Team Suzuki World MXGP rider Ben Townley has confirmed he will indeed contest Qatar’s 2016 MXGP World Championship season opening round following a pre-season knee injury scare.

After coming together with Red Bull KTM’s Jeffrey Herlings at Valence in France, the New Zealander was forced out of the event due to reported knee troubles as a result of the clash.

“I twisted my knee in the Super Final and it didn’t feel good so I decided to retire from the race,” said Townley. “After a small check up, he was advised to give his body time to rest and not ride for a couple of days.”

With the 27 February season opening round fast approaching, Townley will return to the track this week in preparation for the event he has been working towards for the past nine months.

“I’m going to ride Monday and Tuesday again to prepare for the MXGP of Qatar,” Townely explained. “I’ve been preparing myself for over nine months now. I started at that time to be ready, if I had the opportunity to race again that I got.

“I don’t have any expectations, my personal goal is to get the best possible starts I can, and that I can ride within myself so I can build up from there on.”

Team manager Stefan Everts, who publicly expressed his feelings about the clash between Herlings and his rider (click here for more details), is pleased with Townley’s all-clear and looks forward to the opening round.

“I’m happy that it was only a minor injury,” said Everts. “Now we can have the whole MXGP team in Qatar. We have a great new race set-up and I’m excited to start the season.”

2016 marks Townley’s first-full MXGP season since 2004 when he clinched the MX2 world championship with factory KTM.