Herlings And Uddevalla

With a points lead of 104 points heading into the MXGP of Sweden this weekend, Honda HRC Petronas factory rider, Jeffrey Herlings must feel very confident of success at the Uddevalla circuit. He does have two previous wins there, although those wins are 12 and 13 years ago, when he raced the MX2 class.

Those wins in 2013 and 2014 were in the middle of his 250-class domination, where he often won most of the GPs in those seasons, although injuries did cost him at times. He obviously lost the 2014 MX2 championship to Jordi Tixier, after breaking his femur.

Herlings scored that second win at Uddevalla in 2014, beating Tixier and Tim Gajser, the two men who would take his injury riddled championships in 2014 and 2015. The win in 2014 meant a lot to him, leaving Sweden that year with 135-point lead over Tixier in the championship battle.

“We basically did what we had to do and that’s to win both motos and make the points gap bigger to the second place. That weekend was something I’m proud of. I won on Saturday and twice on Sunday and I had a lot of fun on the bike.”

While Herlings has those two previously mentioned wins, his results at this circuit are actually, not up to his normally high standards, with injury or returning from injury often the reason for no victories at Uddevalla since 2014.

His first appearance at the circuit in 2010, he finished second, then second again in 2011 and 2012, before winning in 2013 and 2014. In 2015 he was 7th, then MXGP didn’t race there again until 2017, where he finished 10^th overall, then in 2019, where finished 12th (coming back from injury), returning in 2023 with a fourth place overall, before finishing third and second in 2024 and 2025. Momentum at Uddevalla is on his side.

Herlings second place last year might not have been a victory, but due to coming back from injury means he wasn’t completely up for the task at hand. Two times second to Kawasaki factory rider, Romain Febvre, in the races and second overall behind the legendary Frenchman, meant he was at least close to the top step of the podium.

“Three 2nds! In the last race I felt quite close and was really pushing but I ran out of tear-offs. I didn’t have any more for the leader. 2-2 for 2nd overall is not bad for being on the bike for only two and a half weeks. My physical condition is getting better and better.”

So now, fully fit and with a 104-point lead in the MXGP championship points, Herlings will like to extend his series lead, but the main goal is consistent results and head to Arnhem a week later with a strong chance of getting even closer, to claiming his sixth world title.

His memories of that 135-point lead in 2014 might not be on his mind, but he knows, the most important thing this coming weekend, is to leave the circuit healthy and with a swag of points, as his confidence will grow heading into Arnhem, Turkey, China and Australia.