Image: Supplied.

A one-day format to be introduced in the MXGP World Championship upon its resumption next month will see Australia’s Team HRC rookie Mitch Evans lean on his experience of racing in a similar format at home during his career.

MXGP and MX2 action will take place on Sundays for the remainder of the 2020 championship, with practice taking place in the morning and the races starting from midday into the afternoon according to organisers.

“The one-day format will be a new thing for the MXGPs, but for me it is just like racing in Australia where we have practice and qualifying in the morning and then two motos in the afternoon, so I should feel at home with it,” said 21-year-old Evans, who finished second in the national MX1 standings during 2018.

Evans has been a major beneficiary of the mid-season pause due to COVID-19 after injuring his shoulder at Valkenswaard in March and then undergoing surgery in Brisbane for an arthroscopic anterior stabilisation upon return home. He’s spent time on a production bike since, but isn’t fully certain that he will be fit to race when MXGP resumes in Latvia on 9 August.

“I’ll see the surgeon at the end of July and then hopefully get the all-clear to start racing after that,” he explained. “Obviously, it’ll mean I’ll only having one week to really get ready on a normal track, to see how my shoulder feels before we go racing in Latvia, so I’m not sure if I’ll be 100 percent by then, as we’ll have to see how the shoulder keeps progressing.

“Hopefully it holds up well and feels good when I’m riding and then we’ll make a decision before that weekend. I’ve never had an injury like this with this much time off the bike, so it’s been tough. I’m really happy to be back on the bike though and getting back into normal training and with an exact date in mind, to build towards and see the rest of Team HRC, the fans and the MXGP paddock again.”