07/06/2026
Solid fourth for Tim Gajser #243, tough weekend for Maxime Renaux #959 in MXGP of Latvia. Read the riders' reactions here 👇
Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP rider Tim Gajser secured a solid fourth overall at the MXGP of Latvia thanks to two consistent motos. The five-time world champion also remains fourth in the world championship standings. Maxime Renaux, meanwhile, endured a particularly unlucky weekend and had to settle for 17th overall in Kegums.
#243 Tim Gajser
Tim Gajser’s main focus last week was recovering from his knee injury. Nevertheless, the Slovenian travelled to Kegums with confidence and ambition. Not surprisingly, as the five-time world champion has already won four times (2016, 2019, 2021 and 2022) at the Zelta Zirgs circuit, which is renowned for its unique hard-packed sand surface.
However, the qualifying race did not go according to plan. After a poor start, Gajser had to fight his way back from 17th position and did so impressively. His charge through the field eventually earned him seventh place.
Tim’s start in race one was much better than on Saturday. He settled into sixth place and, on lap four, made an outside pass on local rider Pauls Jonass to move into fifth. He would hold that position until the chequered flag.
In race two, Gajser gained several positions on the opening lap and was fifth, once again behind Jonass. Tim wasted little time in making his move on the Latvian and quickly moved ahead. The five-time world champion then set his sights on the top three but was unable to close the gap. It turned into a weekend of 'fours' for Gajser: fourth in race two, fourth overall in the Grand Prix and fourth in the championship standings.
Gajser: "It was another difficult weekend, but there are still positives to take away from it. I was able to put together two solid motos and finish both races, which was important. In the second moto, I felt much better on the bike. I was closer to the riders ahead and could maintain my pace until the finish. It was definitely a step in the right direction. The last three weeks have been really demanding, so the focus now is on making the most of the weekend off to recover as much as possible and get as close to 100% as I can for Montevarchi. I also want to thank everyone in the team for their support. During difficult weekends, it’s incredibly important to have good people around you who keep you motivated and help you stay positive.
#959 Maxime Renaux
Maxime Renaux completed an extra sand training session last week in preparation for the Latvian Grand Prix. "We tested a few small improvements to the bike based on the data we gathered in Spain," explained the Frenchman. "The sand there is quite similar to Kegums, so we'll see if it pays off."
The qualifying race was one to forget. After an average start, Maxime suffered a heavy crash on lap three. He was thrown over the handlebars and then had his bike land on top of him. "I'm lucky to have escaped without any injuries," admitted the Frenchman. Renaux was forced to retire from the race, leaving him with an unfavourable gate pick for Sunday's motos.
In race one, he fought his way from 21st place to finish 11th. Starting from the very outside gate in race two, Renaux got off to a brilliant start and emerged from the opening laps in eighth position. However, a small crash on the opening lap dropped him back to 13th. Unfortunately, misfortune struck again just one lap later when a mechanical issue forced the Frenchman out of the race. It was a bitter end to his Latvian Grand Prix.
Renaux: "It was a frustrating weekend. The problems started in the qualifying race when I landed heavily from a jump and damaged the front wheel, which meant I couldn’t finish the race. That left me starting from the very outside on Sunday, which made things really difficult. In the first moto, I didn’t get a good start and struggled to find my rhythm and pace. The second moto started much better, but I made a mistake in the opening laps. Even after the crash, I was still in a decent position and felt like there was more to come. Unfortunately, I then suffered a technical issue that forced me out of the race. That’s part of racing sometimes."
Images .media
Qualifying race
1 Lucas Coenen (Bel/KTM)
2 Jeffrey Herlings (Ned/Hon)
3 Kay de Wolf (Ned/Hus)
4 Romain Febvre (Fra/Kaw)
5 Ruben Fernandez (Esp/Hon)
7 TIM GAJSER (Slo/Yam)
MAXIME RENAUX (Fra/Yam) DNF
Race 1
1 Lucas Coenen (Bel/KTM)
2 Kay de Wolf (Ned/Hus)
3 Jeffrey Herlings (Ned/Hon)
4 Romain Febvre (Fra/Kaw)
5 TIM GAJSER (Slo/Yam)
11 MAXIME RENAUX (Fra/Yam)
Race 2
1 Lucas Coenen (Bel/KTM)
2 Romain Febvre (Fra/Kaw)
3 Kay de Wolf (Ned/Hus)
4 TIM GAJSER (Slo/Yam)
5 Pauls Jonass (Lat/Kaw)
MAXIME RENAUX (Fra/Yam) DNF
Overall
1 Lucas Coenen (Bel/KTM) 50
2 Kay de Wolf (Ned/Hus) 42
3 Romain Febvre (Fra/Kaw) 40
4 TIM GAJSER (Slo/Yam) 34
5 Pauls Jonass (Lat/Kaw) 30
17 MAXIME RENAUX (Fra/Yam) 10
Championship (8/19)
1 Lucas Coenen (Bel/KTM) 404
2 Jeffrey Herlings (Ned/Hon) 342
3 Romain Febvre (Fra/Kaw) 310
4 TIM GAJSER (Slo/Yam) 294
5 Kay de Wolf (Ned/Hus) 273
6 MAXIME RENAUX (Fra/Yam) 261
Manufacturers (8/19)
1 Honda 425
2 KTM 420
3 YAMAHA 353
4 Kawasaki 335
5 Husqvarna 273