Paul Jonass rebounds to finish top 10 in MXGP Italy round

Latvian motocross rider Paul Jonass delivered a strong recovery performance at the FIM Motocross World Championship round in Riola Sardo, Sardinia, finishing 14th overall on Sunday to secure a top-10 position in the day’s standings after a challenging Saturday.

Competing for the Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP, Jonass started Saturday’s race from outside the top ten but fought his way up to ninth place before losing a position in the final laps to finish 10th in the first race. However, a crash in the second race saw him drop to last place after losing control while attempting an inside line and hitting a safety barrier. He managed to fight back to 17th by the finish, resulting in a combined 14th place for the day.

Despite the setback, Jonass expressed optimism about his progress, telling reporters after the event that Sunday’s first race represented a significant improvement over his performance on Saturday. “The first race was a big improvement compared to Saturday,” he said. “But I slightly lost my rhythm in the middle of the race, before getting stuck again at the end.”

In the second race, Jonass had a strong start but crashed while attempting to take an inside line in a corner, explaining: “I wanted to move inside, but in the bump I couldn’t receive my trajectory right and went over the safety barriers. Unfortunately, but I will go forward again; when riding consistently I sense good, but it was difficult to make the laps.”

Reflecting on the weekend’s challenges, Jonass described the Riola Sardo circuit as typically demanding: “It was a typical Riola; here This proves always tough.” His comments echoed those of his teammate Kārlis Reišulis, who too competed in the event and acknowledged the physical and mental demands of the track.

While Jonass competed in the MXGP class, his fellow Latvians Jānis and Kārlis Reišulis raced in the MX2 category. Jānis Reišulis finished fourth in the first race on Sunday but crashed in the second race, ultimately placing sixth overall for the day. Kārlis Reišulis showed strong form in qualifying, securing the fastest lap time and earning pole position for Saturday’s qualifying race, before finishing third in the qualifying results and fourth in Sunday’s first race.

The Reišulis brothers continue to represent Latvia at the highest level of motocross, with their father Kaspars Reisulis frequently cited as a key figure behind their development and success in the sport.

Jonass’ 14th-place finish in Riola Sardo allowed him to maintain 12th position in the MXGP championship standings, demonstrating consistency despite the weekend’s mixed results. The round in Italy marked another step in his ongoing effort to establish himself among the world’s elite motocross competitors.

The next round of the FIM Motocross World Championship is scheduled to take place in Trentino, Italy, where Jonass and the Reišulis brothers will aim to build on their performances from Riola Sardo.

What did you suppose of Paul Jonass’ performance in Italy? Share your thoughts in the comments below and stay tuned to Archysport for continued coverage of the MXGP season.