Will we see Benoit Paturel on Honda soon?!
Benoit Paturel, number five in last season's MX2 World Championship, has already had a very turbulent mid-season. The Frenchman turned down a deal with Yamaha early in 2017. This is to not be tied down after a good 2017 season and to be able to respond to other more lucrative proposals. The former KEMEA-Yamaha pilot had a good 2017 season but soon had to acknowledge his superiority in Pauls Jonass and Jeremy Seewer who battled it out for the world title. An injury at the end of the stage caused him to tumble to fifth place in the final result of the world championship.
The lucrative proposals did not materialize, and Yamaha had already erred on the side of caution and offered Jeremy Van Horebeek a contract extension. So Benoit Paturel had worries, Ooh Oooh he had worries. To boost his chances in America, the Frenchman chose to enter into a short collaboration with BUD Kawasaki at the beginning of November. With this team he would contest the Supercross of Paris and in preparation he would also participate in the Supercross of Tours. The race in Tours went well, resulting in third place overall after limited preparation. However, showing him in Paris in front of the American teams is not an option, the man from Lyon injured himself in the final preparatory training.
For a moment this seems to be the sad end to the World Cup career of the enormously gifted pilot. Until the brand new BOS Team offered him a new opportunity at the end of November. The tumultuous winter seems to be over for Benoit Paturel, doesn't it? The otherwise active social media user Benoit Paturel hardly posts any photos with his new team. No photos of training or test days. Something that is a more than usual phenomenon these days, just look at his BOS teammate Jordi Tixier who posts a lot of content.
What's going on with Benoit Paturel? Is the injury suffered during the supercross in Paris so serious that he has not yet been able to resume motorcycle training? No, this is not the cause. The true cause is that both parties have split again, that is what we can read today on the Facebook of the BOS Suspension team. After a single test, Benoit Paturel is not satisfied with the click he has with the KTM 450 machine. He reportedly does not want to talk about new tests in better conditions. The team clearly shows its dissatisfaction in their statement.
Immediately the rumor that Benoit Paturel, lowlander would replace Brian Bogers at the HRC Honda team, becomes louder and more persistent. If this is true, this is a daring move by the Frenchman and his entourage. Because the question that arises is; “Does Honda have a safety net ready for the man from Lyon when their regular pilot is fit again?” Or is he once again so convinced of his own abilities that no one will be able to ignore him after this raid. To be continued without a doubt!
Text: Matthias Van Eeckhoven
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