MXGP: Prado Fends Off Seewer for Maiden MXGP Race Win

Round eight of the 2020 MXGP World Championship, the MXGP of Emilia Romagna, took place in Faenza, the third and final round at the Monte Coralli circuit. Arminas Jasikonis topped timed practice, as he did on Wednesday, whilst Jeffrey Herlings was once again absent after his practice crash on Wednesday. 

Surprisingly, it was Jorge Prado who took the holeshot, the Spaniard picking up his sixth of his debut MXGP season, although Antonio Cairoli briefly took the lead, squaring off his younger teammate. 

The lead was lost for Cairoli when he bobbled in one of the switchbacks in the middle of the lap. Jeremy Seewer also tried to take advantage as he was probably worried about Prado getting away, but there was contact between the Swiss and the Italian, which held the pair of them up. Seewer got away in second and Cairoli in third, but the #22 was under pressure soon from Tim Gajser after he cleared the fast-starting Alessandro Lupino.

Gajser tried to make his move as early as possible on Cairoli, knowing he couldn’t afford to let Seewer and Prado get too far away, but when he tried to make the move in the hairpin onto the pit straight he went down and dropped to the lower reaches of the top 10. 

Back at the front and Seewer and Prado were exchanging blows, but it was ultimately Seewer with the advantage. As they entered the final 10 minutes the two were together, and Prado’s defensive skills were about to be tested. 

Monte Coralli is a tough track to pass on. The line choice is limited, the track is narrow and the ruts are deep. But even still, the defence Prado put up of the lead was remarkable, able to read exactly where Seewer was at all times. The #91 tried almost everything he had, but the best opportunity appeared to be in the right hander after the two rollers at the start of the lap. Prado liked the flatter, wider line in that corner, meaning Seewer could see  an opportunity to jump the inside and block Prado’s line on the exit. He tried the move twice in two laps but it was unsuccessful, although the third try was even worse, as he lost the rear and crashed quite hard. Fortunately for the Yamaha rider, he was able to get back on and retain third place, but his challenge for the lead was done. 

Prado was not off the hook for the absence of Seewer, though. Cairoli had been closing as the Spaniard and Swiss had been fighting, and as they entered the final lap two seconds separated Cairoli from his younger teammate. Try as he did, though, the #222 could not catch the winner of Wednesday’s GP, and Prado was able to clinch his first MXGP race win, four days on from winning his first Grand Prix. 

Second place for Cairoli was not a disaster, as he now ties Jeffrey Herlings on points at the top of the championship and he is still in the frame for the overall win. What is interesting is that Cairoli has had a tendency, at least in Faenza, to be stronger at the end of the races, but also quite weak at the start. The #222 has often had strong speed in the second half of the races this week, but has found himself coming from several seconds back to make use of it – for example in this first race he was coming from six seconds back of Prado when he and Seewer started to fight. We know that Cairoli is having to cycle for cardio training instead of his preferred method which is to run to protect his knees, and that due to the change in training programme the Italian veteran is still learning how to get the same performance from this new regime as his old methods. Perhaps Cairoli is saving energy in the start of races to ensure he is strong at the end, but either way the first 15 minutes are costing him race wins at the minute. 

Seewer was, in the end, able to hold onto third and is therefore still in the picture for the overall win. Behind him in the race was Mitch Evans who had a fairly quiet ride to fourth, ahead of Gajser who came back to fifth after his crashes earlier on. Arminas Jasikonis took his best moto result of this Faenza triple with sixth, ahead of Alessandro Lupino, Glenn Coldenhoff, Clement Desalle and Romain Febvre who completed the top 10 after running off the track early in the race, then crashing in the bottom turn before the uphill waves.

Gautier Paulin could only manage 11th place after a crash for him in the same corner as Febvre, although earlier in the race than his compatriot. Behind the Frenchman was Jeremy van Horebeek in 12th, who was ahead of Jordi Tixier, Calvin Vlaanderen and Ivo Monticelli who is back this weekend after missing Wednesday’s round due to illness and he rounded out the top 15. 

In 16th was Henri Jacobi, ahead of Dylan Walsh, Thomas Covington, Petar Petrov and Tom Koch who completed the top 20.