Antonio Cairoli clinched the MXGP Championship in Brazil. Photography by Ray Archer/KTM Images
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli played it safe and did what he had to do to clinch his eighth World title, his latest coming in the MXGP class in Brazil, September 7.
A fifth place in the first moto sealed the deal for the Italian. After the first moto, his 89-point lead in the championship was enough to clinch the title with just 75 points left to grab in the final three motos (including the second moto in Brazil).
Cairoli finished third in the second moto, giving him third overall for the day.
“When you are a kid you wish for such a thing but you never think you can do it,” he said. “It’s hard work but it gives you back many good things. I managed to finish on the podium in all but three races and that was good to achieve points for the season. This was a track that was nice for training but when you race here there’s a lot of big jumps and not many places where you can really ride your bike and make a difference. Now I will go to Mexico and it’s always my goal to win. Then the next big goal is the Motocross of Nations and I will try to be on the podium for the Italian team.”
Honda’s Max Nagl won the MXGP overall for the day after going 1-1.
Kawasaki rider Gautier Paulin was second overall with a 4-2.
Romain Febvre took the overall win in the MX2 class. Photography by CDS
In the MX2 division, Romain Febvre, of the Wilvo Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing Team, captured his very first GP victory after going 1-3 on day, topping Kawasaki’s Dylan Ferrandis, who went 2-2.
Tim Gajser of Slovakia put a Honda on the podium with third overall. After finishing seventh in the first moto, Gajser came back and grabbed the win in the second moto.
MXGP Race 1 top ten: 1. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Honda), 35:17.310; 2. Steven Frossard (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:10.116; 3. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), +0:14.667; 4. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:17.619; 5. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:22.261; 6. Dean Ferris (AUS, Husqvarna), +0:25.973; 7. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:52.568; 8. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), +0:56.271; 9. Rui Goncalves (POR, Yamaha), +1:00.048; 10. Milko Potisek (FRA, Yamaha), +1:04.374;
MXGP Race 2 top ten: 1. Maximilian Nagl (GER, Honda), 35:57.355; 2. Gautier Paulin (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:13.227; 3. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:29.125; 4. Tommy Searle (GBR, Kawasaki), +0:37.228; 5. Davide Guarneri (ITA, TM), +0:41.043; 6. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), +0:41.586; 7. Steven Frossard (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:56.529; 8. Milko Potisek (FRA, Yamaha), +0:59.244; 9. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, Suzuki), +1:01.221; 10. David Philippaerts (ITA, Yamaha), +1:09.221;
MXGP Overall top ten: 1. Maximilian Nagl (GER, HON), 50 points; 2. Gautier Paulin (FRA, KAW), 40 p.; 3. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 36 p.; 4. Steven Frossard (FRA, KAW), 36 p.; 5. Tommy Searle (GBR, KAW), 32 p.; 6. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, SUZ), 32 p.; 7. Davide Guarneri (ITA, TM), 25 p.; 8. Milko Potisek (FRA, YAM), 24 p.; 9. David Philippaerts (ITA, YAM), 24 p.; 10. Matiss Karro (LAT, KTM), 20 p.;
MXGP World Championship Classification Top Ten: 1. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 705 points; 2. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 596 p.; 3. Kevin Strijbos (BEL, SUZ), 530 p.; 4. Clement Desalle (BEL, SUZ), 484 p.; 5. Steven Frossard (FRA, KAW), 392 p.; 6. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 382 p.; 7. Maximilian Nagl (GER, HON), 357 p.; 8. Gautier Paulin (FRA, KAW), 315 p.; 9. Davide Guarneri (ITA, TM), 270 p.; 10. David Philippaerts (ITA, YAM), 258 p.;
MX2 Race 1 top ten: 1. Romain Febvre (FRA, Husqvarna), 35:34.479; 2. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:02.137; 3. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Kawasaki), +0:02.639; 4. Valentin Guillod (SUI, KTM), +0:13.881; 5. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), +0:14.553; 6. Julien Lieber (BEL, KTM), +0:15.809; 7. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:16.274; 8. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Yamaha), +0:20.578; 9. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, Husqvarna), +0:23.075; 10. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki), +0:28.319;
MX2 Race 2 top ten: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), 36:03.755; 2. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:06.015; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, Husqvarna), +0:09.099; 4. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), +0:10.731; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Suzuki), +0:16.660; 6. Valentin Guillod (SUI, KTM), +0:18.557; 7. Christophe Charlier (FRA, Yamaha), +0:19.338; 8. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Kawasaki), +0:19.840; 9. Max Anstie (GBR, Yamaha), +0:24.029; 10. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Suzuki), +0:31.721;
MX2 Overall top ten: 1. Romain Febvre (FRA, HUS), 45 points; 2. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, KAW), 44 p.; 3. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 39 p.; 4. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), 34 p.; 5. Valentin Guillod (SUI, KTM), 33 p.; 6. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, KAW), 33 p.; 7. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, SUZ), 27 p.; 8. Christophe Charlier (FRA, YAM), 27 p.; 9. Julien Lieber (BEL, KTM), 25 p.; 10. Max Anstie (GBR, YAM), 21 p.;
MX2 World Championship Classification Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 594 points; 2. Jordi Tixier (FRA, KTM), 571 p.; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, HUS), 534 p.; 4. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, KAW), 511 p.; 5. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 487 p.; 6. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, KAW), 422 p.; 7. Valentin Guillod (SUI, KTM), 412 p.; 8. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, HUS), 384 p.; 9. Jose Butron (ESP, KTM), 345 p.; 10. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, SUZ), 328 p.;
