Last weekend, the Arnhem circuit, characterised by a very sandy surface, hosted the Dutch Grand Prix, the 16th round of the 2023 FIM Motocross World Championship. The climate was mostly warm, quite unusual for these latitudes.
Ben Watson (Beta 450RX) started the weekend with the fifteenth time in the time trials. In qualifying, after starting close to the top ten, the English rider began a good comeback, unfortunately thwarted by a crash that forced him to finish in eighteenth place. In the first moto, he showed his excellent riding skills on the sand and finished eleventh. Placement he also confirmed in the second moto, at the end of a thrilling comeback, after an off-track excursion on the first lap that forced him to start from last position. Watson is 10th overall and has moved up to 13th in the championship standings.
The little soft-bottom feeling did not help Alessandro Lupino (Beta 450RX). Twenty-third in the time trials and twenty-eighth in the qualifying race, unfortunately slowed down by some crashes. The little training on the sand due to the long stop for the back injury and some crashes did not allow Alessandro to collect points in the two title heats.
Ben Watson: “The tenth place overall I achieved here in Arnhem is definitely a positive result. On Saturday the feeling was good and in qualifying I had good speed. Unfortunately, a crash caused me to lose some positions. On Sunday, I felt I could have done well, despite starting from quite a remote position at the starting gate. In the first moto, I started in the middle of the group but I had a good pace and finished 11th. With one lap to go I could have done even better. In the second moto I started badly and on the first lap I also went off the track after a contact with an opponent. When I came back I was practically last but my speed was excellent and I also felt good physically. I came back and finished 11th, always very close to the riders in front of me.”
Alessandro Lupino: “It’s very difficult to sum up after such a negative weekend for me. I knew it would be a tough race, because after the back injury I hardly had a chance to train on the sand. This lack was palpable: in the race, I suffered a lot and struggled a lot. A couple of falls then slowed me down further. Fortunately, I can now take advantage of the two weeks separating us from the race in Turkey to prepare as well as possible and return to the places I have shown on several occasions to be within my reach.”
With the Dutch round concluded, the MRT Racing Team Beta Factory will return to racing at the Afyonkarahisar circuit in a fortnight’ time with the Turkish Grand Prix, the 17th round of the 2023 FIM Motocross World Championship.
