Under the bright and sunny skies, the wide and flowing Matterley Basin circuit provided the perfect backdrop for an intense showdown between the three talented riders, Benistant, Geerts and Simon Laengenfelder in Race One.
When the gates dropped, Benistant and Geerts chased Laengenfelder around turn one, quickly establishing themselves as the frontrunners. All three riders ran a blistering pace, captivating the attention of the crowd as they took the fight for the race win right down to the wire. At the flag, it was Laengenfelder who held on to take the checkers ahead of Benistant and Geerts.
Following the result of Race One, the battle for the silver medal hinged on the outcome of Race Two. Geerts was squeezed off the gate but showed the same grit and determination that has taken him to 55 podiums throughout his incredible MX2 career, as he charged from 10th and past all MX2’s heavy hitters to end the ‘250cc chapter’ of his career with a phenomenal race win.
At the same time, Benistant started ninth and, despite feeling slightly ‘off’ on the track, still powered back to sixth. After missing six rounds of the championship through injury, Benistant ends 2023 ninth in the MX2 Classification.
Elzinga battled a slight shoulder injury to finish ninth in Race One and 16th in Race Two after a fall and ended his first term in MX2, 10th in the Championship Classification.
This year, the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 team celebrated seven Pole Positions, 15 race wins, and 18 podium finishes, of which 10 were Grand Prix victories, to secure Yamaha its fourth consecutive MX2 Manufacturer’s World Title.
Click here to view the results from the MX2 Grand Prix of Great Britain.
Click here to view the photos from the MX2 Grand Prix of Great Britain.
