Dylan Ferrandis continues to impress / Livia win again

Coming back to Wallonia for the first time since a while, the Belgian Grand Prix had a different face with a rainy Saturday, and a sunny Sunday. Injury to Valentin Teillet left Dylan Ferrandis alone to represent Team Rockstar Bud Racing Kawasaki and the French teenager again showed tremendous speed with a second position in qualification and a seventh place in the race.

In order to preserve the track for the races, the qualifying races were cancelled on Saturday and after a free practice session the riders qualified through a timed practice period. That didn’t affect Dylan’s confidence, which was fast on the wet and slippery track; posting the fastest lap time in his third lap, Dylan was leading the series for a long time but finally Van Horebeek grabbed the pole. With a good opening lap in race one Dylan came seventh behind Jordi Tixier, and the two Frenchmen passed each others a couple of time; unfortunately Dylan slides and lost a couple of seconds, and then crashed when another rider hit him. The engine stalled, and Dylan lost too much time in the incident…. His second race was similar, but this time and despite pain in his recently injured wrists he fought stoically forward to seventh place in race two to maintain his top ten world ranking. After three GP’s in a row (France, Portugal et Belgique) the world championship will make a break next weekend before the Swedish Grand Prix.

Livia Lancelot won again the french championship women with 3 moto win and will fly to America this week to race the XGames in Los Angeles end of june.

Dylan Ferrandis: “On Saturday I had a good feeling with the track, and only needed a few laps to get the second position in the timed practice session. The track was very good today, but in the first race I made a small mistake when I was seventh and another rider hit me; I stalled the engine stalled and lost too much time to restart. My second start was not so good, but I fought back to seventh; my wrist was painful again, so I will rest for a few days but we have two weeks before the next GP so I hope for a good race in Sweden.”

Jacky Vimond: “We were pleased this weekend to see Dylan so strong, and he impressed many people with his excellent result in the qualifying session. It was a great performance, and he confirmed his potential on Sunday, even if he didn’t finish the first race. He was strong in both heats, he always improves his results and is now regularly in the top seven for his first GP season; I’m sure that he will be even faster soon. Valentin has to stay at home with his broken left collarbone; we got advices from his orthopaedist, and he didn’t have any surgery. He will probably be back in Latvia.”

Two top five for Teillet and Ferrandis

Team Rockstar Bud Racing Kawasaki came back from Portugal GP with two top five results for Valentin Teillet and Dylan Ferrandis, but unfortunately none had been able to finish both heats due to racing incidents. In France Livia Lancelot got another triple win, and had not been defeated in the women series!

Valentin Teillet had a great qualifying race on Saturday, as he holeshot the race to score a strong fifth position right behind the leaders of the series. The track was different on Sunday as it didn’t stopped raining during the night, but once more Valentin shows his ability and scored another fifth position in 1st moto. Unfortunately his unlucky season with injury continued in the first turn of the second heat; the energetic Frenchman was involved in a pile-up and suffered a broken left collarbone to end his day’s racing. Valentin will miss at least the Belgian and Swedish GP’s.

After a good qualifying session, Dylan Ferrandis was in the top ten of the first race after a few laps when he got a stone in his rear brake disk and had to retire prematurely. He grabbed the holeshot in the second GP moto, and defied the discomfort of the wrist injury he had suffered one week earlier in France to maintain fourth place to the chequered flag. Dylan equalled his best ever race result – he got a fourth during the first race in Mexico – and is currently tenth in the standings before the Belgian GP this weekend.

Valentin Teillet: “I had a good qualifying race, as I got the holeshot and finished fifth after leading during three laps. In the first race I was happy to finish fifth again, and was expecting another good result in the second race, but at the start we all crashed when Roelants pushed me wide; unfortunately I felt on my left shoulder and broke my collarbone. It’s so frustrating to have another injury, especially as the accident wasn’t my fault.”

Dylan Ferrandis: “I had a good start in the first race and was running ninth when I got a stone in the rear brake disc; the disc was damaged, and I had to retire. I grabbed the holeshot in the second race, but Herlings and Searle passed me already on the first lap; later I only lost one more place to finish fourth position. This was a good result as the wrist which I injured last week was painful during the second half of the race.”

Valentin scored his best GP result at his home Grand Prix

Team Rockstar Bud Racing Kawasaki spent a good weekend in St Jean d’Angely, home of the French Grand Prix, despite the injury of Dylan Ferrandis who didn’t entered the sunday races. Many fans, partners and sponsors came to visit the French squad in the paddock, and with a sixth position in the MX2 class Valentin got his best result of the season in an incredible atmosphere.

On Saturday the team got his best result during the pre qualifying session, as Valentin and Dylan posted the second and third lap times behind the Championship leader! Valentin got a good start and secured a fourth place for the races, while Dylan crashed twice and ended the race with a painful wrist. Further exams revealed some damages to the cartilage, and Dylan had to watch the races.

After suffering terribly bad luck with injuries since the opening GP Valentin Teillet took his Kawasaki to sixth place overall in his home GP to augur well for the rest of the season. Supported by many fans, Valentin did a great race in the first moto; he came in third position after fifteen minutes, was passed by Searle and finally scored a fifth position after a small crash. His second heat was more difficult, as he crashed in the waves section during the opening lap; ninth of the race, he got his best result of the season.

Valentin Teillet: “After my injuries I haven’t been able to race so much and couldn’t practice correctly for several weeks, so it was physically demanding for me this weekend but I reached my goal with two correct results. It’s such a great feeling to finish two motos again, particularly in front of my home crowd; it was incredible to get so much support from the fans, I could hear them while riding my bike! Sixth place overall was a great result and it could have been better if I had not had one small crash in each race.”

Dylan Ferrandis: “I had my best pre-qualifying session of the season with the third best time, so I had a good gate for the qualifying race. My start was also good and I was in sixth place after several corners, but another rider hit me and forced me to crash. I carried on but then the front wheel slipped away in a fast corner and crashed again. I felt pain in my wrist and the team and I decided that I should not race until I have had a thorough examination on Monday.”

Stephane Dassé: “This weekend was pretty good for us, and Valentin had two strong races even if he is not fit due to his injuries. It’s a shame that Dylan got injured, he was so fast on this track; we took together the decision to skip the races, he will have more exams this week and we’ll see if he can race in Portugal. We met many people this weekend in the paddock, as always at the French Grand Prix, and it was a pleasure to see such a great atmosphere around the track.”

Dylan Ferrandis 8th in the World MX2

Dylan Ferrandis was in Brazil the single representative of the Rockstar Bud Racing Kawasaki team, as Valentin Teillet suffered from a wrist injury contracted one week ago in Mexico. With two finishes in one of the most difficult race we ever saw, Dylan consolidates his eighth position in the MX2 World Championship.

What a great organization was this Brazilian GP! Unfortunately heavy rain in the night ruined the track, and the red surface was really slippery and sticky for the races!

After a difficult qualifying session on Saturday, Dylan Ferrandis had the worst position on the grid but twice he came among the top twelve in the opening lap of each race. Racing for the first time in such treacherous conditions, Dylan had moved into the top ten of the opening moto until he was struck on the eye by a stone; the resultant adverse effect on his vision caused him to crash, but the teenager rebounded to finish eleventh in race two.

Valentin Teillet tried to compete on Saturday, but found the discomfort from the wrist he injured the previous weekend in Mexico too great and withdrew from the event before racing. He will be next weekend in Gaillac Toulza for the last round of the French Elite series, to defend his leadership on the MX2 class.

In the same time, David Herbreteau and Livia Lancelot have won an other national French 85cc & Women championship race this week-end and continue to lead their own championship easily.

Dylan Ferrandis: “It was the first time that I rode on a track as muddy as this, and I had a bad position on the grid so my starts were pretty difficult. I was tenth in the first race when a stone hit me in one eye; I tried to carry on but it was irritating me and caused me to crash. The second race was a little bit better, but I can’t be happy with an eleventh position.”

Valentin Teillet: “I had several examinations after Mexico and nothing is broken in my wrist, so I wanted to try to ride here. I did several laps on Saturday, but it was too painful and as we have the final round of the French Elite next weekend we decided not to race the GP; I’m currently leading the Elite series, and we want to get the title.”

Dylan Ferrandis in the top four!

Team Rockstar energy Bud Racing Kawasaki travelled to Guadajara this weekend for the first ever Grand Prix of Mexico, round four of the World Championship. It was a mixed day for the team who was pleased with a fourth position in race one for Dylan Ferrandis, but was sad when Valentin Teillet crashed hard in this heat while he was fighting with the leaders.

Despite the hot temperatures reigning on the hillside track at an altitude of nearly 1700m, the racing conditions were pretty good on Sunday after intensive work from the promoters to control the dust. On this rough track Valentin Teillet made a sensational return to GP action in race one, as he maintained pressure on the leading duo for half of the first race; fourth at mid period, he crashed later in the waves section and had to go for a check-up on a painful wrist. GP rookie Dylan Ferrandis then took up the challenge, and in a sensational final lap stormed from sixth to fourth for his best GP result to date. He had high expectations of yet another top finish in race two, but a crash at the first corner and another one lap later when a local rider lost control and jumped into him forced his early retirement.

In the same time, the young David Herbreteau was winning the 85cc european championship round in Slovenie aboard his 85 KX.

Dylan Ferrandis: “I didn’t make a good start in the first race but I kept pushing, and on the last lap I was able to pass Tixier and Roelants to finish fourth. I was delighted with that result and was optimistic for the second race. I got a great start this time, but in the first corner I slid out and crashed at the first corner; I damaged the throttle so I had to stop at the pits for repairs, and then a Mexican backmarker threw his bike at me and my race was over.”

Valentin Teillet: “I’m frustrated with this injury, and the worst thing is for sure that I was not at all riding over the limits. I had a good start in race one, and was riding safe as the track was dangerous in some places. When Searle passed me I didn’t tried to follow him and focused on my fourth position, but in the waves sections I don’t remember what happened when I crashed. I went to the hospital for exams and they didn’t detect any failure, but my left wrist is painful.”

Jacky Vimond: “Another strange weekend for us, as we laugh some time and cry later. The riders were fast on Saturday, and both prepared very well this GP. We arrived on Tuesday in Mexico, so everyone was used to the weather and in the first race both had a good start. Valentin was following the top three riders when he crashed in a tough section, let’s hope that his injury is not too serious. Dylan rode strong, he was not in the top ten but came back fourth after passing two riders in the last lap! It will give him even more confidence for the next GP’s, and we’re happy for him.”