ROCKSTAR ENERGY SUZUKI SET FOR GERMANY

Filed under: Off-Road |

Rockstar Energy Suzuki World MX1 will attack the final five rounds of the FIM Motocross World Championship beginning this weekend with the Grand Prix of Germany at the Lausitzring motorsport complex with the goal to increase their trophy tally in the premier MX1 class.

Clement Desalle and Kevin Strijbos have notched 11 podium finishes between them with the factory RM-Z450 and both walked the rostrum at Finland for the previous meeting in the series almost a fortnight ago.

Both riders are sitting in the top five of the MX1 standings and Desalle has been gaining ground on Gautier Paulin in the past two meetings and lies just nine points from second place. Strijbos, who participated in the Everts and Friends charity event last weekend, needs to defend a 28-point margin from Tommy Searle.

“After three Grands Prix in a row it was good to break the routine a little bit,” said Desalle. “I worked on my GSX-R1000 and also took it out around Spa Francorchamps. I already got my knee on the ground the first time I went for some laps; it is not easy to do at Spa because it is very fast and there are not so many tight corners! Apart from that I had some relaxed time and also did some mountain-biking with friends. We have started preparation for Germany this week, even if some of the summer temperatures have been a bit crazy; it was 33 degrees in Lommel!

“I don’t really want to put too much pressure on myself,” he said about the close proximity to second place in the MX1 Championship. “At the same time I am looking at the points and just have to concentrate on doing the best I can in these last five races.”

High temperatures and sunny conditions fill the long-term forecast for the Grand Prix this weekend. The Lausitzring represents a strange venue for the series with a quick and jumpy temporary layout hastily constructed in front of the vast spectator banking enclosure and across part of the road racing track. Work started only last week on the formation of the course that has precious little time to bed-in and it is hard to know what the GP stars will encounter come Saturday’s programme. “That’s the problem,” said Desalle. “If it is still being built now then I’m worried it will not be able to pack-down well but we’ll see. It will be something different and a surprise, that’s for sure.”