Nederlands
Karlis Reisulis of the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 team secured eighth place in the overall classification during the seventeenth round of the World Championship in Turkey. It was not his best weekend, but with ninth and seventh-place finishes, the Latvian rider once again achieved a top-ten result. His teammate Janis Reisulis finished fourteenth overall.
Following a weekend without racing, the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 team travelled to the hard-packed circuit of Afyonkarahisar. Both brothers quickly found their rhythm on the fast track, which featured numerous jumps. Karlis qualified in eighth place, while Janis finished sixth, placing two positions further forward.
In the opening race, Karlis started inside the top ten and worked his way up to seventh place. A number of mistakes then caused him to lose some ground. He eventually crossed the finish line in ninth place.
The second race was more consistent. Karlis started in seventh and managed to maintain that position throughout the entire race. With a 9-7 score, he finished eighth in the overall classification. With two Grands Prix remaining, he sits seventh in the MX2 World Championship standings.
Janis Reisulis experienced a more inconsistent weekend. After crashing on the opening lap of the first race, he had to fight his way back from last position. Showing strong pace, he worked his way through the field and eventually finished sixth. In the second race, things went wrong again on the opening lap. Janis crashed and broke his clutch lever. As he was unable to restart his Yamaha without outside assistance, he was ultimately disqualified. Janis was classified fourteenth overall and currently sits sixth in the championship standings.
Karlis Reisulis:“It was a difficult weekend and, to be honest, I didn’t really feel like myself. Something was bothering me and I couldn’t find my normal feeling. The first race was very difficult. From the start, I struggled to focus on the race and made mistake after mistake. The second race started better, but I basically rode in the same position for the entire race. At times I got close enough to make an attack, but I couldn’t make the pass. It’s not a weekend to be proud of, but definitely one I can learn from.”
Janis Reisulis:“The first race was quite good after I crashed on the opening lap. I came back from last place to sixth and was even close to fifth. My speed and intensity were really good. In the second race I felt strong again and had a decent start, but I crashed on the opening lap and broke my clutch lever. That meant I couldn’t restart the bike without outside assistance, which resulted in a disqualification. It is what it is. Obviously, that’s not how you want to finish a weekend, but I know the speed is there. Now we look ahead to China.”
For the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 team, the World Championship continues next weekend with the penultimate round of the season. The MXGP of China will take place in Shanghai on September 12 and 13.