While the season is winding down with the penultimate round of the eighteen round series taking place today, Yamaha Factory Racing Yamalube’s Romain Febvre and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Pauls Jonass are still winding up as they both put in flawless performances to go pole here at the MXGP of Leon.
Yamaha Factory Racing Yamalube’s Romain Febvre unleashed the beast today when he pulled the holeshot and checked out to win his third qualifying race of the season. While the new champ authenticated his crown and gapped everyone, Team HRC’s duo of Gautier Paulin and Evgeny Bobryshev kept things interesting as they battled the wrath of Hitachi Construction Machinery Revo KTM’s Shaun Simpson for second. The trio went bar-to-bar for the majority of the race before Bobryshev pumped up and faded back to sixth.
Paulin managed to stabilize second while Simpson kept strong for third. Red Bull IceOne Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Max Nagl got off to a good start but was forced to hang back after his roll-off’s broke on the opening lap, nevertheless he managed to stay out of the line of roost and finished fourth ahead of Rockstar Energy Suzuki Europe’s Glenn Coldenhoff.
MXGP Qualifying Race Top Ten: 1. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), 24:54.626; 2. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Honda), +0:04.494; 3. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), +0:05.179; 4. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Husqvarna), +0:19.327; 5. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Suzuki), +0:22.708; 6. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:23.115; 7. Tyla Rattray (RSA, Kawasaki), +0:26.360; 8. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:33.268; 9. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), +1:00.147; 10. Dean Ferris (AUS, Husqvarna), +1:03.372.
With the MX2 title on the line, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Pauls Jonass has taken the mental advantage heading into race-day tomorrow after he busted out a massive holeshot and won his first ever qualifying race by a mile. Standing Construct Yamaha Yamalube’s Julien Lieber and Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Thomas Covington both seem to perform better outside of the European continent and both lived up to their solid off-shore reputations with their second and third place finishes. Meanwhile the red plate holder Honda Gariboldi’s Tim Gajser looked frustrated in fourth as he struggled to better the pace of Lieber and Covington.
With a good start being essential here on the sun baked soil of Leon, Monster Energy DRT Kawasaki’s Max Anstie bounced back from a mediocre start to take fifth on the final lap from Kemea Yamaha Yamalube’s Benoit Paturel. MX2 Qualifying Race Top Ten: 1. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 23:48.682; 2. Julien Lieber (BEL, Yamaha), +0:06.352; 3. Thomas Covington (USA, Kawasaki), +0:08.024; 4. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:11.129; 5. Max Anstie (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:26.055; 6. Benoit Paturel (FRA, Yamaha), +0:30.094; 7. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, KTM), +0:34.810; 8. Valentin Guillod (SUI, Yamaha), +0:47.232; 9. Brian Hsu (GER, Suzuki), +0:48.307; 10. Petar Petrov (BUL, Kawasaki), +0:53.293.