Gautier Paulin Holds Onto World Championship Lead

MX2 World Championship leader, Gautier Paulin, and the Bud Racing Kawasaki Team made the trip to Portugal this weekend for Round 5 of the nail biting MX2 Motocross World Championships, which took place on a well manicured Agueda circuit. 

In the Saturday qualifying race Paulin got a little boxed in on the start and had to really get the pedal down as he rounded up lap 1 in 11th position. Pushing wheel to wheel in this closely contested class of MX2 riders the likeable Frenchman worked hard to get his way through to 5th position in the short 20 minute and 2 lap race, giving a decent gate pick for the main races on Sunday.

 

Getting a good start for heat 1 Gautier powered his Kawasaki through turn 1 in 4th position as the large crowd cheered on the swarm of riders. As expected Paulin was flying as he posted blistering lap times in hunt of the leader, local hero Rui Goncalves.  Closing down on the lead by lap 8, Paulin struck misfortune when a stone puncture the radiator water pipe causing his bike to start to overheat. Realizing he had a problem, Paulin backed off, allowing fellow countrymen and championship contenders Musquin and Frossard to slip past, whilst he took it easy on the bike. Riding a smooth and consistent few laps to the end of the race the Kawasaki rider ended up in 4th position.

 

Heat 2 would prove tough as Paulin had to dig deep to defend his World Championship lead that he has held right from the first GP of the season. After an appalling start, it was clear this was not going to be an easy race for the Frenchman. Jockeying back and forth for position throughout the entire race the nineteen-year-old eventually finished up the long race in 8th position, holding onto the World Championship lead.

 

“The race was tough for me today,” admitted Paulin.  “The guys were fast and I just missed that little extra speed.  When Musquin passed in moto 2 I tried to follow his lines but that just messed me up because they didn’t work for my style at all. I still hold the championship lead and I am sure that I will be re-focused for Spain next weekend where I will be aiming for the win.”

 

Paulin will start round 6 of the 15 round series with a 6 point advantage in Bellpuig, Spain on the 16-17 May.

 

Image: CDS

 

Race results:

MX2 Race 1

1        Musquin, Marvin        FRA     Honda

2        Goncalves, Rui          POR    KTM

3        Frossard, Steven      FRA     Kawasaki

4          Paulin, Gautier          FRA     Kawasaki

5        Guarneri, Davide       ITA     Yamaha

6        Larrieu, Loic   FRA     Yamaha

7        Tonus, Arnaud          SUI     KTM

8        Aubin, Nicolas FRA     Yamaha

9        Roczen, Ken   GER     Suzuki

10      Lupino, Alessandro    ITA     Yamaha

11      Roelants, Joel BEL     KTM

12      Bobryshev, Evgeny    RUS    Yamaha

13      Sword, Stephen        GBR     KTM

14      Monni, Manuel ITA     Yamaha

15      Kojima, Yohei  JPN     Suzuki

30      van Horebeek, Jeremy         BEL     KTM

MX2 Race 2

1        Goncalves, Rui          POR    KTM

2        Frossard, Steven      FRA     Kawasaki

3        Guarneri, Davide       ITA     Yamaha

4        Roczen, Ken   GER     Suzuki

5        Larrieu, Loic   FRA     Yamaha

6        Musquin, Marvin        FRA     Honda

7        Boog, Xavier   FRA     Suzuki

8          Paulin, Gautier          FRA     Kawasaki

9        Tonus, Arnaud          SUI     KTM

10      Schiffer, Marcus       GER     KTM

11      Lupino, Alessandro    ITA     Yamaha

12      van Horebeek, Jeremy         BEL     KTM

13      Monni, Manuel ITA     Yamaha

14      Bobryshev, Evgeny    RUS    Yamaha

15      Sword, Stephen        GBR     KTM

MX2 GP Overall

1        Goncalves, Rui          POR    KTM    47

2        Frossard, Steven      FRA     Kawasaki       42

3        Musquin, Marvin        FRA     Honda 40

4        Guarneri, Davide       ITA     Yamaha         36

5        Larrieu, Loic   FRA     Yamaha         31

6          Paulin, Gautier          FRA     Kawasaki       31

7        Roczen, Ken   GER     Suzuki 30

8        Tonus, Arnaud          SUI     KTM    26

9        Lupino, Alessandro    ITA     Yamaha         21

10      Bobryshev, Evgeny    RUS    Yamaha         16

MX2 World championship standings:

1          Paulin, G.       FRA     171

2        Musquin, M.   FRA     165

3        Guarneri, D.    ITA     147

4        Goncalves, Rui          POR    125

5        Boog, Xavier   FRA     108

6        Frossard, S.   FRA     105

7        Osborne, Zach         USA    100

8        Aubin, Nicolas FRA     98

9        Simpson, Shaun        GBR     97

10      Tonus, Arnaud          SUI     72

11      Larrieu, Loic   FRA     70

12      Monni, Manuel ITA     67

13      Schiffer, M.    GER     66

14      Roelants, Joel BEL     61

15      Lupino, A.      ITA     56