MXGP Great Britain: Ducati, the numbers don’t add up; Lucas Coenen, what a crash!

After 26 years, the Motocross World Championship rediscovers the allure of Foxhill’s steep descents, stoking anticipation for a twelfth round that could further shake up the standings. Plot twist: Lucas Coenen, the phenomenal Belgian MXGP leader, flipped over after contact with Maxime Renaux. Qualifying went up in smoke—will he be able to contest both motos?

Jeffrey Herlings, Coenen’s direct chaser, only partially capitalized on the opportunity. On a track that seems particularly favorable to Honda, The Bullet got a bit tangled up at the start, and his furious charge ended in fourth. JH84 is now 61 points off the top—a very small margin considering there are still seven rounds to go (60 points each), and with Lucas Coenen possibly not at his best here at Foxhill—if he can line up at all.

Qualifying belonged to Spain’s Ruben Fernandez (Honda), taking the third Saturday sprint win of his career. He finished ahead of an excellent Romain Febvre (Kawasaki) and Tom Vialle (Honda), who rocketed out of the gate. A tough Saturday for the Italians: Andrea Adamo left the starting pen last, finishing twelfth. It went worse for Alberto Forato, who injured a shoulder in a crash and won’t be able to start.

The off-road project from the brand dominating MotoGP and Superbike began with great fanfare, but this season the Desmo 450 has been relegated to the chasing pack. Calvin Vlaanderen, the lone survivor of a team decimated by injuries, finished qualifying in ninth.

The under-23 qualifying went to Germany’s Simon Langerfelder (KTM), capitalizing on a last-lap crash by a rampant Guillem Farres. The Spaniard on the Triumph, who is sporting a special livery for his home race, bogged down at the worst moment and got stuck under the bike just as Langerfelder came through. On the final jump, Farres still managed to reclaim at least second with a decisive pass on teammate McLellan. Farres is now only 12 points behind Sacha Coenen, who ended up fourth. An encouraging ninth place for Ferruccio Zanchi, the only Ducati rider on the grid.

-> Follow us on Instagram: @Corsedimoto