A challenging qualifying race for Seewer and Vlaanderen in freezing Frauenfeld, as Mancini shines in EMX250

• The two Red Bull Ducati MXGP Factory Team riders finished Saturday at the Swiss Grand Prix just outside the top 10

• Fourth place for Mancini in the first moto 

The third round of the FIM Motocross World Championship , the Swiss Grand Prix, takes place this weekend in Frauenfeld, north of Zurich in the Canton of Thurgau. This is a particularly significant event for Jeremy Seewer, who is competing in his home race, having been born just a few kilometers from the track.

After finishing ninth in MXGP free practice, Jeremy Seewer finished the next timed session 14th, ahead of teammate Calvin Vlaandeen, who wasn't entirely comfortable on the twisty Swiss track and was 17th at the end of the 25-minute session preceding Saturday's qualifying race. Getting off to a good start aboard his #91 Desmo450 MX machine, Seewer managed to move into fourth place at the first corner but struggled to immediately find a good feeling on the wet track and crossed the finish line in ninth place on the first lap, while Vlaanderen was unable to avoid a rider who fell at the start and crashed, rejoining in 34th place. Undeterred, the Dutch began a strong comeback that saw him climb to thirteenth place overall, despite a mid-race crash slowing his pace, which, however, did not prevent him from crossing the checkered flag behind Seewer in 12th place.

Second round of the season for the EMX250 class, with 64 riders trying to qualifying for the race in Frauenfeld. On the very liked hard pack soil, Simone Mancini achieved the second-best time in the morning free practice, setting the fastest time in the timed session. At the start of the first moto, Simone got off to a good start and, with his Desmo250 MX and managed to take the lead, leading the pack for the first four laps. Third for much of a hard-fought heat, the Beddini Racing Ducati Factory MX2 Team rider, cheered on by teammate Ferruccio Zanchi, who traveled from Italy to be close to his team, fought to the finish line, ending in fourth, just a few thousandths of a second behind third, and collecting 18 points.