2014 was the last time the GPs raced the sandy Hyvinkaa surface, with only a few guys remaining from that event. Gajser was one of them as he went three-three for third in the MX2 class, but for teammate Mitch Evans, it will be another completely new experience. The young Australian was at his best last weekend in Sweden, winning the qualification race, and but for a small mistake on lap one of race one, would definitely have been challenging for the podium spots. However, his fourth in race two was his best result of the season and a definite sign that he is getting better and better as the season draws to a close. Including Finland, there are three rounds left and he’ll be hoping to get on the podium in at least one of them, to try and finish this 2022 campaign on a high.
Gajser is also looking to get back to the form that saw him win six of the first seven rounds, and if he replicates that, he’ll be crowned MXGP champion for the fourth time in his career (2016, 2019, 2020) with his total of five titles (2015 MX2), including four in the premier class, moving him into the top four greatest riders of all-time. It would be an amazing accomplishment for a rider who is only 25 years old and with plenty of time ahead of him, his place in the pantheon of greats is only going to get more-established.
First things first though, he still has a job to do this weekend and that involves getting his setup right for a track he hasn’t raced for almost 10 years. First up will be a free practice session at 11:20 on Saturday morning, to get used to the terrain and just make sure the Honda CR450R is performing as it should. Then the pair have to put down a hot-lap in timed practice, to give them a good gate-pick for the Saturday afternoon qualifying session. A good result in that will see them take to the line for the two motos (14:15 and 17:10), where both Gajser and Evans will hopefully be battling for the podium positions.
Tim Gajser
"It was nice to get onto the podium in Sweden, even if I would have liked to have got the victory. Hopefully the Hyvinkaa track will allow a bit more passing, but it is cool to be going back there after a long absence. In 2014 I got a podium so I’m hoping to do that again, but it’ll feel like a new venue after not riding there in eight years. It’s crazy to think that there are only three rounds left now, so my target is to finish the season strongly and try to put my Honda CRF450R on top of the box as many times as possible."
Mitch Evans
"Despite my best moto score, I was still a bit disappointed with the overall result, however I’m trying to look at it positively as a sign of how far I’ve come this season. Fourth in race two is now the target to beat and that starts this weekend in Finland, which will be a new track for me but I was riding well in Lommel in the sand so that should be similar to what we’re about to race on this weekend. With six motos left, I really want to get on the podium this year and I’m feeling confident I can make that happen."
Marcus Pereira de Freitas - HRC General Manager - MXGP
"After a Saturday in Sweden when we went one-two, the Sunday finishes weren’t quite as good, but we are still happy that both riders performed well in that second moto and have had good preparation for Finland this weekend. It has been a long time since we’ve been there, so it will be a nice challenge for everyone, as sand has produced some really interesting results this year. The aim is to get both riders on the podium and we’ll do everything we can to make that happen."