The FIM World Championship ended its current stop in the UK with Red Bull KTM’s Tony Cairoli scoring his second Grand Prix win of the season at Matterley Basin while Tom Vialle capped his run at third place to secure his first podium win in his second championship appearance. Right after the series opener in Argentina, the season forwarded with its first European round in the UK. Cairoli was unable to participate in his first Qualification Heat win on Saturday due to a mistake on the last lap of the race. This marks the third consecutive win for the nine-times world champion this season.
“It was a great weekend and for sure this track is one of my favourites. I had difficulty to push from the beginning because of a problem during the week and I was stiff. It meant I got arm-pump after three-four laps. I had to be careful because on this track if you are tight then you’ll crash because it is tricky and there are a lot of strange ruts and kickers. I was cautious and in the end, it paid off. Hopefully, I can be better for next week in the sand. For the championship, everything is going well and that’s my goal,” said Cairoli. Tom Vialle made impressive progress with his run in his Grand Prix rookie season. The 18-year-old had a good start but was faced with a rough and slick surface which paved way for the eventual winner Thomas Kjer Olsen (Husqvarna) and runner up Henry Jacobi (Kawasaki).
“It was a really good weekend: I had ridden well during the week and it fed into the practice sessions and both motos. I’m really happy with my starts because being at the front helps me find my rhythm: it is so important. I think a very good winter has helped with my transition from EMX to MX2. My feeling on the bike is another positive thing. Today has been a big step for me,” said Vialle. The MXGP will be making its next pit stop at Valkenswaard for the Grand Prix of Netherlands next weekend.
View Comments