Jorge Prado extends his championship lead in Sardegna

Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing jumped into the bottomless sand of Riola Sardo earlier today, as the second round of the 2023 FIM Motocross World Championship was run in the spectacular setting. It was yet another successful outing for Jorge Prado, who retained the red plate and extended his series lead aboard his MC 450F.

• Jorge Prado extends his championship lead in MXGP.
• Mattia Guadagnini charges hard on the rugged track.
• Simon Langenfelder shows potential aboard MC 250F. 

Jorge Prado was on the gas for so much of the weekend, as he ripped to pole position via a clear win in the qualification heat and was just as dominant in the first moto earlier today. '61' slid into the lead on lap one and led for the duration to add even more points to that championship tally. Sixth was his ranking in the second moto, following a small mistake, which put him in third overall at the Grand Prix and ensured that he maintained his grip on the red plate. Seven points is his advantage – he extended his lead by five points.

Jorge Prado: "I think that the start of the year has been very good for me. I am quite happy! It was a pity to not have a good start in the second moto – I just lost my rhythm. I came back and regrouped a little bit at the end of the moto. It was not too bad. We have the red plate and I am very happy about that."

Joining Prado in the premier division, Mattia Guadagnini had to work extremely hard in the very tricky conditions. The first stint was already quite eventful – he was involved in so many battles on the cusp of the top ten and eventually crossed the finish line in tenth place. Unfortunately, '101' was caught in the melee on lap one of the second moto and had to charge through the field to salvage a twelfth. It was an incredible effort and one that will go unnoticed by most. 10-12 scores put him in eleventh on the day and helped him maintain a top-ten ranking in the championship standings. 

Simon Langenfelder showed plenty of pace aboard his MC 250F at the Grand Prix of Sardegna, as he was locked into the race for the victory in moto one. '516' led four laps of that stint before hitting the checkered flag in third place. The second stint was even more eventful for Langenfelder – he spent a lot of the race locked into battles for a position inside of the top five and was eventually classified in seventh. 3-7 rankings put him in fourth overall on the day, four points shy of the podium, and bumped him to fifth in the championship standings.

Mattia Guadagnini: "The riding was not good today – I could not find a rhythm. I did not ride my best in the first moto and lost some places, but I pushed at the end to get some positions back. I had a crash on the first lap of the second moto; I just tried to ride the best possible at that point. I made some good passes. Overall, I am not happy about the weekend. It is what it is though! There are many races to go."

Simon Langenfelder: "I had a good start in the first race and was leading the race! I felt really good and that gave me some confidence for the second moto. I could not find the flow in the second race. I was riding too aggressive and finished seventh, so I was not happy with that. We have a hard-pack track next and I think that will be nice!"

Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing's trio will take advantage of another small break in the calendar now, before continuing their respective title bids in Switzerland on the weekend of April 08. Frauenfeld will host the Grand Prix of Switzerland, round three of the 2023 FIM Motocross World Championship.

Download high-res images of our racers in action at the Grand Prix of Sardegna here.

Results – 2023 FIM Motocross World Championship, Round Two

MXGP – Overall
1. Jeffrey Herlings (KTM) 44pts
2. Glenn Coldenhoff (Yamaha) 41pts
3. Jorge Prado (GASGAS) 40pts
11. Mattia Guadagnini (GASGAS) 20pts

MXGP – Moto One
1. Jorge Prado (GASGAS)
2. Jeffrey Herlings (KTM)
3. Calvin Vlaanderen (Yamaha)
10. Mattia Guadagnini (GASGAS)

MXGP – Moto Two
1. Glenn Coldenhoff (Yamaha)
2. Jeffrey Herlings (KTM)
3. Maxime Renaux (Yamaha)
6. Jorge Prado (GASGAS)
12. Mattia Guadagnini (GASGAS)

MXGP – Standings
1. Jorge Prado (GASGAS) 100pts
2. Jeffrey Herlings (KTM) 93pts
3. Maxime Renaux (Yamaha) 78pts
10. Mattia Guadagnini (GASGAS) 55pts

MX2 – Overall
1. Jago Geerts (Yamaha) 47pts
2. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 47pts
3. Thibault Benistant (Yamaha) 38pts
4. Simon Langenfelder (GASGAS) 34pts

MX2 – Moto One
1. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna)
2. Jago Geerts (Yamaha)
3. Simon Langenfelder (GASGAS)

MX2 – Moto Two
1. Jago Geerts (Yamaha)
2. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna)
3. Thibault Benistant (Yamaha)
7. Simon Langenfelder (GASGAS)

MX2 – Standings
1. Jago Geerts (Yamaha) 117pts
2. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 87pts
3. Thibault Benistant (Yamaha) 86pts
5. Simon Langenfelder (GASGAS) 79pts