.
34:09We're going to find out.
34:10What makes those two riders so great,
34:11though, is that they probably don't think, where's Prado?
34:14Where's Jet Lawrence?
34:15You know, like maybe everybody else does.
34:17I think they just are so focused on what they do
34:19and what they do well, that if that means getting starts
34:23and getting whole shots and the rest taking care of itself,
34:25then that's how they live in their little bubble.
34:27And I just wonder, though, for Jet,
34:29he hasn't faced anybody with that sprint and gone
34:32capability that Prado has in quite a while.
34:34It's a different strategy.
34:35It's not something he's had to really contend with in the US.
34:38So maybe it's not a factor tomorrow.
34:40It's just something different for Jet to have to figure out.
34:43But Jet is the master of racecraft
34:45and figuring things out.
34:47Well, we were watching Ruben Fernandez
34:49on the right-hand side for Spain as he continues to circulate.
34:5216 seconds clear of Maxime Renault.
34:55But uphill for the final time, Jet Lawrence.
34:57Team Australia, he is going to come away
34:59with the open-class win.
35:02It was a fourth in race one for Hunter Lawrence.
35:04It's a win in race three for Jet Lawrence.
35:08They come home with a five-point haul
35:11and third-place gate pick heading into the main races
35:15on Sunday at this Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations.
35:19Kanta in the end for Jet.
35:23Fernandez will cross the line second, six seconds further back.
35:25We wait for Renault to come through.
35:27He's about 16 seconds adrift of the Spaniard.
35:30But what a fantastic ride for Conrad Mews to come home in fourth.
35:39Good to see these two having a good old chat,
35:41having a bit of a laugh as well.
35:42Maybe talking about the light and saying,
35:44maybe the last lap was the best one that they could see everything.
35:46You know, they were talking about the track
35:48and how difficult it was somewhere in there as well.
35:50Deep ruts, technical.
35:52The light wasn't great.
35:53Maxime Renault, third.
35:56And Bonacorsi crosses the line in fifth behind Conrad Mews.
36:00He'll be pleased with that, so too will Mark Chamberlain.
36:02The last time they came here, they were third overall with Anstey,
36:06I think it was Wilson and Tommy.
36:08Not so bad.
36:09I think they would take that tomorrow.
36:10They would take that tomorrow.
36:12And at the moment they are dreaming as are Spain, France, Australia,
36:17Germany just behind GB.
36:193, 4, 5, 8, 9.
36:22Spain, France, Australia, Britain and Germany
36:26with their points scored today.
36:31But Spain will go to the line on pole.
36:34Australia will go to the line third.
36:37Two solid rides, a 4-1 in the end
36:40because they didn't count the score from Kyle Webster.
36:46But I think everybody inside the sort of top five or six positions generally,
36:50maybe even the top 10,
36:51where you go down to Italy, just behind the USA,
36:54anywhere inside the top 10 is a decent gate pick, isn't it?
36:57And Germany going from 36th to fifth
36:59when you think about where they were with the ballot.
37:01Now the question is, who do you put where?
37:03Do you put your MX2 guy inside?
37:05That's where it all gets interesting from here.
37:07Well, Spain may have got pole position,
37:10but Australia coming away with a race win in the final race
37:13with Jet Lawrence and here he is with Lisa.
37:19Jet Lawrence, great race for you.
37:21Patient first stage of that race.
37:23Nice move on Fernandez for the race win.
37:25Team Australia now qualify in third.
37:27Good day for you guys.
37:28Yeah, not bad.
37:29On the start, my whole shot button came on done at the bottom,
37:32so I kind of messed up my start a bit.
37:34But yeah, following Fernandez for the first, what was it,
37:37ten minutes, five minutes, I would say.
37:39So it was good.
37:41Got a little bit of a battle the first lap going back and forth.
37:44But no, it was fun.
37:44The track's pretty tricky.
37:46You definitely can't override it.
37:48So it's fun just to kind of hop around,
37:50bounce around like a kangaroo, you could say.
37:51And, yeah, we got the win, so nice P3, same as last year.
37:55Let's hope we just get some better starts for tomorrow.
37:58Good luck for tomorrow. Thanks, Jet.
38:02Couple of HRC boys, one and two.
38:04Jet Lawrence for Australia, Ruben Fernandez for Spain.
38:08But it was Jet Lawrence, six seconds clear of the Spaniard
38:12as he takes the win here in the final race of the day.
38:15And he helps Australia to third gate pick.
38:17We'll see the race results and the final classification,
38:21who is going where, who is going to the B final and all the rest of it.
38:25But, wow, and if it rains tonight or any time tomorrow,
38:30that is also a game changer, isn't it?
38:31Don't even say it, Paul. Don't even say it.
38:34I've heard that it's changing.
38:35I've heard that it's changing for the better.
38:37I'll take it. I will take it.
38:39I thought it was interesting, though, Jet mentioning the start button
38:41because he has been so perfect on his starts.
38:43I was wondering what happened and he gave us some insight there.
38:46So Jet Lawrence wins then for Australia.
38:48Fernandez second, Renault third.
38:50Mews, Bonacorsi, Plessinger seven, Tonedale eight.
38:53Panza just behind him in that eighth place, sorry.
38:56And then ninth place for Iago Kiertz.
38:58That was okay for Iago, but a minute down on the winner, Jet Lawrence.
39:03Fabio De Santos, what a ride he had to bring it home for Brazil in tenth.
39:07And they will go direct in 16th place.
39:10Nagel, Guillaume, Wright, Kulas, Teresat and Kratzer.
39:14And maybe we'll see the final page as well here.
39:16Okorovic, Zanzibar and Repchak.
39:18Jason Mirra, Rodriguez, A-Rod, Palo Verde and then Koldunov
39:23with that rear brake problem, we suspect,
39:25looking at the way that he was pumping.
39:32Let's take a look at the final classification then.
39:34Spain will go to the line on pole position with three points,
39:37the lowest score.
39:39France, the defending champions, go to the line second
39:41ahead of Australia, who was second last year.
39:44Great Britain, Germany, who were fourth last year.
39:46Then the Netherlands, Slovenia and Belgium.
39:51They are all safely through.
39:52USA go to the gate in ninth place, tied with Italy,
39:55but the results going their way.
39:57Norway, Switzerland, Denmark, Republic of South Africa,
40:00Czech Republic and Brazil.
40:02Great ride for Fabio Santos, De Santos.
40:05Canada, Australia, Estonia, the final group through.
40:08Then Japan, you see, look how tight it was.
40:1131, 31, 32.
40:13New Zealand on the cusp.
40:14They're going to have to have that extra race tomorrow
40:17along with Japan, Sweden, Latvia, Finland
40:19and everybody else there.
40:2036 nations, Ireland, Slovakia, Venezuela, Chile, Portugal.
40:25Most surprising, most surprising countries on the outside.
40:27Look, and I'll say Latvia is the most surprising.
40:30Yeah.
40:31I think Raceless had an issue, didn't he?
40:33Yeah.
40:35So, yeah, it's going to be an interesting day, isn't it?
40:38We'll be back tomorrow, 9.15, of course,
40:40for the 1.25 Blue Crew race to take a look
40:43at the highlights of that final RAM qualifying race of the day then.
40:48The open qualifying race, Jet Lawrence didn't get that good start
40:51because he said he had a problem with the start device,
40:53but it was Renault who got himself in there.
40:55Then he got nudged by Fernandez,
40:57but it was Fabio De Santos who ran the outside.
40:59And look at Jet Lawrence here, outside, inside
41:04and then back to the outside at the bottom of the hill
41:06and quickly got himself up into third
41:10as the lead changed on the opening lap.
41:13Fernandez going past the Brazilian,
41:16then Lawrence moving through into second.
41:23Renault finding his way past De Santos as well.
41:26That put him up into third place.
41:29But then the pass came,
41:33and it was a cool one as well, wasn't it?
41:34Out of that long drag up the hill towards the finish line,
41:37we had a new leader.
41:39Then the floodgates opened.
41:40De Santos found himself going down to 10th place,
41:44which is still a very respectable finish for the Brazilian.
41:47Mews got the better of Bonacorsi as he moved up into fourth.
41:53That's where he would stay for GB.
41:55But out of the final couple of corners,
41:57Jet Lawrence, a comfortable win by more than six seconds
42:01for Australia over Spain, France, Great Britain and Italy.
42:06And it was a black plate and a RAM award for Jet Lawrence,
42:11who go to the line third on Sunday in the main races.
42:27Let the party begin for now.
42:28Right, we are going to be back tomorrow morning live on MXGP TV.
42:33The first race of the day will be for the YZ Blue Crew 125 Super Cup finale.
42:37And then after that, 10.50, the B-final.
42:41Be sure to join me, Paul Malin and Jason Thomas
42:45for that race of craziness.
42:48We're back on MXGP TV first thing tomorrow morning.
42:50We'll see you then. Thanks for watching. Bye for now.