The Honda Grand Prix of Brazil is ready to start at the beautiful facilities of Beto Carrero, the biggest amusement park in Latin America. It will be the fourth year in a row that the FIM Motocross World Championship visits Brazil, but it will be the first time that the venue Beto Carrero hosts the Championship.
It was only last year during a National race that Beto Carrero hosted a motocross race, but there is no doubt that it will be at the FIM Motocross World Championship level. The first reactions of the teams, international media and everybody who has already visited the track have been very positive, so the scenario seems perfect to host the fifth Grand Prix of the FIM Motocross World Championship.
MX1
The clear dominant of the MX1 class is Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Cairoli, who is already leading the series with 29 points advantage over second classified Desalle. The Italian obtained his 45 GP win last weekend in Mexico and he is determined to add one more victory to his records on Sunday.
Rockstar Energy Suzuki World’s Desalle has not been able to be at the top of the podium this season, but he has proved that he has the speed and the rhythm to fight for it. Last year he was on the third step of the podium, but Desalle will give his best to go 1-1 this weekend in Brazil.
Kawasaki Racing Team’s Paulin was third last year in the MX2 Grand Prix of Brazil and he has flown from Mexico willing to obtain another GP victory this weekend. The French rider did not have a good weekend in Guadalajara because after the fourth position in the first race, his Kawasaki failed right before the start of the second heat. Paulin is still third in the point standings.
The fourth place in the MX1 championship is for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s De Dycker, who missed the podium last weekend being tight in points with Philippaerts. The Belgian is doing an excellent job since the beginning of the season and in Mexico he managed to finish third in the first moto, so De Dycker is looking forward to hand KTM his first podium of the season with the Austrian team.
CP377 Monster Energy Kawasaki Pro Circuit’s Christophe Pourcel is completing the top five of the point standings, but he is just two points behind De Dycker and five behind Paulin. Pourcel was also touched by bad luck in Mexico after having some green fence stuck in his back wheel at the end of the first race, but he is for sure one of the riders to take into account for the overall victory this weekend.
Philippaerts, winner of the 2011 GP of Brazil in Indaiatuba, is looking forward to racing this weekend in Beto Carrero and try to be on the podium once again. The Italian, as well as his compatriot Cairoli, admitted in Mexico that coming to Brazil is always a pleasure and Philippaerts even described it as his second home Grand Prix.
Frossard has travelled to Brazil after not being able to take part in the second race of the Mexican Grand Prix due to the heavy pain on his right knee. The French will do his best to take part in the Brazilian GP, but it will all depend on his just operated knee.
Balbi is one of the favourite Brazilian riders to be fighting among the best MX1 motocross riders, but Wellington Garcia is again fully fit to fight for the top ten positions. In fact, last weekend, Garcia won the first National race after the serious accident he suffered last year in Bulgaria.
2011 MX1 Podium in Indaiatuba
1. David Philippaerts
2. Antonio Cairoli
3. Clement Desalle
2011 MX1 POLEMAN: David Philippaerts
All the Grand Prix Photos available here
MX2
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Herlings keeps on adding GP victories under his records, and so far he has dominated six out of the eight heats disputed so far in the 2012 season. The Dutch rider will take part in Brazil being the red plate holder with 40 points advantage over his teammate Van Horebeek, who is second in the point standings.
Van Horebeek succeeded in being on the third step of the podium in Mexico last weekend and he managed to keep the second position in the point standings. The Belgian admitted that both Herlings and Searle are really fast, but he will do his best to keep on fighting for the top three positions of the championship.
Just one point behind Van Horebeek is Team Floride Monster Energy Kawasaki Pro Circuit’s Searle, who is looking forward to repeating the victory he obtained in Bulgaria. Searle admitted that he is feeling really good and his Kawasaki is better than ever, so he might be able to leave Brazil being second in the MX2 point standings.
His teammate Roelants is fourth in the MX2 championship and last weekend he actually proved that he is fully fit again from the big crash he suffered in the first heat in Fermo. Roelants was on the podium in the first two Grand Prix of the season, so Brazil might be the comeback of the Belgian on the rostrum.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tixier is completing the top five of the point standings of the MX2 class. The French rider is just two points ahead Anstie, so he really needs to make a good performance this weekend to keep the position in the championship.
Assunçao, Vilardi and Lima, who are really equal in the National championship, are the Brazilian riders to look at in the MX2 class.
2011 MX2 Podium in Indaiatuba
1. Jeffrey Herlings
2. Ken Roczen
3. Gautier Paulin
2011 MX1 POLEMAN: Ken Roczen
All the Grand Prix Photos available here
TIMETABLE
Saturday: MX2 Free Practice 9:30; MX1 Free Practice 10:15; MX2 Pre-Qualifying Practice 13:15; MX1-Pre Qualifying Practice 14:00; MX2 Qualifying Race 16:10; MX1 Qualifying Race 17:00.
Sunday: MX2 Warm up 9:00; MX1 Warm up 9:30; MX2 Grand Prix Race 1 12:10; MX1 Grand Prix Race 1 13:10; MX2 Grand Prix Race 2 15:03; MX1 Grand Prix race 2 16:03.
LINKS
Youthstream
FIM
Grand Prix of Brazil
