Motocross rising star Lotte van Drunen has been crowned the 2024 FIM Women's Motocross World Champion, solidifying her impressive season in this weekend's MXGP of Turkey. Van Drunen, equipped with Dunlop Geomax tires, secured the championship title with a pair of top-five finishes, enough to calmly defend her lead in his highly competitive championship and become the youngest ever WMX champion.
Van Drunen, 17, is only in her first full-time WMX campaign but has quickly become one of the fastest competitors and the rider to beat this season. She has dominated with overall wins in Sardegna, Galicia and the Netherlands, and has finished on the podium in 10 of the 13 individual heats.
Van Drunen is fast becoming one of the biggest stars in motocross. Known affectionately as 'The Queen of Sand', the De Baets Yamaha MX Team rider achieved a noteworthy feat this year by also scoring championship points in the MX2 category at the MXGP of Flanders, held on the notoriously challenging deep sands of Lommel, one of the most demanding motocross tracks worldwide.
Just like in the top MXGP class and the MX2 category for rising stars, teams that choose Dunlop tires in WMX have access to a range of Dunlop Geomax motocross tires. This range includes the Geomax MX14, designed for motocross riders of all levels to perform on soft to intermediate surfaces, and the latest addition to Dunlop's lineup, Geomax MX34, which has become the tire of choice for riders on a wide range of soft, mud and intermediate surfaces, and in variable weather conditions.
"Riding with good tires is always crucial, especially for acceleration and getting a good start," explains van Drunen. "I've ridden with Dunlop tires all my career, and I'd say they are perfect. They perform well on all surfaces; the sand tire [MX14] feels great in the sand, and on hard packs [with MX53], I always have the right traction to accelerate sooner than other riders. When you have to choose between, [MX34] still rips through the hard tracks really deep. Having the same tires consistently gives me the confidence to try new things on the bike, and that's probably the advantage they have provided me this season."
Van Drunen's championship victory reinforces Dunlop's impressive track record in the fiercely competitive Women's category. Since 2012, Dunlop tires have taken 11 of the last 13 WMX victors to championship success: six wins with Italian racer Kiara Fontanesi, four with New Zealander Courtney Duncan and now one with van Drunen.
Dunlop's former champions each enjoyed success this weekend in Turkey, with the Race 1 victory for Duncan and a double podium for Fontanesi.
Wim Van Achter, Motorsport Manager, Dunlop Motorcycle Europe, commented: "We are delighted to celebrate Lotte's success in WMX. Lotte is a deserving World Champion, and at such a young age, shows an incredible amount of talent and dedication to her sport. Her consistent performance and race-winning pace throughout the season have earned her this well deserved victory. We take great pride in Dunlop's proven track record in this fiercely competitive championship, now with eleven of the last thirteen world titles won with Dunlop. Congratulations to Lotte on this remarkable accomplishment."
While the WMX season has now concluded, the FIM Motocross World Championship (MXGP) and MX2 campaigns remain in full swing. With three rounds to go including today's races in Turkey, Dunlop riders and Nestaan Husqvarna teammates Kay de Wolf and Lucas Coenen are locked in a fierce battle for the MX2 championship. In MXGP, Dunlop riders Jeremy Seewer and Romain Febvre of Kawasaki Racing Team are currently in fourth and sixth place, respectively.
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