Yamaha Head to Indonesia

Posted on June 21, 2022

Feeling refreshed after a weekend off, the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP and MX2 teams are all set for the long trip out to Samota-Sumbawa, Indonesia, where they will take on an all-new track and venue for the 12th round of the FIM Motocross World Championship. 

Currently second in the MXGP championship chase, Jeremy Seewer has made an impressive return to form over the previous two Grands Prix. The Swiss star proved his potency with his first race and Grand Prix win of the season in France less than two weeks ago, and he then added to that statement with another emphatic race win a week later in Germany.  

Having won two of the last four races, Seewer is expecting to challenge the top step in Indonesia, an area of the world that has always been good to him. In fact, it was on Indonesian soil that the ‘91’ celebrated his first-ever Grand Prix victory - in 2017. In addition, he also made the box twice at the back-to-back MXGP rounds of Indonesia and Asia back in 2019.  

While Seewer has celebrated a few podiums in Asia, it is a box Glenn Coldenhoff is yet to tick. In the weekend off, the Dutchman raced the Dutch Championship, which he felt was excellent preparation for the MXGP of Samota-Sumbawa, primarily because of the hot conditions that came because of the heat wave that hit Europe last week.  

The '259' has already celebrated three podium finishes this season and is looking forward to the challenge of an all-new track and location where he hopes to return to the box. He is currently fifth in the Championship Standings, 35-points shy of teammate Maxime Renaux who will not be on the gate this weekend through injury.  

Joining the MXGP riders at the new and unfamiliar venue, the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 team has also made the trip with their young stars Jago Geerts and Thibault Benistant. 

Geerts arrives as the MX2 Championship Leader after reclaiming the red plate in Germany just over a week ago. The Belgian has recovered from the slight shoulder injury sustained in the Qualifying Race at the MXGP of France three weeks ago and is finally at the point where he can train and ride as per his usual routine. Having finished on the podium at 10 of the 11 rounds raced this season, the ‘93’ now has an 8-point advantage over former World Champion Tom Vialle.  

At the same time, Benistant arrives with added confidence after celebrating his first-ever Grand Prix win at the previous round in Germany. The 19-year-old Frenchman has gone from strength to strength since his return to racing, where despite missing the first three rounds through injury, he has already leaped to seventh in the MX2 Championship Standings.  

Fresh off the top step and after a week of “recharging the batteries” at home in the South of France, Benistant is looking forward to his first-ever visit to Asia where he is excited to race an all-new track with the goal of collecting another piece of podium silverware.    

The all-new track in located 1500 kilometers southeast of the Indonesian capital, Jakarta. There is not much track information and no track map yet; therefore, everyone's strengths and weaknesses are unknown. This guarantees a level playing field and a fun challenge for the riders, technicians, and mechanics alike. 

Jeremy Seewer: “I’ve spent the time off recovering. We just finished three GPs in a row, and this is tough on the body, not just physically but mentally as well. So, I have recovered well and spent some time riding in Italy in the hot weather. I feel super good right now going into Indonesia. I am really looking forward to it, and the goal will be to be on the podium and fight for the win. It’s really exciting to race a new track. Most of the tracks we go to we have raced at many times, so we have previous results in our heads, but at a new track, no one knows what to expect, and I think this is cool. Normally I am good in this situation, so I look forward to it and let’s see.”  

Glenn Coldenhoff: “I rode the Dutch Masters race in the weekend. It was really hot in the Netherlands, so this was good preparation for the heat in Indonesia. I felt good and managed to take the overall win. I feel good both physically and on the bike. To ride a new track is fun. We ride most of the time same track each year, so I am really excited to go overseas again. It’s always something special! The goal is to take two good starts and to finish on the box.” 

Jago Geerts: “It’s nice to go back to Indonesia on a brand-new track this time. A new track means everyone starts from zero, so nobody has an advantage. I think that makes it more fun and I look forward to it. I saw some videos and the track looks pretty nice. The goal is to fight for the win again so I’m looking forward to this weekend.” 

Thibault Benistant: “My feeling going into Indonesia is really good. I won my first GP two weeks ago, and I am just getting better and better. I like to ride at tracks nobody knows. Like this, it’s the same for everyone, we all start at the same point. It’s also nice to see a new country because I have never been there before. The goal this weekend will be the same. Take a good start and ride like I do in training, really free and relaxed, and then the speed and the results will come.”

Yamaha story image Roman Borak