Image: Octopi Media.

Immediate results in the 2023 SuperMotocross World Championship (SMX) are the primary focus of Dylan Ferrandis, the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing rider prioritizing finishing the year in the best possible way above motivation to secure a 2024 contract.

Despite finishing second overall in the Pro Motocross Championship this year, Ferrandis was unable to find the pace to challenge Team Honda HRC duo Jett Lawrence and Chase Sexton consistently after struggling with the new YZ450F.

Ferrandis’ contract with Star Racing is until the end of the 2023 season, and following the recent announcement of Cooper Webb joining the team, it was confirmed the number 14 will have to look elsewhere for opportunities from next year, with Eli Tomac and Justin Cooper completing the outfit’s 450 line-up.

“I’m not really motivated to get a contract, I’m motivated to win the race I am showing up to,” said Ferrandis. “For sure, it will maybe help some people to make a decision, but I don’t know. It’s not really important for me right now, I just want to finish this season the best that I can and just prove to myself and the people that believe in me that I can still ride Supercross pretty good.

“Also, when I have a good set-up, obviously I struggle this season with the bike, but we took some massive decisions and big changes and obviously paid off. When I have the bike I want and I feel good on it, I can provide good results.”

At SMX Playoff 1 in Charlotte, Ferrandis – a former 450MX champion and multiple 250SX title-winner – underlined his front-running potential by notching a 2-4 scorecard after qualifying fifth to land third overall for the event.

“It was a good day,” Ferrandis added. “I tried to improve every session and got two good starts, which was a big thing. I just rode solid, and I did the best I could. For the first moto, it was pretty good to be second at the finish. In moto two, it was a good start again, but I just made a small mistake in the turn and lost some positions. Then, it was a little bit tough physically for me.

“I think the fact that I didn’t really train after my crash at Ironman, I paid for it a little bit today with a little bit of lack in my fitness. So that could be better, but overall it was a good day. The bike was good and I felt good – I just need to improve from today.”

Ferrandis entered the post-season with the fifth seed and is now fourth in the 450SMX standings as the next event takes place this Friday and Saturday in Chicagoland.