Kit Palmer | February 26, 2017
2017 Qatar MXGP Results – Red Bull KTM’s Antonio Cairoli and Pauls Jonass struck first in the opening round of the 2017 FIM Motocross World Championship at Losail, Qatar, February 25. Cairoli, in his 14th year on the GP circuit, showed no signs of slowing down after winning both motos in the MXGP (450) class, while Jonass did the same in the MX2 class, nabbing his first GP victory of his career.
2017 Qatar MXGP Results
Cairoli led from start to finish in the first MXGP moto but had to work a little harder in the second moto, having to pass one former World champ—Romain Febvre—and the current champ—Tim Gajser—along the way.
For the first time in two years, Cairoli holds the championship points lead going into round two.
Gajser, on the Team HRC Honda, nabbed second overall with 3-2 results, and Clement Desalle (Kawasaki) finished out the night on the podium in third with a 2-4.
Evgeny Bobryshev (4-7, Honda) and Febvre (10-3, Yamaha) rounded out the top five overall.
Red Bull KTM’s Jeffery Herlings made his debut in the MXGP class but was nursing an injury that he suffered in pre-season racing in Italy. He suffered a broken bone in his wrist but still gutted it out in the MXGP opener to place 15th overall.
2017 Qatar MXGP Results
Jonass had to fight back Benoit Paturel (Yamaha) in both MX2 motos before he could claim victory. He successfully defended a late-race attack by Paturel in the first moto and had to do the same all moto long in the second race. The KTM rider finished less than two seconds ahead of the Yamaha pilot in both motos.
Belgium’s Julien Lieber (KTM) was impressive. He finished third in both motos and was always lurking not far behind the leaders.
Fourth overall went to Denmark’s Kjer Olsen (Husqvarna) and fifth overall went to Michele Cervelin (Honda).
American Thomas Covington (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) showed good speed in Qatar. He finished eighth in the first moto and nabbed the holeshot in the second. He drifted back to fifth where he stayed for quite some time before dropping out with a mechanical problem.
Another American, Darian Sanayei (Kawasaki) went 10-12 for ninth overall. CN
2017 Qatar MXGP Results
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
2017 Qatar MXGP Results
2017 FIM Motocross World Championship
Losail, Qatar
RESULTS: February 25, 2017
MXGP
MXGP Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 35:02.202; 2. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:08.904; 3. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:12.554; 4. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:22.042; 5. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:23.434; 6. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Husqvarna), +0:26.076; 7. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), +0:29.380; 8. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Husqvarna), +0:33.072; 9. Jordi Tixier (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:34.933; 10. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +0:39.219
MXGP Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 35:00.353; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:04.918; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, Yamaha), +0:23.375; 4. Clement Desalle (BEL, Kawasaki), +0:25.782; 5. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Husqvarna), +0:30.096; 6. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Yamaha), +0:31.689; 7. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, Honda), +0:33.559; 8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), +0:47.517; 9. Jordi Tixier (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:49.816; 10. Max Anstie (GBR, Husqvarna), +0:57.389
MXGP Overall: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 50 points; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 42 p.; 3. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 40 p.; 4. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, HON), 32 p.; 5. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 31 p.; 6. Gautier Paulin (FRA, HUS), 31 p.; 7. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 31 p.; 8. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KAW), 24 p.; 9. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 19 p.; 10. Max Anstie (GBR, HUS), 19 p.
MXGP Manufacturer: 1. KTM, 50 points; 2. Honda, 42 p.; 3. Kawasaki, 40 p.; 4. Yamaha, 36 p.; 5. Husqvarna, 31 p.; 6. Suzuki, 19 p.
MX2
MX2 Race 1 Top Ten: 1. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 35:24.348; 2. Benoit Paturel (FRA, Yamaha), +0:01.759; 3. Julien Lieber (BEL, KTM), +0:20.039; 4. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:23.565; 5. Samuele Bernardini (ITA, TM), +0:32.017; 6. Michele Cervellin (ITA, Honda), +0:37.177; 7. Jorge Prado Garcia (ESP, KTM), +0:45.685; 8. Thomas Covington (USA, Husqvarna), +0:47.621; 9. Vsevolod Brylyakov (RUS, Kawasaki), +0:51.025; 10. Darian Sanayei (USA, Kawasaki), +0:52.396.
MX2 Race 2 Top Ten: 1. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 35:32.077; 2. Benoit Paturel (FRA, Yamaha), +0:01.015; 3. Julien Lieber (BEL, KTM), +0:03.245; 4. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:07.884; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki), +0:12.395; 6. Hunter Lawrence (AUS, Suzuki), +0:19.322; 7. Brent Van doninck (BEL, Yamaha), +0:26.397; 8. Michele Cervellin (ITA, Honda), +0:33.930; 9. Vsevolod Brylyakov (RUS, Kawasaki), +0:34.083; 10. Alvin Östlund (SWE, Yamaha), +0:35.200.
MX2 Overall: 1. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 50 points; 2. Benoit Paturel (FRA, YAM), 44 p.; 3. Julien Lieber (BEL, KTM), 40 p.; 4. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 36 p.; 5. Michele Cervellin (ITA, HON), 28 p.; 6. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, SUZ), 25 p.; 7. Vsevolod Brylyakov (RUS, KAW), 24 p.; 8. Jorge Prado Garcia (ESP, KTM), 24 p.; 9. Darian Sanayei (USA, KAW), 20 p.; 10. Alvin Östlund (SWE, YAM), 19 p.
MX2 Manufacturer: 1. KTM, 50 points; 2. Yamaha, 44 p.; 3. Husqvarna, 36 p.; 4. Honda, 28 p.; 5. Suzuki, 25 p.; 6. Kawasaki, 24 p.; 7. TM, 16 p.
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