MXGP - The Others

Posted on October 12, 2021

While we often look at the top guys in the MXGP class and many of our interviews are done with the podium guys, there are a long list of GP riders who go unnoticed. Those who sit outside the top 10 in the World, or even the top 20.

Of course, we also don’t see much of guys like Calvin Vlaanderen, Henry Jacobi, or even Ben Watson on television of late, as they battle for their places in the toughest motocross series in the World.

Of course, every single rider who lines up for the MXGP class has to be respected and with around 15 factory riders, making the top ten for a privateer is nearly impossible, unless you are Alessandro Lupino, who seems to make a habit of it.

While we looked at the big five yesterday, lets go a little lower in the results and give our opinion of some of the others, because it is those riders who are fighting hard for their place in the series and many will lose their rides in 2021 and enter 2022 with a privateer ride, or no ride at all.

Jeremy Seewer is secure in his blue team, and the Monster Energy Yamaha rider should be. Sickness has been a misery for him in 2021 and I think we have only spoken to him once this year. Having been a solid top three guy most of his career being in sixth place in the MXGP championship isn’t really great for the likeable Swiss rider. Hopefully, with Cairoli retiring and his health a little better, he can regain his place in the BIG FIVE in 2022.

Pauls Jonass like Seewer is not losing his ride in 2022. It seems his spot at the Standing Construct team, and with all the changes in KTM, Husqvarna and GasGas, it isn’t known what type of support that team will have in 2022, but what is sure, it will be a top team with or without factory support. As for Jonass, he is very much capable of being a top five rider but needs some momentum. This year has been a good one and hopefully in 2022 he can build on his 2021 season and climb into the top five.

Another of the veteran riders Glenn Coldenhoff hasn’t had a great season, although he remains a top ten guy and due to his friendly, professional attitude, my guess is he remains inside the Yamaha factory team truck for 2022. One of the few riders outside that top five that can score a GP victory in the MXGP class and as we all know, that isn’t easy. He is also along with Seewer one of just two riders who have been able to join the big five on an MXGP podium in 2021.

The golden man in the top ten, Alessandro Lupino. His friendly smile and sweet nature are great, but the fact he continues to put in performances that surprise us, it’s just a good story. Great mates with a living legend in Antonio Cairoli must help and you have to think Tony has handed down some factory parts. The talk is Lupino has a factory ride secured for 2022 and I can’t wait to see what he does with that, if in fact it is true.

Danish rider Thomas Olsen has had an up and down MXGP debut season, but with a two-year deal with Husqvarna, he will line up again in 2022 with the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna team, and while it won’t be with IceOne, he will rejoin his old mate Rasmus Jorgensen (at least that is the rumour). I expect Olsen to improve a lot in 2022, because he has a brilliant technique and a good attitude. Making top ten in his first year in the 450 class is a pretty solid performance.

British rider Ben Watson, like Olsen has a lot to offer the 450 class, because like his fellow debutant, he has the style and size to be special in the MXGP class. With Maxime Renaux thinking of moving to the MXGP class, with Yamaha, I have a bad feeling about the spot Watson now has, and I just hope a factory team can find a place for former MX2 GP winner. Young blood is needed in the class, and Watson has a lot of potential.

Calvin Vlaanderen, like Olsen and Watson fits nicely into the MXGP class and without question he is more than capable of running top ten in the points standings. If Aussie Mitch Evans doesn’t recover from his wrist surgery, then maybe the South African could fit back into the HRC team. Like Olsen and Watson, his spot in the class should be within a factory team.

The Top 15

1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 460 pts

2. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 454 pts

3. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 450 pts

4. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 398 pts

5. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 387 pts

6. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 344 pts

7. Pauls Jonass (LAT, GAS), 321 pts

8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 284 pts

9. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, KTM), 215 pts

10. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 201 pts

11. Ben Watson (GBR, YAM), 195 pts