The “Shanghai International Off-road Circuit” hosted the 19th and penultimate round of the 2025 FIM Motocross World Championship. The track, located in the Fengxian district, south of the Chinese metropolis, features a compact surface that was deeply rutted due to heavy rainfall.
19th at the end of timed practice, Ben Watson (Beta RX450) started the qualifying race close to the 20th position and, thanks to a decent comeback, crossed the finish line in 16th position. In race one, after a poor start, he recovered to finish 20th. In the second manche, a good start allowed Ben to hold 9th position in the early laps. After staying in 10th for a long time, he experienced a physical drop in the final stages and ended up in 13th position. Watson earned 9 points at the end of the day.
Ben Watson: “High temperatures and high humidity were my worst enemies in China. In both rounds I couldn’t be as fast as I wanted. In race 1 I had a bad start and didn’t feel good on the bike, I rode really poorly. The second race went better, I stayed in the top ten for the first twenty minutes but had to slow down towards the end, still finishing 13th. Now we’re heading to Australia where I’ll try to end the season in the best possible way.”
Tom Koch (Beta RX450) recorded the 19th fastest time in timed practice. In qualifying, Koch maintained a similar pace, finishing the race in 20th position. Several crashes prevented Tom from performing at his best in the main rounds, which he finished in 18th and 17th position, earning 19th overall for the day.
Tom Koch: “My weekend in China was marked by bad luck. I crashed in every manche and always had to fight my way back. An additional challenge on top of the tough track and humid heat. On Saturday I tried to find the right feeling. It was my first time in China and I had never raced in such climatic conditions. On Sunday, in the rounds, I always started from the outside gate, and the starts weren’t bad. Unfortunately, in the first race I crashed after a few corners while I was in 12th position. From last place I worked my way up to finish 18th. In race two I crashed at the start with other riders. My handlebar and front brake lever got bent and it took me a few laps to get back into rhythm. I finished the race in 17th position. It could have gone much better, I’ll try again next weekend in Australia.”
The Australian Grand Prix, the final round of the season scheduled for next weekend on the brand-new Darwin track, will officially conclude the 2025 edition of the FIM Motocross World Championship.
