MXGP 2021: will this be the most exciting World Championship ever?
This year's MXGP World Championship is without a doubt a thriller. The plot twists pile up and no one knows how it will end. Tim Gajser, Romain Febvre and Jeffrey Herlings have been providing an unprecedented dazzling show since mid-June.
Yesterday it was Herlings' turn to give his hard-earned lead of 24 points to the Slovenian and the Frenchman in a split second. The titanic battle will continue for another three GPs. The stakes are high because KTM, Honda and Kawasaki are very hungry to add a new title to their list of achievements. For Kawasaki it has been since 2006, when with Christophe Pourcel in the MX2 class. The brand has never won a title in the MXGP.
Because this extremely exciting 2021 season appeals to the imagination, we started browsing through history in search of a similar ending. There have been enough years where there was only a few points difference at the start of the last series. But that was always between two actors and not three. Ultimately we found two years with an extremely exciting title battle between three drivers.
The 500 1986cc World Championship
This World Championship with the heavy 500cc two-strokes is without a doubt one of the most exciting ever. Four riders are in the running for the title with two races remaining. Three of them are also teammates at the all-powerful HRC Honda Team. They are Eric Geboers, André Malherbe and Dave Thorpe. And then there is Georges Jobé who started a bit late in 1986 but then almost managed to close the gap on the three red rascals. Jobé also rides a Kawasaki and that brand has been desperately looking for its first world title since 1973.
With two games to go (Namur and Folkendange), Thorpe leads the table with 257 points, which is 10 more than Malherbe and who has a small lead of 3 points over Geboers. Jobé won both heats at the Citadel and went to Luxembourg 20 points behind leader Thorpe. His chance of a title was therefore rather theoretical. But the tension was palpable in the Honda camp as Dave Thorpe was only 3 points ahead of Geboers and 4 ahead of Malherbe.
During the last GP, Thorpe, Malherbe and Jobé were immediately at the front at the start of the first series, but Geboers had a bad start from the starting gate and shortly afterwards collided with a spectator who was crossing the circuit. The Kid's chances were immediately reduced. Thorpe won the series in a very spicy duel with Malherbe.
Between the series a thunderstorm passed over Luxembourg. The track was now treacherously slippery. Eric Geboers tried in a desperate attempt to save the furniture, but collided with Georges Jobé and was only able tode finish. Dave Thorpe played it safe and concentrated on Malherbe, finishing just behind de Waal in third place to win a hotly contested premier class title.
- Dave Thorpe 316 pts
- André Malherbe 311 pt
- Eric Geboers 299 pt
- Georges Jobé 296 pt
The 250 1991cc World Championship
The Italian Alessandro Puzar had been dominant for an entire season, but had a complete off day during the ninth Grand Prix of the season, which was held in the US (Unadilla). Trampas Parker and Mike Healy took maximum advantage, making the last GP very exciting. Parker went to Suzuka with 13 points ahead of Puzar and Healy who had the same number of points.
At Honda they had called in the help of Jeff Stanton to prevent Mike Healy from taking the title. Stanton won the first heat as expected. Healy finished second ahead of Trampas Parker, who still had an 11-point lead at the start of the second series. During the start of the second series, a number of riders crashed in the first corner, including Parker. He now had to drive the race of his life to secure the title as it was Mike Healy who was now in the lead. Edwin Everten and Jeff Stanton followed in his wake. Stanton again did what he had to do and displaced Healy from the lead. Trampas Parker saw his catch-up race end at 6de place and that was good enough for the world title.
- Trampas Parker 242 pt
- Mike Healy 238 pts
- Alessandro Puzar 232 pts
Photos: archive MXVintage
Tekst: Danny Hermans
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