Defending champion Tony Cairoli (Red Bull KTM) kicked off the defence of his MXGP title with a commanding qualification victory at the opening round of the FIM Motocross World Championship today at Neuquen in Argentina.

The Italian led around the first corner before being passed by his team-mate Jeffrey Herlings. However, after holding the lead for a handful of turns the 23-year-old Dutchman made a succession of mistakes and slipped down the order to seventh.

At the head of the field, Cairoli looked razor-sharp as he pulled out a seven-second lead over Belgium’s Clement Desalle (Monster Energy Kawasaki) and his compatriot Jeremy Van Horebeek (Monster Energy Yamaha). Controlling the race from the front, Cairoli – who’s going for a record equalling 10th world title in 2018 – never looked flustered and even after backing it down for the final few laps still ran out winner by almost six seconds.

The result gives him first gate pick for tomorrow’s points-paying races.

With three laps to go Van Horebeek found a way past Desalle to take second with 2015 champion Romain Febrve (Monster Energy Yamaha) from France fourth following a solid performance that saw him put in a series of strong passes after ending the opening lap back in eighth.

British hopefuls Shaun Simpson (Wilvo Yamaha) and Max Anstie (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) both gated well and held it together on the flowing South American circuit to finish fifth and sixth ahead of Herlings who stuck a late pass on Switzerland’s 2017 MX2 vice-champion Jeremy Seewer (Wilvo Yamaha).

Frenchman Gautier Paulin (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna), who finished third in last year’s championship, was ninth almost half-a-minute behind the winner with Belgian Julien Lieber (Monster Energy Kawasaki) rounding out the top 10.

Tommy Searle (Bike it DRT Kawasaki) came home 12th but Maxxis ACU British MX1 Champion Graeme Irwin (ASA Hitachi KTM UK) struggled to find his feet in his debut MXGP race and finished a disappointing 21st.

MXGP Neuquen qualifying race

1 222 Cairoli, Antonio ITA FMI KTM 24:39.667 13 0:00.000 0:00.000 1:44.108 5 53.5
2 89 Van Horebeek, Jeremy BEL FMB Yamaha 24:45.512 13 0:05.845 0:05.845 1:45.485 5 52.8
3 25 Desalle, Clement BEL FMB Kawasaki 24:47.782 13 0:08.115 0:02.270 1:45.180 4 53
4 461 Febvre, Romain FRA FFM Yamaha 24:48.535 13 0:08.868 0:00.753 1:44.977 5 53.1
5 24 Simpson, Shaun GBR ACU Yamaha 24:58.288 13 0:18.621 0:09.753 1:45.443 5 52.9
6 99 Anstie, Max GBR ACU Husqvarna 24:59.943 13 0:20.276 0:01.655 1:46.195 6 52.5
7 84 Herlings, Jeffrey NED KNMV KTM 25:03.102 13 0:23.435 0:03.159 1:44.482 1 53.4
8 91 Seewer, Jeremy SUI FMS Yamaha 25:03.414 13 0:23.747 0:00.312 1:45.394 3 52.9
9 21 Paulin, Gautier FRA MCM Husqvarna 25:08.111 13 0:28.444 0:04.697 1:46.499 3 52.3
10 33 Lieber, Julien BEL FMB Kawasaki 25:21.114 13 0:41.447 0:13.003 1:44.544 2 53.3
11 777 Bobryshev, Evgeny RUS MFR Suzuki 25:33.097 13 0:53.430 0:11.983 1:47.268 2 52
12 100 Searle, Tommy GBR ACU Kawasaki 25:35.911 13 0:56.244 0:02.814 1:47.426 4 51.9
13 22 Strijbos, Kevin BEL FMB KTM 25:37.101 13 0:57.434 0:01.190 1:48.024 5 51.6
14 77 Lupino, Alessandro ITA FMI Kawasaki 25:41.252 13 1:01.585 0:04.151 1:48.426 7 51.4
15 12 Nagl, Maximilian GER DMSB TM 25:42.689 13 1:03.022 0:01.437 1:48.408 4 51.4
16 128 Monticelli, Ivo ITA FMI Yamaha 25:51.919 13 1:12.252 0:09.230 1:49.154 5 51.1
17 28 Salazar, Jetro PER FPEM Honda 25:55.795 13 1:16.128 0:03.876 1:48.862 2 51.2
18 259 Coldenhoff, Glenn NED KNMV KTM 25:56.869 13 1:17.202 0:01.074 1:46.888 5 52.2
19 7 Leok, Tanel EST EMF Husqvarna 25:58.205 13 1:18.538 0:01.336 1:50.165 3 50.6
20 27 Jasikonis, Arminas LTU LMSF Honda 26:00.932 13 1:21.265 0:02.727 1:48.645 1 51.3
21 55 Irwin, Graeme GBR MCUI KTM 26:02.281 13 1:22.614 0:01.349 1:48.803 5 51.2
22 17 Butron, Jose ESP RFME KTM 26:03.512 13 1:23.845 0:01.231 1:50.540 4 50.4
23 179 Poli, Joaquin ARG CAMOD Honda 26:07.067 13 1:27.400 0:03.555 1:50.193 9 50.6
24 152 Petrov, Petar BUL BMF Honda 26:14.282 13 1:34.615 0:07.215 1:49.463 1 50.9
25 171 Luzzardi, Juan Pablo ARG CAMOD KTM 24:47.205 12 1 lap 1 lap 1:50.327 4 50.5
26 230 Assuncao , Hector BRA CBM Honda 25:25.229 12 1 lap 0:38.024 1:53.077 2 49.3
27 58 Carranza, Nicolas ARG CAMOD Husqvarna 25:26.856 12 1 lap 0:01.627 1:55.459 2 48.3
28 175 Garrido, Victor ARG CAMOD Yamaha 26:18.537 12 1 lap 0:51.681 1:55.297 1 48.3
29 40 Cabrera, Hernan URU FUM Honda 23:04.342 10 3 laps 2 laps 2:00.177 1 46.4