Nederlands
Hutten Metaal Yamaha Official EMX250’s Andrea Bonacorsi has secured the 2023 EMX250 Championship title with a stunning victory at the ninth and penultimate round of the European Championship in Afyonkarahisar, Turkey. Bonacorsi’s outstanding EMX250 title campaign is highlighted by a 100% podium record, which includes four overall victories and six race wins.
Bonacorsi entered the EMX250 round of Turkey with a significant 54-point lead over his closest championship rival, Kay Karssemakers. As a result, the Yamaha ace only needed to beat the Dutch rider or finish within 4 points of him to clinch the championship crown.
Despite struggling to find his flow around the hard-packed Afyon circuit on Saturday afternoon, ‘Bona’ remained composed in Race One and completed 15 smooth and consistent laps to finish the race in fourth place, ahead of Karssemakers.
Entering the final race on Sunday morning, Bonacorsi maintained his composure and powered his GYTR-kitted YZ250F to a top-five start. The determined Italian then solidified his position as the championship leader and deserving champion, by making a few brilliant passes to ultimately secure the crown with a stunning race win.
This season marks Hutten Metaal Yamaha Official EMX250’s fourth term as Yamaha Motor Europe’s Official EMX250 team, and in those four years, they have celebrated three titles. The team’s winning streak began in 2020 with Thibault Benistant, followed by Rick Elzinga’s triumph in 2022. Now, Andrea Bonacorsi has contributed to their impressive legacy by clinching an incredible title in 2023.
Andrea Bonacorsi: “Today was so good! I struggled a little bit yesterday, but today I felt much better, and I managed to win the championship and the overall. I really need to thank everyone, especially my family who are at home watching on TV, Wim Hutten and the Hutten Metaal Yamaha team, Yamaha Motor Europe, Monster Energy and everyone around me who have made it possible for me to achieve this goal. We finally made it! It’s incredible.”