Red Bull KTM Factory Racing journeyed to a hot and demanding Shanghai for the second-ever Grand Prix of China and to the impressive Shanghai International Off-road Circuit where Jeffrey Herlings jumped back onto the MXGP podium with 3rd overall.
The second MXGP at the Shanghai International Off-road Circuit was reduced to a one-day format due to adverse weather conditions. A typhoon warning in the region obliged qualification and races to be shifted from the Sunday/Monday schedule to just Sunday morning and with a single Free/Timed Practice session to decide the start gate in place of the usual RAM Qualification heat. The site itself is modern and primed for world championship racing and houses a long, quick and hard-pack track featuring a loose and sandy top layer of terrain.
Jeffrey Herlings was the only member of the Red Bull KTM rider roster with experience of the 2019 Chinese Grand Prix but the Dutchman was dealing with painful cracked ribs and the burn to his arm after his crash in Turkey last weekend. Herlings managed P5 in Timed Practice for the gate.
In the first MXGP race Herlings moved up from a top six position on the first lap to grab 3rd by the flag. In the second moto he also cautiously built his speed and recovered ground to place 4th and ensured his fourteenth trophy of the campaign.
Herlings is 3rd in the MXGP World Championship and sits 48 points behind new leader Jorge Prado after Tim Gajser had a technical issue in the first moto. He trails Gajser by 41 with a maximum of 60 points up for grabs this season. Herlings has already confirmed a top three ranking for 2024.
The series finale, the Grand Prix of Castilla la Mancha, will take place on September 28-29 and will be followed by the Motocross of Nations at Matterley Basin in the UK.
Jeffrey Herlings, 3rd and 4th for 3rd overall in MXGP: “The silly crash in Turkey meant I broke two ribs and although I could ride today it was anything but nice! The championship was out of the picture so I just wanted to do what I could and go home safely. It was short trip and tough for the body but I’m a big fan of the one-day format. It’s been good to come here. It’s a world championship so we should be here and is positive for the brands. It was a good event and the track was nice. My ultimate goal was to finish the season this year and go the whole way for the first time since 2017 without missing one race and we’re almost there.”
Results MXGP China 2024
1. Jorge Prado (ESP), GASGAS, 2-1
2. Romain Febvre (FRA), Kawasaki, 1-3
3. Jeffrey Herlings (NED), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 3-4
Standings MXGP 2024 after 19 of 20 rounds
1. Jorge Prado (ESP), GASGAS, 943 points
2. Tim Gajser (SLO), Honda, 936
3. Jeffrey Herlings (NED), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 895