Fans' support and grit: Gajser thrills; in MXGP, Yamaha is on the pace

More and more at ease with Yamaha and increasingly a leading figure. Tim Gajser, still sore from his crash in Sardinia, shone at the MXGP of Trentino.

The ability to constantly reinvent himself, to reach new milestones, and to keep feeling the emotions. Tim Gajser, beaming with a huge smile and misty eyes, wearing a livery paying tribute to Valentino Rossi, sealed his first moto win since switching to Yamaha, with a huge crowd of Slovenian fans flocking to the Trentino mountains to celebrate their hero. The “almost home” race at Arco di Trento, the MXGP World Championship round closest to his Slovenia, was a memorable moment for him and his supporters, but also for the Iwata manufacturer, which is witnessing the rise of its new ace, the former Honda standard-bearer embarking on a brand-new challenge. The feeling with the YZ450FM is constantly improving, and the 2nd place overall is even more telling: just five rounds in and the fight at the top is as alive as ever. Now it’s time for a break until the end of May, before the action resumes in France.

It may seem obvious to call him a leading contender even under a different brand, but reality is never that simple, even when we’re talking about undisputed talents—of which Gajser is undoubtedly one. Comparisons aren’t necessary: sure, the much-anticipated Herlings-Honda pairing roared first, but calmly, the second revolutionary duo, Gajser-Yamaha, is arriving. After the nasty crash just a week earlier in Sardinia, a swift comeback was needed and it didn’t take long, fueled by jubilant Slovenian fans who at times were so loud it felt like a home race! After qualifying fifth, he was immediately among the frontrunners in Race 1, holding second for a long time before slipping to P4 at the end. In Race 2 he made his presence felt right away, instantly in podium territory but that wasn’t enough: he managed to reel in hard-charging rookie Kay De Wolf, then set his sights on Lucas Coenen, firmly in the lead, but there was no need to risk it. An unexpected mistake by the polesitter and race leader cleared the way for the 29-year-old multi-time Slovenian champion, who then flew off unchallenged (firmly answering a comeback attempt by Herlings, ultimately kept 4 seconds behind) to secure his first moto triumph on a Yamaha—an outstanding result that earned him second overall and a climb to 4th in the championship.

The evident celebration by the six-time world champion (one MX2 title and five MXGP) clearly showed what the Trentino weekend result meant to him, on a track like “Il Ciclamino” where he had previously claimed six GP wins. Not to mention he was still battered from the Riola Sardo crash. “I needed a race like this,” Tim Gajser emphasized. “I’m speechless, so happy! I knew it was going to be a tough weekend because I was still in a lot of pain after the crash at Riola, but I gave everything I had.” He also paid tribute to his massive crowd support: “The fans gave me a huge boost, especially in the second moto. A huge thank you to everyone who came all the way here to support me!” And more: “I also want to thank the whole team and everyone around me, from the physiotherapists to the staff, who made it possible for me to be ready for this race. Now we have a break, which will give me time to fully recover, and then we’ll be ready to go again in four weeks.”