MXGP of Latvia sweep for commanding Herlings
De Wolf delivers perfect scorecard to stand tall in MX2.
A commanding Jeffrey Herlings swept the MXGP of Latvia with strong performances across the eighth round of the 2023 MXGP World Championship, as Kay de Wolf stood tall in MX2 with a perfect scorecard at Kegums to capture the red plate.
After winning the qualifying race, Herlings (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) went 1-1 to claw back valuable points on title rival Jorge Prado, the GasGas Factory Racing rider notching a 2-3 scorecard to land P2 overall.
Third on the day was Romain Febvre (Kawasaki Racing Team), the number three finishing sixth in moto one before rebounding in the final encounter to lead before crossing the line in second, 4.972s from Herlings.
Also featuring inside the top five, Monster Energy Yamaha MXGP duo Glenn Coldenhoff (4-4) and Jeremy Seewer (7-5) completed the eighth round fourth and fifth overall respectively. Australia’s Mitch Evans (Kawasaki Racing Team) concluded the round 11th overall, courtesy of a 17-11 scorecard.
Prado continues to hold the MXGP red plate, with his advantage ahead of Herlings now 15 points ahead of the MXGP of Germany.
Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s de Wolf delivered a qualifying race victory followed by a 1-1 scorecard to capture the red plate, with former leader Jago Geerts (Monster Energy Yamaha) still sidelined with injury.
A consistent 3-3 scorecard landed teammate Roan Van De Moosdijk second overall, as early race one leader Thibault Benistant completed the overall podium on the day with a 2-6 scorecard.
5-4 results saw title contender Andrea Adamo (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) fourth overall, as Kevin Horgmo (F&H Racing Kawasaki) completed the top five.
Notably, Lucas Coenen (Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing) delivered a promising showing in moto two to lead throughout much of the bout, ultimately losing P1 when he made a mistake on the 13th lap before finishing the outing in second position.
De Wolf now sits at the head of the MX2 standings, 12 points clear of Adamo with Benistant third and a further seven points back.