Lucas Coenen, the talented teenager from the Red Bull KTM factory team has won the opening MXGP moto in Turkey and cut the lead to red plate man, Romain Febvre, who finished in third place, behind Coenen and Jeffrey Herlings.

This very talented MXGP rookie just controlled the race from the front and pretty much did what he needed to do. Hard to see him not cut the lead by more in moto two. Points are now Febvre 863pts and Coenen 839pts. Just 24 points difference with two Saturday qualifiers remaining and five Sunday motos. It looks like it is going down to the wire in Australia.

Lucas Coenen: It was not bad, I took a good start and it was hectic and I settled in did my laps and made a gap. It was slippery and you could make mistakes, but I rode better and better. Still another moto and we see.

MXGP Moto One

Coenen with the lead over Gajser and Herlings, then came Renaux, Jonass, Febvre, Vlaanderen, Pancar, Seewer and Geerts in 10th. Febvre quickly into fourth place. Herlings going after Coenen, but the Belgian really has some good speed as Febvre made a mistake and the leading three got away from him. A seven-point gap for Coenen over Febvre if the positions stayed like this.

Gajser all over Herlings but made a small mistake and ran off the track but still held onto the back wheel of the Dutchman. Coenen with a 2.1 second lead on lap two. Febvre 4.8 seconds off the leader. Top ten on lap three was Coenen, Herlings, Gajser, Febvre, Renaux, Jonass, Fernandez, Vlaanderen, Pancar and Geerts.

Lap five the lead by Coenen was 3.1 seconds, with Gajser 4.8 seconds behind the leader and Febvre six seconds off the pace of Coenen. Febvre now onto the back wheel of Gajser as the HRC man maybe struggling again with arm pump. These two with 14 seconds over fifth placed man Renaux. Febvre into third spot, with one eye on the world championship and one on catching Herlings.

Lap eight the lead by Coenen over Herlings was seven seconds, with Febvre 10 seconds back and Gajser 12 seconds off the leader. Remaining top ten was Renaux, Fernandez, Jonass, Vlaanderen, Pancar, and Guadagnini on the Ducati in 10th.

Lap 10 and in typical Herlings race craft, with 10 minutes remaining he cuts the lead to five seconds and has a 4 second lead over Febvre in third. Coenen came back though to get it back to 5.5. Top ten was Coenen, Herlings, Febvre, Gajser, Renaux, Fernandez, Vlaanderen, Jonass, Pancar and Guadagnini.

Herlings does his best lap of the race and the gap goes to six seconds and Coenen show his race craft isn’t bad either. Febvre nine seconds off the pace of the teenager up front. Gajser 15 seconds off the pace. Coenen wins it from Herlings and Febvre.

MXGP - Grand Prix Race 1 - Classification

1. Lucas Coenen (BEL, KTM), 34:40.359; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:03.287; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:05.945; 4. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:18.161; 5. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Honda), +0:41.375; 6. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:45.962; 7. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Yamaha), +0:46.354; 8. Pauls Jonass (LAT, Kawasaki), +0:57.545; 9. Jan Pancar (SLO, KTM), +1:06.608; 10. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, Ducati), +1:09.225; 11. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +1:11.462; 12. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Fantic), +1:16.009; 13. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, Fantic), +1:21.931; 14. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Ducati), +1:25.120; 15. Isak Gifting (SWE, Yamaha), +1:27.255; 16. Tom Koch (GER, Beta), +1:34.479; 17. Brent Van doninck (BEL, Honda), +1:39.413; 18. Quentin Marc Prugnieres (FRA, Honda), +1:40.832; 19. Ben Watson (GBR, Beta), +1:43.260; 20. Brian Bogers (NED, Fantic), +1:59.103; 21. Julian Georgiev (BUL, KTM), -3 lap(s); 22. Yigit Ali Selek (TUR, GASGAS), -4 lap(s); 23. Kevin Brumann (SUI, Husqvarna), -6 lap(s);

MXGP - World Championship Classification

1. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 863 points; 2. Lucas Coenen (BEL, KTM), 839 p.; 3. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, FAN), 626 p.; 4. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 541 p.; 5. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM), 514 p.; 6. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 497 p.; 7. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, FAN), 469 p.; 8. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 468 p.; 9. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 393 p.; 10. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, DUC), 353 p.; 11. Jan Pancar (SLO, KTM), 290 p.; 12. Brian Bogers (NED, FAN), 275 p.; 13. Ben Watson (GBR, BET), 273 p.; 14. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 270 p.; 15. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, HON), 243 p.; 16. Isak Gifting (SWE, YAM), 236 p.; 17. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KAW), 222 p.; 18. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, DUC), 205 p.; 19. Brent Van doninck (BEL, HON), 181 p.; 20. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, KTM), 168 p.;

JP/KTM image