In high tempetaturs and high drama, the MXGP of China went off last weekend, with KTM dominating the MXGP and MX2 overalls, but Kawasaki rider, Romain Febvre taking a huge step to world MXGP championship number two. Here is what the riders thought of the weekend. JP/KTM image

Jeffrey Herlings: “So hot. I was cooking. So humid. The speed was not a problem…just the heat. I managed to pull it off. Another 1-1 and I’m hoping it’s going to be a bit cooler in Australia. I had just one day to adapt here and now we’ll have more time for the final round. I want to give it up to the Red Bull KTM team for this win. I’ll try and do my best again next week.”

Tim Gajser: Very happy to make a return to the podium and ride well in all three races over the weekend. It was tough out there, especially in the first race, but I felt good and I tried my hardest at the end to make the pass for the win but I knew it was difficult. It is another good step for my recovery and we have one round left to try and go for the win and really end the season in a good way.

Ruben Fernandez: It is great to be back on the podium after a long time, and it is great for the team and for the new bike to show that it is capable of battling at the highest level. It’s been tough recently with a few different things but I kept fighting and I think, in the toughest conditions we’ve faced this year, to get a podium is a strong statement about my racing and fitness. It is good to share it with Tim as well and now I hope we can do the same in Australia at the final round.

Romain Febvre: "This was one of the toughest GPs of the year and today was a good day for the championship; it feels like a win and I don't care about missing the podium. I got a really good start in the first moto but I didn't have a good first lap and some guys passed me. I knew I needed to come back at them but I took it really smooth and didn't risk attacking too hard and hitting the wall in the heat. I knew Lucas was behind me and that was the most important thing as I came back to fourth. I had another good start in race two but Lucas came across us from the outside. However he then went over the front at turn two and I knew he would need to come back through the pack so I just rode a steady race. In my head I was focused on the front and I wanted to stick with them but Ruben had a better line and when he came through I decided to concentrate on keeping fourth."

Sacha Coenen: “A difficult weekend for everybody but my riding was good…apart from a stupid mistake in the second moto. I was cruising and just lost the front. I picked-up and kept going though and I’m really happy to win and happy because we worked for this.”

Andrea Adamo: “Two pretty good motos. I didn’t have a good start in the first and it was difficult to come back, even if my speed was alright and I was one of the fastest on track at the end, so I know I’m fit. I was confident then for the second moto. A better start and I made my race. Sacha was fast and good but I took the chance to pass him. I hammered the lap-times and set a pace so I could see Simon. I put him under pressure and could win the moto. Super.”

Simon Laengenfelder: “Finally a good start in the second race and it meant I could stay away from problems. When the track was more technical, I was feeling quite good and it was only at the end that Andrea was faster. Still, a good weekend and now we go into the last round. I made the [championship] gap a bit bigger going to Australia. You never know what will happen but I’m going for it. I hope it will be less humid!”

Kay de Wolf: “The first moto was good. I felt comfortable behind Sacha and just rode my own lines. In the second moto I made a mistake in sector two that cost me some time, and after that the front guys just pulled away a little. The heat and humidity made it tough, but fourth overall keeps us in the fight. Now we go to Australia and everything is still open - I’ll give it everything.”

Liam Everts: “It was a tough weekend, but I think I managed the conditions okay. In the first race I had good speed at the start but dropped off a bit at the end. The second race was better, more consistent - I stayed calm, made a pass for seventh, and held it to the finish. Sixth overall and moving up in the championship is good, and now I want to finish strong in Australia.”

Pauls Jonass: "It was tough and heavy with the heat but there were many positives this weekend with two good starts and I also showed that the speed is there; I just need to stay on two wheels. I was running fourth in the first moto until I had a small tip-over and I also got a good start in second race but I lost the front in the mud at the fourth corner and had to come back from last."

Lucas Coenen: “If I can sum up the weekend in one line then it would be: no power in the body and tired. I don’t know what happened. That’s all. The weekend in China here is done and we have one more to go – as well as the Nations – so I just need to try and be ready and look forward to the last GP.”

Valerio Lata: It was a tough day today, but I am pleased with my first moto result of fifth. I am also happy with the starts in both races because it was important on this track. Unfortunately, I had a collision early on in race two and that damaged the bike and made things very difficult in the second race and although I tried my best, I couldn’t maintain the speed I wanted, and I dropped down the field. Although that was disappointing, I am happy with how I coped with the hot and humid temperatures so we have one more round in what will probably be similar conditions, so I want to finish the season strongly.

Mathis Valin: "It was a really tough day; the weather was crazy and it's the first time I have encountered it. I got a really good start in the first moto but Lata went inside me at the third corner and I went into a soft patch. My riding and my speed were good after that but I was alone all moto. I didn't get a good start in the second race and in the last few laps I was dead after that first race and pushing hard through the first laps of race two, but for sure we will again give everything at the last GP."

Maxime Renaux: Overall, it’s been a positive weekend. I took the holeshot in Race One and led until near the very end when the heat really affected me. I finished third so it was still a good result. I crashed at the start of the second race, and after that I was climbing through quite well until I crashed again. I was really happy with my pace in that one, and it would have been nice to see how the race went if I had a good start, but that’s how racing goes sometimes.

Calvin Vlaanderen: Quite a tough day today. In the first race I fell in the first turn and I was right at the back. I pushed really hard to get back to 10th and used up a lot of energy. My start was good in Race Two and I was fifth. I tried to conserve some energy for the end, because it was so hot, but at the end I felt good so I could have pushed a little harder. So, it was a little frustrating to leave something in the tank but overall, I can be happy about my day.

Jago Geerts: It’s been a good weekend although the results might not show it. We made some small adjustments to the bike for this weekend and they really worked. I felt really comfortable on the track, however in Race One I crashed too many times. The second race was much better though. I felt good, I was in some battles, and I enjoyed that race a lot. My goal for the final GP is to ride like this in both races and finish the year with a strong result.

Rick Elzinga: It’s been a pretty good GP for me despite being unwell all week after Turkiye. Fortunately, by the time this weekend came around I was feeling a lot better. On Saturday I didn’t have the best feeling but that changed for today and I felt strong in the races. My starts weren’t the best but I was able to make a lot of passes, especially in the second race, so I was pleased with that. I was in the battle for sixth until I made a few mistakes and in the end I finished eighth. Thanks to the team for their hard work this weekend, especially the mechanics, as it’s been a really hot GP.

Karlis Reisulis: Today was OK. My speed was really good in both races, however the heat really got to me near the end of each race. My second race was a little better as I rode with a more consistent pace, so I didn’t feel too bad at the end of that. Now it’s on to Australia for the final round.

Mattia Guadagnini: “It was definitely a better weekend. I wanted to bring home something good, and to a certain extent, I succeeded. Yesterday was a so-so day for me, where I didn't perform at my best. Today, however, I had a decent start in race one. I lost a couple of positions on the first lap, but I managed to find my rhythm and hold on until the end. In race two, I had a better start. I lost a few positions again, but I rode better. I tired less than in the first, and I finished in a solid tenth place. I finally managed to put together two decent races, and now I want to take another step in Australia.”

Glenn Coldenhoff: “What a tough GP, the heat was unreal and I struggled quite a bit. Looking at the results this weekend, it is definitely not what I wanted, but I gave it my all. I pushed hard in the first race and managed to make some passes, but I had nothing left in race 2. Still, the most important thing is that I managed to secure the bronze medal. I am very happy about that – it means a lot to me, the team, and everyone at Fantic. Thanks to everyone for the support!”

Andrea Bonacorsi: “A tough GP with crazy heat, but two good starts really helped me today. In race 1 I rode the whole moto with Glenn, we weren’t too far from fourth place but it was difficult to pass. I had another good start in race 2, but I lost a couple of positions when Lucas [Coenen] fell in front of me. I held sixth for most of the race, but I felt a bit tired in that second race and struggled towards the end. Still, I managed to take seventh overall – considering that all the top riders are out there now, that’s not too bad. Of course, we want a bit more, and we will try again in Australia!”

Brian Bogers: “It was a really tough GP. Usually, I handle the heat well, so that shouldn’t be the problem. I feel like I can push in the practice sessions, but in the races it doesn’t work out at the moment. I need to figure this out and turn it around for the last round. I am still motivated to finish the season strong.”
Jeremy Seewer: “There's not much to say. Actually, I had two great starts today - really, really good from outside. First moto, I did what I could with an 11th. Then in the second, it could have been similar, but I was simply unlucky at the start and a crash seriously damaged my bike, and my race was over after a few meters.”