Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado and Simon Längenfelder secured vital points in MXGP and MX2 at the 2024 MXGP of France despite challenging conditions. Both Jorge Prado and Simon Längenfelder finished P4 in France, while Marc-Antoine Rossi, retired early battling illness, but aims for a comeback in Germany.
The Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing Team battled through an intense weekend at the 2024 MXGP of France, securing crucial championship points and P4 finishes in both MX2 and MXGP despite facing thunder, deep mud, and crashes. Held at the iconic St. Jean d’Angely, a circuit steeped in motocross history, the 1620m hard pack venue carved into the picturesque French hillside provided the perfect battleground for Red Bull GASGAS riders to go bar-to-bar with their rivals.
The weekend began with a mud fest on Friday and Saturday due to relentless rain during qualifying. However, a dry night leading into Sunday allowed the hard pack surface to dry slightly. Sunday morning greeted riders with a 19°C air temperature, only for heavy rain to return in the late afternoon for the MXGP finale.
Jorge Prado demonstrated why he is a force to be reckoned with in the MXGP class, even during a challenging weekend. In the opening moto, Jorge had a solid start, holding 3rd place despite the slippery conditions. His consistent and fast laps saw him close the gap with the leaders, overtaking Romain Febvre on lap 16 to finish 2nd, just behind Tim Gajser. The second moto presented even more challenging conditions with heavy rainstorms. Jorge had an unusually slow start, initially placing 7th. Despite the adverse weather, he maintained his composure, finishing 5th and capitalizing on Gajser’s crash on lap 12, keeping his championship hopes alive. A post-race shuffle of the results, due to rivals being penalized for flag infringements, promoted Jorge to P4 in the overall classification.
Simon Längenfelder displayed incredible skill and tenacity throughout the weekend, despite recovering from a broken collarbone surgery just two weeks prior. After a challenging start in the first moto, Simon quickly moved up to 5th by lap 3. His relentless push continued, reaching 4th place by lap 11. A spectacular overtake on Mikkel Haarup on lap 14 put him in 3rd, but he ultimately finished 4th after a late slip behind championship leader Kay de Wolf. In the second moto, Simon started strong, climbing to 3rd by lap 2. Despite darkening skies and intensifying rain, he maintained his pace, regaining 3rd position on lap 16 amidst thunderous conditions, showcasing his ability to perform under pressure and finishing strong in 3rd place.
Unfortunately for Marc-Antoine Rossi, illness and flu plagued his home Grand Prix. Despite qualifying 2nd, he struggled with a challenging start in the first moto, dropping to 17th by lap 3. He fought back valiantly to 10th by lap 6 but suffered a crash, eventually retiring on lap 9. Opting to sit out the second moto due to battling sickness, Marc-Antoine is eyeing a strong return at the MXGP of Germany in two weeks’ time.
Next up is the MXGP of Germany at Teutschenthal on the 2nd June.
MXGP – #1 – Jorge Prado:“The GP of France is done—it went okay overall, finishing P4. When conditions were dry, I was very fast. I had a very nice first moto, although I didn’t have the best feeling in the first 15 minutes. But in the second half of the race, I felt my pace got better and better. By the end of the race, I managed to pass [Romain] Febvre and got close to [Tim] Gajser, so I was on it! The second moto felt like we were just racing over water for the whole lap, which was a pity. We still managed to finish in a decent position, only dropping five points from the leader in the championship. Hopefully, we can get back the red plate at Teutschenthal—I’m looking forward to that!”
MX2 – #516 – Simon Längenfelder: “On Saturday, I didn’t have the best start out of the gates, and then I had some issues with my goggles, so it was quite a challenge. I just tried to ride in total control, and I finished seventh. On Sunday, I was really motivated and wanted to do better for sure. I think with a fourth and a third, we achieved this. The second start was better than the first moto, so I think I can be happy. It’s important to remember my collarbone was broken two weeks ago—so normally this would be my first race back after such an injury. I’m happy with how it went and to take the points. Now we have one week to get ready for Germany—my home GP—which I’m really looking forward to!”
MX2 – #28 – Marc-Antoine Rossi: “It was my home GP, and I was super motivated to do well, but bad luck seems to follow me. I like riding on hard pack and was confident I could stay in the top five this weekend. Unfortunately, I’ve been sick since Friday night with the flu, fever, and had no energy. I fought hard and gave it my all in the qualifying race; finishing P2. I rested all night, but I felt worse this morning and had to skip the warm-up. I tried to line up for Race 1, but after starting in the top 10, I crashed and decided to stop. It was impossible to continue. I’m sorry to everyone who supported me. I will come back stronger as soon as possible!”
