Now running solo in the MXGP class is Ruben Fernandez, who always looks forward to racing in Agueda, as it is a local track for him, where he is cheered on by lots of fans from the region. The Spaniard doesn’t live too far from this Portuguese track and raced there a lot when growing up and loves the loose nature of the soil and the exciting layout that always delivers top racing.

The #70 is also highly motivated to get himself onto the podium after some unfortunate results which has seen his speed not get rightfully rewarded with points. He won the qualification race in Switzerland but wants to turn that into similar results on Sunday, so he can stand on the podium and payback all the fans and team members who support him.

In the MX2 class, both Zanchi and Lata competed in the Italian Championship race in Montevarchi, where Zanchi came out on top with a pair of wins, ahead of his teammate. The duo are separated by just two points in the championship standings and are determined to rise higher as they try to put themselves and their Honda CRF250Rs in positions to fight it out with the best MX2 riders.

Lata has had a couple of good starts in recent weeks, including a holeshot in the Swiss qualification race and is trending upwards as he grows into this competitive class. Zanchi hasn’t been able to reach the levels of his early-season form where he won a moto and stood on the podium in Spain, but he hopes the win in Montevarchi will give him the boost necessary to battle for the top spots once again.

Unfortunately, the weather isn’t looking good, with rain scheduled throughout the weekend, which brings back painful reminders of the horrible conditions which the riders’ faced in 2024. However, whatever the status of the Agueda track, all four Honda HRC riders are motivated for the job at hand and will try their upmost to maximise their points haul.

Ruben Fernandez: I have to say that I was pretty frustrated and annoyed when I left Switzerland. I felt the DQ was harsh and the procedure that is in place afterwards, isn’t correct and leaves a rider in a dangerous situation. Still, I am hoping to channel that and focus on reaching the podium in Portugal – a reward, I feel my riding level deserves. I really like the track and I love visiting the area as I have a lot of friends and fans there, so this is a weekend I always look forward to, and I can’t wait to get there and go racing.

Ferruccio Zanchi: I chose to race an Italian Championship round in Montevarchi in the weekend off and I felt really good there. I won both races, which is a nice feeling after some performances in the GPs where I haven’t felt my best. Now I want to carry that momentum into Portugal and start fighting closer to the front of the field, which I know is possible for me. Big thanks to the team for all their continued support and we will keep working.

Valerio Lata: I feel like I have made some big improvements already this year, and I am starting to understand what I need to keep working on, to be at the front of this MX2 class more consistently. I had some good moments in Switzerland and led some parts of the race, so that was nice, but now I want to make that happen more often, so I have to keep working hard. I believe we made some good steps with the bike during this weekend off, where I did a race in Italy, so I’m looking forward to going out in Agueda and making it happen there.

Marcus Pereira de Freitas - HRC General Manager - MXGP: It has been a stressful weekend off from the championship as we’ve had a lot to deal with, after three GPs in a row and just with everything that happened in Switzerland. Sometimes things can be going so well, but then disaster strikes so quickly in motocross and you have to be ready for that. It is a big shame that Tim won’t be with the team in Portugal. He had been riding so well and dominating the championship, and he was doing everything possible to try and line-up this weekend, but it was just too soon. We will see what happens over the next few days and make a plan from there, but now we have to make sure that Ruben, Ferro and Valerio are riding their best and help them as much as possible.