Liam Everts (KTM): Is the knot untied now? / MX2 Motocross World Championship

Liam Everts took his first Grand Prix win of the new season at Arco in the highly competitive MX2 category. The 19-year-old Belgian from the Red Bull KTM MX2 factory team had to miss the start in Argentina and only entered the World Championship in Arroyomolinos in Spain.

In the first race of Arco, the son of ten-time champion Stefan Everts (51) had to work his way to the front from the middle of the field after a bad start. Everts was 11th after the first lap, but he benefited from the mistakes of teammate Andrea Adamo and Simon Längenfelder (GASGAS) and, in the end, from the pull-out victory of the fast Dane Mikkel Haarup. Everts moved up to third place in the first round.

In the second race, second place behind Längenfelder was enough for the Grand Prix victory and thus a repeat in 2023. At that time it was also the first GP victory for the KTM rider and grandson of Harry Everts (72). Interesting: Dad Stefan also got his first GP win at Arco in the 125cc class. In the World Cup, Liam Everts jumped to 7th place in the table. Despite one more Grand Prix, teammate and defending champion Adamo is only eleven points ahead of “Liamski”.

“Arco was a step in the right direction,” says Everts happily. “It wasn’t the perfect weekend, but we got the job done. It’s good to be at the top again, especially at this event. I had problems in Sardinia, so I wanted to improve and get on the podium. I wanted to take this burden off my shoulders. I hope that this will now give me a sense of freedom and calm continue like this.

What’s surprising is that the Everts drive as quietly and cleanly as ever, but seem more efficient on hard surfaces than in previous years. In the qualifying race at Arco, Liam was very close to Adamo at the finish and was able to put a lot of pressure on the local hero.

Trentino Grand Prix:

1. Liam Everts (B), KTM, 3-2
2. Thibault Benistant (F), Yamaha, 2-4
3. Simon Längenfelder (D), GASGAS, 8-1
4. Kay de Wolf (NL), Husqvarna, 1-8
5. Camden McLellan (ZA), Win, 5-7
6. Andrea Bonacorsi (I), Yamaha, 12-3
7. Andrea Adamo (I), KTM, 7-6
8. Mikkel Haarup (DK), Victory, 9-5
9. Rick Elzinga (NL), Yamaha, 4-13
10. Lucas Coenen (B), Husqvarna, 10-9
11. Oriol Oliver (E), KTM;
12. Quentin Marc Prugnieres (F), Kawasaki, 13-12
13. Marc-Antoine Rossi (F), GASGAS, 6-19
14. Jack Chambers (USA), Kawasaki, 14-14
15. Kay Karssemakers (NL), Fantic, 15-15
16. Sacha Coenen (B), KTM, 30-11
17. Yago Martinez (E), TM, 16-18
18. Jens Walvoort (NL), KTM, 19-16
19. Julius Mikula (CZ), KTM, 20-17
20. Hakon Osterhagen (N), Honda, 17-26
…
27. Jan Krug (D), Husqvarna, 25-25

MX2 World Championship standings after 4 of 20 events:

1. Kay de Wolf (NL), Husqvarna, 213 points
2. Simon Längenfelder (D), GASGAS, 187, (-26)
3. Thibault Benistant (F), Yamaha, 148, (-65)
4. Lucas Coenen (B), Husqvarna, 147, (-66)
5. Andrea Adamo (I), KTM, 139 (-74)
6. Mikkel Haarup (DK), Victory, 131, (-82)
7. Liam Everts (B), KTM, 128, (-85)
8. Camden McLellan (ZA), Triumph, 126, (-87)
9. Rick Elzinga (NL), Yamaha, 110 (-103)
10. Marc-Antoine Rossi (F), GASGAS, 101, (-112)