After a strong consistent showing in Turkiye last weekend, the Honda HRC trio of Tim Gajser, Ruben Fernandez and Valerio Lata are making the trip to Shanghai, China for the penultimate round of the 2025 Motocross World Championship.

Last year, a typhoon hit the circuit over the weekend, turning it into a one-day event, much to the detriment of Gajser who was leading the standings coming into the 2024 round. Now though, with less pressure on his shoulders, the #243 is hoping to make a return to the podium after narrowly missing out in the last two GPs and showing continued improvement since coming back from his shoulder injury.

Alongside him, Fernandez also looked good in Turkiye, putting in two consistent fifth place finishes, but the Spaniard will be hoping to challenge even further up the field at the revamped Shanghai circuit. Due to the weather warning, last year fans were discouraged from attending the race, but the hope is that thousands of locals will view the action, in what is an important event for Honda and their sponsors.

This will also be a new event for the third member of the team, Valerio Lata who has never been to China before and so is looking forward to seeing another part of the world and performing in front of a brand new audience. The Italian looked better in Turkiye and showed his speed isn’t in doubt, when he posted the fastest time in timed practice, but he knows he has to maintain that level for 30 minutes if he wants to fight his way nearer to the podium and finish off his rookie MX2 campaign in a strong fashion.

TIMETABLE

SATURDAY:
10:45 MX2 Free practice, 11:15 MXGP Free practice, 13:20 MX2 Time Practice, 14:00 MXGP Time Practice, 15:25 MX2 Qualifying Race, 16:10 MXGP Qualifying Race.

SUNDAY:
10:25 MX2 Warm-up, 10:45 MXGP Warm-up, 12:15 MX2 Race 1, 13:15 MXGP Race 1, 15:10 MX2 Race 2, 16:10 MXGP Race 2.

Tim Gajser: China was definitely a crazy event last year, with the weather and the storm making it a one-day event. Hopefully this year will be better because the fans are good and it is nice to put on a show for them. I have heard the track has changed, which is always positive news just to keep things interesting, so I’m looking forward to it and really going to try to do my best.

Ruben Fernandez: I travelled straight to China after Turkiye, and it has been a fun couple of days looking around and exploring Shanghai a bit more. I like to see new things and I am looking forward to having a good GP and seeing lots of fans supporting us. I was happy with my riding in Turkiye and it was good to be consistent, but now I want to be nearer to the front!

Valerio Lata: This is my first time visiting China and so far it has been a very cool experience. It is such a different culture than in Europe but I have had fun, and it is nice to be a tourist for a couple of days. Now though, business is about to start, and I’m excited to see the track and go riding. Last year, the track looked like something I would enjoy riding so hopefully it is similar and I can really enjoy my last two rounds of 2025.

Marcus Pereira de Freitas - HRC General Manager - MXGP: China is an important round for Honda HRC, with many important guests and sponsors, so we hope to put on a good show. Last year was crazy with the typhoon hitting the circuit and turning it into a one-day event, but we hope this year will run a bit smoother and we can enjoy things a bit more. It should also hopefully allow some more fans to come and see what world championship motocross is like, which is always a benefit for the sport.

David Bulmer story image Bavo Swijgers