Gajser wins epic race two to keep championship lead

2021-09-09 13:13
Team HRC’s Tim Gajser put in a superb performance in the second moto at the MXGP of Turkey to win his fourth race of the season and maintain his 13-point lead at the top of the MXGP championship table.

On a hot day at the Afyon track, the hard-pack terrain provided a real test for all the riders for the eighth round of the series but it was Gajser that showed his speed and determination in race two to take the 25 points after passing a few of his title rivals. Posting the fastest lap of the race, he stormed through the top riders before opening up a gap that nobody else was able to challenge, taking the chequered flag by almost five seconds at the end.

This was the perfect way to rebound from what was a slightly disappointing race one, where he got stuck behind another rider for too long and lost contact with those in front. He eventually crossed the line in sixth place, frustrated, but knowing that he had more in the tank for moto two.

The MXGP class now have a couple of days to recover, before lining up for part two of this Turkish double-header, which will take place on Wednesday 8th September. As with previous multi-round venues last year, there are unlikely to be any major track changes but for the Honda CRF450RW rider, that should allow him to hopefully add to his four moto wins and three overalls that he has racked up in this intense 2021 campaign.





Tim Gajser 243

That was definitely two completely different races today, but I’m glad to have finished on a high note with that victory. In the first race I just got stuck behind another rider for too long and couldn’t find a rhythm. When I did get past, the front guys were too far in front so I couldn’t catch them. In race two, I got a better start and was in third early on. I quickly moved into second and then a few laps later I moved into first. Once I was there, I was able to pull away a bit and control the race until the chequered flag. Overall, it was good and I’m excited to come back on Wednesday and try and get the win here.

Tim Gajser




Marcus Pereira de Freitas
HRC General Manager - MXGP

Once again, Tim proved that when he has a good start and is feeling comfortable, he is the fastest guy on the track. The first race, certainly didn’t go to plan but he showed in race two that his speed and stamina is at a very high level and it was great to see him win another moto. It is definitely a confidence boost, heading into the second round here on Wednesday and the team are working hard to make sure that he can challenge for wins once again.

Marcus Pereira de Freitas




Race 1
Pos. Rider Num Nation Points Team Time/Gap
1 Herlings Jeffrey 84 NDL 25 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 34:42.407
2 Prado Garcia Jorge 61 SPA 22 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 0:05.534
3 Jonass Pauls 41 LAT 20 Standing Construct GasGas Factory Racing Team 0:06.236
4 Febvre Romain 3 FRA 18 Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing 0:09.174
5 Cairoli Antonio 222 ITA 16 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 0:31.970
6 Gajser Tim 243 SLO

Source: Honda Racing Corporation

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