Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP rider Calvin Vlaanderen secured his first overall podium of the season with third place at the MXGP of Finland and puts Yamaha's 70th anniversary livery on the podium.
Competing at the new KymiRing circuit aboard his Yamaha YZ450FM, which featured a special livery marking the brand’s 70th anniversary, Vlaanderen finished fourth in Race One and third in Race Two.
Through recent rounds of the 2025 MXGP World Championship, Vlaanderen’s results have been trending towards him finishing on the overall podium. The South African’s weekend in Finland started with second in the Qualifying Race, a result that marked a sign of things to come in the Grand Prix races.
In Race One, Vlaanderen capitalised on his strong start to run fifth until mid-race when Romain Febvre pushed him back to sixth. Febvre then fell a lap later and Vlaanderen reclaimed his position. As the laps wound down, he remained at one with his machine on the challenging, sandy, and rough race track, and passed Ruben Fernandez for fourth at the finish.
Vlaanderen benefitted from another impressive start in Race Two. While fourth, two riders fell in the early stages and he moved into second. Early race leader Lucas Coenen then fell, and Vlaanderen took over at the front. His lead was short-lived, as his rival re-took the lead on the next lap. Vlaanderen was then demoted to third a few laps later. With a sizable gap behind him, the 29-year-old crossed the line in third for third overall on the day. Thanks to his strong showing, he moves from seventh to fifth in the championship standings.
''Finally! It’s been a long time coming and it’s great to be back on the podium. There have been days and weeks of hard work behind the scenes to get here, and the whole team has put in so much effort. I can’t thank them enough, as well as my family and girlfriend who are also always behind me. My speed was good all weekend and the bike was faultless, which made things a lot easier for me. I lacked a little fitness near the end of Race Two, so I couldn’t push for the win, but overall, it’s been a great weekend and it’s nice to repay the team for all their hard work.''
— Calvin Vlaanderen
The MXGP World Championship now heads to Loket for the MXGP of Czech Republic on July 26-27. With Vlaanderen enjoying success at the hardpack venue in recent years, the stage is set for another positive Grand Prix.
