On Track Off Road No.184

ace with Wilvo Yamaha could
result in the enclave of support
he has been searching for
since he last departed Yamaha
in 2011. If #21 feels good then
he’s capable of magic and he
is long overdue some regular
scraps with others for the top
platform of the box rather than
just the second and third steps.
Nineteen trophies in the last
four seasons mean he is the
most prolific and ‘probable’
outside of the KTM clutch.
5) ANY ROOM FOR
THE NEW BREED?
The MXGP ‘rookie’ spotlight
falls on just two MX2 achievers
in 2019: Pauls Jonass and
Vsevolod Brylyakov (the Russian
thankfully having recovered
from the shoulder injury
that pushed his career into the
balance). There are several
more names that carry exciting
potential. In the case of the
Rockstar Energy IceOne Husqvarna
team the realignment
from championship contention
(a position assumed since 2015
and when Max Nagl held the
red plate for Kimi Raikkonen’s
squad) to the propulsion of
‘talent in progress’ comes with
the signing of 2017 MX2 world
champion Jonass (frantically
trying to regain ground for riding
and testing after winter
knee surgery) and the surprise
conscription of Arminas
Jasikonis. The tall Lithuanian is
just 21 years old (a year younger
than Jonass) and shone as
a fill-in with the now defunct
factory Suzuki team in ’17.
Steering a largely stock Honda
in ’18 ‘Jasi’ kept his name in
the MXGP frame but has faced
injury interruption. IceOne represents
a fantastic opportunity
and staff inside the KTM group
and Husqvarna circles are
already tipping #27 as the ‘one
to watch’.
There is genuine excitement
around Monster Energy Yamaha’s
Jeremy Seewer. The Swiss
weathered a late team/brand
switch at the end of ’17 to negotiate
a very satisfactory maiden
MXGP season. So much so that
he was elevated into the works
Yamaha set-up and under the
watch of Mino Raspanti and
Michele Rinaldi. Seewer progressed
every single season to
reach the position of MX2 title
challenger in 2017. He will be a
player in 2019: lay a monetary
note for a first MXGP podium
finish now. With Red Bull KTM
already rocked by Herlings’ setback
the podium could be open
for more infiltration.
6) IS PRADO
UNBEATABLE?
Sadly for fans of MX2 and riders
with high goals in 2019
the reigning world champion
looks to already be reaching
‘Herlings-esque’ levels of potential.
While almost meaningless
as a gauge of Grand Prix
speed his total lockout of the
three round Italian Championship
(and three podium finishes
against the 450s) should not
be dismissed lightly. Training
partner and mentor Tony Cairoli
may be biased and paying
a degree of lip service when he
claims the eighteen year old
has improved further in the
winter time but – ominously
– that’s to be expected with
someone of the capacity and
youth of Spain’s first ever #1 in
the principal classes. He won
in 2018 by building a vessel of
momentum and in the wake of
a tough pre-season disturbed
by a broken elbow. Starts, sand,
hard-pack, on-track skirmishes,
first laps speed: it’s hard to
find Prado’s weakness, which
means the teenager’s toughest
opponent could be himself and
the resistance to mistakes that
could cause injury or another
handicap.
6 QUESTIONS FOR 2019 MXGP