Simon Längenfelder on his 6th place in Arnhem: “I lacked the willingness to take risks”

“I always try to give my best,” says Längenfelder, commenting on his 7th-6th result in Arnhem. Without rivals such as Kay de Wolf and Andrea Adamo, who both moved up to the MXGP at the start of the season, he would certainly have had a good chance of defending his title this year. This would have seen him go down in history as the first all-German double world champion. However, with a 75-point deficit and only three Grands Prix remaining, that dream is now, sadly, over.

Simon Längenfelder in Arnheim

Foto: Align Media

Despite the holeshot: a fundamental lack of speed

“I just wasn’t fast enough today,” Simon summed up. “Perhaps I didn’t take enough risks, or I was simply a bit too slow. I tried my best. In the second race, I got the holeshot and thought I could carry that momentum through, but the others were faster and I had to settle for sixth place.”

Many questions, no answers

“I’d love to turn things around in the final races,” muses Längenfelder, “but I also feel I’ve already tried everything to achieve better results. You never know what will happen at the next Grands Prix. That’s why I’ll keep trying to give it my all.”

I just wasn’t quick enough today

Simon Längenfelder

A 75-point deficit is too much

Even though there are still 180 points up for grabs in the last three Grands Prix, a 75-point deficit is too much for Simon to close the gap and get back into the title race. Grand Prix winner Camden Mc Lellan (Triumph) might still harbour such hopes, having made up 8 points with his victory in Arnhem. But even 8 points per Grand Prix wouldn’t be enough for him to reach the very top in the end. Therefore, he too can now only hope that Farres and Coenen make serious mistakes in the final three races. As the top three are also very closely grouped, it will also be difficult for Längenfelder to make it into the top three by the end.