MXGP: Twin Titans Lucas And Sacha Coenen Both Take Victory
MXGP: Twin Titans Lucas and Sacha Coenen both take victory at the MXGP of Türkiy!
MXGP: Twin Titans Lucas and Sacha Coenen both take victory at the MXGP of Türkiy!
As storm clouds gathered around the Afyon Motor Sport Center for the MXGP of Türkiye, the Qualifying Races dodged the showers in mixed conditions for the first day of the 18thround of the FIM Motocross World Championship!
It was a sweet day of success for one Belgian family in particular, with twin brothers Lucas and Sacha Coenenmaking history by both taking victory in their respective classes for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing!
Lucas Coenen took a clear win in the MXGP class with a smart move to take the lead exiting the first corner, and pulled away from there to win by nearly seven seconds from fellow Red Bull KTM Factory Racing star Jeffrey Herlings, while Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP’s Championship leader Romain Febvre took a fighting third to limit the damage in the points standings!
Sacha Coenen took his trademark Holeshot but had to fight off a challenge from reigning Champion Kay de Wolf, who went on to take second for Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing. Behind them, the racing was intense and hectic, and Guillem Farres worked his way forward to match his best Qualifying Race finish of the season with third for Monster Energy Triumph Racing!
The circuit was tricky, and the conditions were a factor, as the Qualifying Races set the stage for tomorrow’s MXGP of Türkiye!
In both Free & Time Practice sessions, it was Jeffrey Herlings who lifted himself to the top of the order, but each time it was just by small fractions of a second over the two Championship contenders, with Lucas Coenen just grabbing the second gate pick for the Qualifying Race from Romain Febvre. Glenn Coldenhoff suffered a big crash in Free Practice and lined up for Fantic Factory Racing MXGP in some pain, while Tim Gajser got away with his own trip over the handlebars for Honda HRC.
Herlings dived into the first turn with a slight advantage over Gajser, and as he edged towards the outside of the corner to block the Slovenian, it left Coenen with a chance to drive past them both, earning the Holeshot and a lead that he would never let go of.
Febvre would also move up the order, into third, but Gajser took back the position over the first jump and nearly got past Herlings in the next corner! From there, the order was set for the top five until half-distance, with Maxime Renaux in fifth for Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP.
Behind Renaux was Pauls Jonass for Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP, and he put in a solid ride to take sixth at the flag ahead of the JK Racing Yamaha of Isak Gifting. Ruben Fernandez held eighth early on but fell after the finish line jump on lap five, remounting in 13th position.
Calvin Vlaanderen took eighth for Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP, and nearly caught Gifting at the line. Fernandez put on a spirited charge to pass both the TEM JP253 KTM of Jan Pancar and top Fantic Factory Racing MXGP rider Brian Bogers in the closing laps to grab ninth, with Pancar also passing Bogers to claim the final point in tenth.
At the front, Febvre pressed on to pass Gajser for third on lap seven as the Honda man suffered with arm pump, but by then Herlings was already five seconds up the track and most riders were unable to make time on a slick surface that hadn’t carved up as much as usual. Coenen’s win gets him closer to Febvre in the Championship, and he looks determined to continue to hack it down tomorrow!
With a very open first and second corner layout, tomorrow could give us a real showdown in the premiere class!
Lucas Coenen: “I had fun out there. I jumped out of the gate and then made a little mistake on the straight, but Jeffrey (Herlings) went right and I came on the inside. After that, I just pushed and tried to do the best I could, riding smooth. The track is tricky, you can make a mistake really fast, so I just tried to stay in control. It was a fun race. Tomorrow we’ve got two more motos, so I’ll try to get the same start, run up front, and do my lap”
MXGP – Qualifying Race Classification: 1. Lucas Coenen (BEL, KTM), 24:34.601; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:06.970; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:18.074; 4. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:20.620; 5. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:30.508; 6. Pauls Jonass (LAT, Kawasaki), +0:33.109; 7. Isak Gifting (SWE, Yamaha), +0:35.038; 8. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Yamaha), +0:38.253; 9. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Honda), +0:46.764; 10. Jan Pancar (SLO, KTM), +0:47.870
MXGP – World Championship Classification: . Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 843 points; 2. Lucas Coenen (BEL, KTM), 814 p.; 3. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, FAN), 617 p.; 4. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 525 p.; 5. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM), 500 p.; 6. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 475 p.; 7. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, FAN), 461 p.; 8. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 453 p.; 9. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 375 p.; 10. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, DUC), 346 p.
After Sacha Coenen took the top time in Free Practice, it was Honda HRC rookie Valerio Lata who took pole position for the Qualifying Race, by nearly half a second from reigning Champion Kay de Wolf, whose late run was halted by a crash to leave him in second. Championship leader Simon Längenfelder was just a tenth of a second behind his title rival and went to the line third for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing.
Coenen took a rapid Holeshot but nearly allowed De Wolf into the lead, having to out-brake the Dutchman into the second corner! Behind them, the scrap was only just beginning, and it was an almighty tear-up between Lata, Längenfelder, title contender Andrea Adamo for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, the second Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing man Liam Everts, Farres, and his Monster Energy Triumph Racing teammate Camden McLellan!
Lata came out in third early on, with Everts pulling off some great moves in the opening corners to get himself into fourth, while the KTM pairing traded places with the two Triumph men in a dust-up that went on for most of the race!
With French duo Thibault Benistant for Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 and Kawasaki Racing Team MX2 rookie Mathis Valin giving chase at the edge of the top ten, the six riders ahead of them proceeded to knock lumps out of each other! Farres found a fantastic line exiting the corner after the Pit Lane straight, and used it on both Everts and Lata to fight his way into third place, very nearly closing down De Wolf for second!
Everts made a nice move on Lata to take fourth on lap nine, just as Adamo attacked Längenfelder and made a mess of it, grabbing too much throttle and looping his bike, nearly bringing down the German in the process! McLellan pulled off the very pass that Adamo attempted though, on the final lap to relieve Everts of fourth and finish just behind his teammate.
Längenfelder passed Lata with three laps to go and nearly got Everts, but had to settle for sixth behind the Belgian. Adamo’s crash dropped him to tenth behind Lata, Benistant, and Valin, leaving the Italian with just one point from a frantic race!
No-one was touching Sacha Coenen, though, and the teenage Belgian finally took his first career Qualifying Race win by nearly seven seconds at the flag! De Wolf’s second place now leaves him just 11 points behind Längenfelder in the Championship, with Adamo slipping further back, now 31 behind the Dutchman.
On many occasions in 2025, however, the MX2 class has proven to be totally unpredictable, so it could all turn in any direction tomorrow!
With the weather still proving to be a question mark here, the already tense Championship battles in both classes could take a further shake-up on GP Sunday, so don’t miss all the action from the doorstep of Asia!
Sacha Coenen: “I felt really good on the track this afternoon. In time practice this morning I didn’t feel good, I was really stiff on the bike. But grom the start, I felt better and I managed to make a gap and I feel really good. I’m happy and looking forward to tomorrow..let’s do it!”
MX2 – Qualifying Race Classification: 1. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 24:59.840; 2. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:06.823; 3. Guillem Farres (ESP, Triumph), +0:08.069; 4. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, Triumph), +0:08.784; 5. Liam Everts (BEL, Husqvarna), +0:09.274; 6. Simon Längenfelder (GER, KTM), +0:10.804; 7. Valerio Lata (ITA, Honda), +0:12.477; 8. Thibault Benistant (FRA, Yamaha), +0:13.233; 9. Mathis Valin (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:20.739; 10. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), +0:24.897
MX2 – World Championship Classification: 1. Simon Längenfelder (GER, KTM), 788 points; 2. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 777 p.; 3. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 746 p.; 4. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 658 p.; 5. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 578 p.; 6. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, TRI), 555 p.; 7. Liam Everts (BEL, HUS), 544 p.; 8. Guillem Farres (ESP, TRI), 392 p.; 9. Valerio Lata (ITA, HON), 390 p.; 10. Mathis Valin (FRA, KAW), 376 p.
Following today’s racing action, the paddock and meet-and-greet session at the Afyon MotoFest brought the riders even closer to the Turkish fans. Spectators enjoyed a unique opportunity to hear Kawasaki Racing Team Romain Febvre, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Sacha and Lucas Coenen and Simon Längenfelder and Honda HRC Valerio Lata interviewed live on the main stage, before lining up to collect signed posters and share memorable moments together.
The lively atmosphere created a special connection between the public and the athletes, perfectly showcasing the spirit of MXGP in Türkiye.
MXGP OF TURKIYE QUICK FACTS:
Circuit length: 1800m
Type of ground: Hard Pack
Temperature: 25°
Weather conditions: Cloudy
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