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05.03.2013 |
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| MOTOCROSS GRAND PRIX OF QATAR, PHILIPPAERTS IS BACK ! |
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Qatar was the first venue of the FIM Motocross World Championship 2013 and the first ever GP to be raced under artificial lights at night time and the result was astonishing with a great track layout designed inside the famous MotoGP circuit of Losail a few miles away from the Doha city.
David PHILIPPAERTS had his first GP after missing half season in 2012 due to injury and the impression he left to everybody was that the warrior is back ! In the first MX1 race when he was riding already in the top 10, in the first lap, DP19 lost his front wheel and crashed and could only restart 45 seconds behind the last rider and with an impressive pace he catched the group and could take the last place available to race the Superfinal. In the Superfinal DP19 completely from the outside spot took a great start in the top 10 again and raced till the end in the top pack finishing a very good 9th and showing that in a few GP's he will be strong enough to play for the podium.
Harri KULLAS in the MX2 class has been struggling all weekend due to problems with his hands after the big crash he had in the italian championship 3 weeks ago. On the Friday he could still ride without much pain and was able to finish 14th in the qualifiyng race but on the Saturday his problem was getting worse and he could manage to finish the two races in 14th place in the MX2 race and 17th of his class in the Superfinal, marking points anyway for the championship.
Harri Kullas:
"I really couldn't ride with all these blisters on my hands. I did not ride the last two weeks because of my thumb injury and to have a GP as a first race was quite tough for me."
David Philippaerts:
"Without the crash in the first race I could have finished both races in the top ten which is a very good result for my come back to GP's. I just need some more races but my feeling is now very good."
Giacomo Gariboldi: Gariboldi Honda Team Owner:
"It was great to see DP19 back fighting with the top riders and I'm convinced that he just needs now some more GP's to get back his confidence but the championship is so long that he has time. It's disappointing for Kullas because we expected to see him in the top six but the thumb injury he suffered in Italy, slowed down his preparation for this first GP and didn't allow him to ride how he knows. As I said it's a long way and the level in the MX2 class looks to me very balanced this season." |
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