History for Herlings with record-equaling 101st Grand Prix win in Portugal
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing launched into the first of two back-to-back events on the Iberian Peninsula by watching Jeffrey Herlings win his 101st career Grand Prix and his second of the 2023 MXGP series at a sunny Agueda for the Grand Prix of Portugal.
The distinctive red soil of Agueda staged the FIM Motocross World Championship once more but provided the riders and teams of the MXGP and MX2 classes with a reversed course and other modifications to the quick, jumpy and relentless layout. Agueda has been a steadfast and consistent date on the MXGP slate for the competition’s most westerly European appointment.
Two rounds after Jeffrey Herlings crested the three-figure barrier in the Grand Prix record books, the five-times world champion was back to his attack on the sport’s statistics. A 3rd place in the first moto (finishing two seconds from the winner) despite arm-pump was forgotten with a rampaging performance and victorious run in the second outing. Jeffrey is now one GP triumph away from the outright #1 status in the world championship record books. In the framework of 2023 Herlings is 2nd in the MXGP championship table, staring at a slender 17 point deficit to Jorge Prado with the red plate.
MXGP decamps a short distance and across the border for round six. The Grand Prix of Spain will take place at Intu Xanadu Arroyomolinos next weekend.
Jeffrey Herlings, 3rd and 1st for 1st overall in MXGP: “It’s really great to come and get another win. It’s been a long road and I feel I am getting back to my old self in some ways. A good performance today. The first moto wasn’t that positive and I had some arm-pump again – I really don’t know why – but in the second one I felt like a different rider and could really push. I’m looking forward to Spain. 101 GP wins is pretty special and now just one more for the record.”
Results MXGP Portugal 2023
1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 3-1
2. Romain Febvre (FRA), Kawasaki, 2-3
3. Jorge Prado (ESP), GASGAS, 1-6
4. Ruben Fernandez (ESP), Honda, 7-2
5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI), Yamaha, 5-4
Standings MXGP 2023 after 5 of 19 rounds
1. Jorge Prado (ESP), GASGAS, 246 points
2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 229
3. Romain Febvre (FRA), Kawasaki, 214
4. Maxime Renaux (FRA), Yamaha, 202
5. Ruben Fernandez (ESP), Honda, 182
