Tim Gajser was one of the big names in this MXGP to miss most of the races while recovering from an injury. For Marcus Pereira de Freitas, when the rider returned, it became clear that he still had speed, but he couldn’t put it all together in the early stages.
The HRC General Manager spoke about the season with the team, with the moment of the Slovenian’s return not being forgotten: ‘We immediately saw that Tim had speed in his comeback when he was the fastest in the timed practice in Loket. However, then we saw the true effects of the injury, when he couldn’t put it all together to have a good race in the first events’.
Although he felt good training at home, the real sensations on some specific tracks were a bigger challenge on the path to recovery: ‘We knew that the motos in the Czech Republic would be much more difficult than the practice sessions, because you simply can’t replicate the races when you’re at home. Then, there were three sand tracks in the following four, with the other being Sweden, which was almost impossible to pass, so once again, we weren’t expecting much, due to the little he had been able to train in the sand’.
As the season went on, Gajser improved and was able to show a glimpse of what he was capable of: ‘Finally, in Turkey, Maggiora and Matterley, there were three tracks that he liked and he managed to win three motos and two GPs and show everyone that he’s back. The double victory in Matterley was a great ending and he gave himself a lot of confidence for this low season, showing that he’s still at the top of the standings when he’s at his best’.
