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Paulin in sensational Italian MX1-GP debut victory
Monster Energy Yamaha's Gautier Paulin stepped up to the premier MX1-GP class in fine style by taking the powerful and agile factory YZ450FM to victory at a sizzling Fermo and the Grand Prix of Italy. The final round of fifteen in the FIM Motocross World Championship was played out in front of 18,000 spectators and across the steep and hard-pack track on the Adriatic coast, south of Ancona.
Paulin, riding the works machine of Steven Frossard after the Frenchman was forced to miss the meeting due to a chest infection, made his debut in the category and assisted Frossard's confirmation of the runner-up spot in the MX1-GP standings; a fantastic achievement for number ‘183' in his rookie season.
At Fermo, Paulin gelled immediately with the works machine and confidently notched pole position on Saturday to grab the inside gate. Two decent starts helped towards his race performances and the first moto was outstanding as the 21 year old edged a four second lead by the second lap and controlled the full distance. In the second affair he enjoyed a close battle with Christophe Pourcel and set the fastest circulation of the race on lap ten as he pushed into the lead. With a guaranteed overall win in his sights and across an increasingly rough track Paulin elected not to take too many risks and made sure of the spoils with an assured runner-up place behind Pourcel.
For the second Grand Prix in a row Anthony Boissiere was one of the protagonists in the mid top ten and was sixth overall with results of fifth and seventh. The Frenchman was particularly active in the first race where he barrelled through tussles with Davide Guarneri, Evgeny Bobryshev and Christophe Pourcel to reach the top five. He paid the price a little for his exertions in the second moto and tired slightly but it was still a bright finish to the season for the Monster Energy Yamaha man.
Carlos Campano embarked on his last ride in the Monster Energy Yamaha set-up but his day was ruined with a first moto fall that left him with a painful left wrist. He was forced out of the second race despite a brave attempt to grab some points.
After fifteen rounds in fourteen countries the FIM Motocross World Championship has come to a close and with Frossard in second position Yamaha have managed to secure the runner-up position in the Manufacturer's standings. David Philippaerts unfortunately was on the sidelines since round eleven and ends the year in ninth place. Carlos Campano finishes nineteenth in the standings while Anthony Boissiere, after his strong rally in the closing races, has taken thirteenth.
Steven Frossard will undergo a scan on his chest on Monday (12th) and will make a decision over his fitness to represent his country at the 65th Motocross of Nations next week at St Jean D'Angely. Campano hopes to fly the flag for Spain and Arnaud Tonus will steer a YZ450F for Switzerland.
Updated Information
What is the WMX (World Motocross Championship) MX1 class?
Motocross is a sport where riders compete for speed over dirt courses that take advantage of the terrain to create a series of sections like table-tops and washboards that test the riders' skills. Although motocross doesn't involve the high speeds of road racing, it is just as thrilling to watch, as the riders all start from the same line in a mad rush and perform jumps that send them as much as 20 meters through the air and battle through corners where physical contact between competitors is not uncommon.
The international pinnacle of this exciting sport of motocross is the WMX. The WMX first started in 1957 with only a 500cc class, later adding a 250cc class (the present MX1) in 1962 and a 125cc class (the present MX2) in 1975. Of these, the MX1 is currently considered the pinnacle class, pitting 2-stroke machines of under 250cc and 4-stroke machines of under 450cc compete against each other. Because this class attracts top riders from around the world, the fans cheer not only for their favorite riders and makers but also on a national basis.
The finals are completed in a two-heat format comprised of 35 minutes plus 2 laps (All-Japan Championships are run in a two-heat format of 30 minutes plus 1 lap), with points given for the finishers in both heats. These points all count toward the overall season ranking.
Until now, Yamaha has won eleven championship titles in this premier class (including the former 250cc class).
