MXGP musical chairs: Shaun Simpson
The Indonesian GP victory of Wilvo Yamaha rider Shaun Simpson was a bright spot in a mediocre season last year. This year too, things are not going well for the sympathetic Scot. The 30-year-old Simpson was therefore told that he had to look for another team.
Four-time GP winner, two British and one Belgian titles and a permanent fixture in the top 10. That, in a nutshell, is Simpson's track record. While the patented sand bunny has always been good for outliers in the sand competitions in the past, the machine now seems to be stalling. Lommel also did not deliver what he expected for the Yamaha pilot.
Missed opportunity in Lommel
“Everything seemed to be looking good this weekend but in the first moto I tried a different line and ended up in a soft section which caused me to crash. Mentally I was ready for this race, but because I lost too much strength in the first moto, it became difficult in the second moto. In the second part of the race I was completely empty. I'm disappointed with this weekend's result. I finished outside the top ten twice while I think I should have finished in the top seven here.” explains Simpson. Shaun had received an offer from Yamaha to focus on beach racing and an alternative program next year. He reportedly ignored that. After all, Simpson is looking for sporting revenge in the GPs.
Coming into focus
“My season so far has not gone as I expected. Too many things happened that I couldn't do anything about. Getting hit by a car, contracting a viral infection... But hey, I'm 30 but still super motivated. I have a very good team behind me. So I hope to put things right in the remaining matches. I'm also always up for a job like the Keiheuvel next week,” said Shaun.
Simpson still has five GPs left to convince a new team. The soldier of many wars will certainly have circled Assen in red. Two years ago he took a series victory, in the first MXGP edition on the TT circuit he even won the Grand Prix ahead of Romain Febvre and Glenn Coldenhoff.
“Winning a GP like we have for a few years now is not possible at the moment. There are a few top drivers driving around today, which is not normal. But still, you never know!”
There is no doubt that Shaun has a lot to offer both on and off the track, but the available places are limited. The match between a British team and a British driver is particularly obvious. In the past, 'Braveheart' already competed for Dixon Racing Team and Roger Magee's KTM UK team. Will history repeat itself again?
Photos: Yamaha Racing, Ray Archer
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