For the third consecutive year, the Arnhem circuit hosted the Grand Prix of the Netherlands, the 17th round of the 2025 FIM Motocross World Championship. The Dutch track is characterised by a sandy ground which became increasingly difficult and demanding over the course of the weekend.
Ben Watson (Beta RX450) set the 18th fastest time in timed practice. In the qualifying race, he made a good comeback to finish in 15th position. Ben put in an excellent performance in the first race: after starting 19th, he fought his way back to 10th position. The rider showed good speed in the second race as well, where he was able to once again fight for a top ten finish. A couple of crashes in the final laps didn’t allow him to do better than 18th position. 15th overall in the GP, Ben is 13th in the championship standings.
Ben Watson: “Saturday didn’t go very well. The feeling was good but the track was too fast. In the first race I wasn’t very sharp in the first few laps and lost some positions. Afterwards, I started riding at a good pace and came back to a final 10th position. The second race was going well: I was fighting for another top ten finish but at the end I was the victim of a nasty crash. My goggles hit me violently in the eyes. When I got back on the bike, my vision was completely blurred and after a few metres I crashed again, losing more ground. I’m disappointed because I could have still finished in the top ten. For luck I wasn’t injured and I’m ready to get back in the game in two weeks in Turkey.”
Still struggling with the after-effects of the bad crash he had last weekend, Tom Koch (Beta RX450) finished timed practice in 21st position. 23rd in qualifying, Tom had a good first race where he always rode in the points and finished 19th. An unlucky start and a subsequent crash prevented Tom from showing his capabilities in race two. Finishing 25th at the line, he ended the day 21st overall.
Tom Koch: “After the knock to my hand I got in Sweden, I knew it was going to be a difficult weekend. Despite everything, the feeling with the bike and the track was good on Saturday. In qualifying, I didn’t get a good start and crossed the finish line in 23rd position. I’m not happy with my starts on Sunday, but in the first race I recovered several positions in the first few laps and finished in the points, in 19th position. In race two, the first lap was disastrous. On the second lap I crashed and at that point I found myself among the last riders. After that, I wasn’t able to perform at my best. Now we have a weekend off, which I will use to get back to a good conditions and show up in Turkey in top form.”
In two weeks, the MRT Racing Team Beta Factory will be back on track in Afyon for the Grand Prix of Turkey, the 18th round of the 2025 FIM Motocross World Championship.
