Since he joined Kawasaki five years ago Romain has been the most successful rider in the long history of the Kawasaki Racing Team in the MXGP class, earning series silver medals in both 2021 and 2023. Last season was one of major success as the Frenchman, who will turn thirty-three years of age in December, won six GPs and mounted the podium at thirteen rounds of the series!

He started 2024 with the same dynamism, collecting six podiums from the first seven rounds until a thumb injury during the French GP forced him to miss several rounds and to surrender the battle for the world title. Already back on the podium last weekend at Lommel in Belgium in just his second race since his comeback, Romain has once again showed how competitive he remains on the KX450-SR that he has developed together with the KRT team and the Kawasaki engineers. Thanks to this successful co-operation he will enter the 2025 and 2026 MXGP World Championships with high goals and his legendary fighting spirit.
 


Romain Febvre: “I’m delighted to continue for two more years with Kawasaki; we know each other really well and I’m confident that we will again fight for the title, as we did this year until the injury which forced me to miss several rounds. Injuries can sometimes impact your motivation, but I showed in both 2022 and this year that I can fight for wins and podiums when I come back. For sure I might not have continued my career if I was not racing at the front of the pack, but my motivation is still there as I started racing motocross later than most of my rivals. We have signed a new two-year agreement; for me that was important as I want to be fully-focused on racing next season. Everyone knows how comfortable I am on the KX450-SR, and how I share the same goals with the team, so let’s go for two more campaigns.”
 


Shigemi Tanaka, General Manager, Marketing & Sales Division, Kawasaki Motors, Ltd. “For Kawasaki and our off-road retail and racing ambitions, this is great news. Romain knows and fully understands the race-winning potential of KX machinery and we are delighted that we will continue to have him not just at the start gate and on the podium but also as a key part of the development of current and future KX models that will appear in Kawasaki dealerships.”
 


Antti Pyrhönen (KRT team manager): “We are really proud to continue the co-operation with Romain; he is extremely important for us. Romain has already been with the team longer than any other rider; he knows the team, he knows the bike, and he represents the values of Kawasaki in the best possible way … he is hard-working and lets the results do the talking. This is his character; he is a real fighter and we could not be happier that he will stay two more years with the team. Age is not a factor; indeed I feel Romain is forever young. He still has an incredibly high motivation and his performances have been getting better-and-better over the years; we saw this at the start of the season when he scored six podiums in the first seven GPs, That was the best start of his entire career and there is no doubt that he has the same hunger as ever.”
 


Steve Guttridge (Race Planning Manager, Kawasaki Motors Europe): “Romain now has a long history with Kawasaki; he is truly a part of the family. For him to stay with us shows the commitment on both sides to continue the mission to win the World Championship. He has always told me that he loves the bike; he gels with the Kawasaki and for him the bike is most important. That is the common denominator to achieve our common target of winning the MXGP World Championship.”

Since he joined the team four years ago Romain Febvre has consistently delivered success, including a world championship silver medal in 2021, and is currently in outstanding form with six Grand Prix victories and one further podium from the most recent seven rounds of the world’s premier off-road series, the FIM MXGP Motocross World Championship. The 31 year old is currently second in the series points standings despite an unfortunate start collision during Qualifying for the Spanish GP in May which prevented him from contesting that round of the series.
 
Throughout the season the Frenchman and his 2023 KX450-SR have gelled into a formidable partnership thanks to the hard work and collaboration of rider and the staff of Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP in cooperation with engineers and staff in Japan at KMC. With the confirmation of Febvre for the coming season, all parties now have an even stronger base to prepare during the coming winter test period for another assault on the FIM MXGP Motocross World Championship.
 
Romain Febvre: “I’m delighted to continue with Kawasaki; that was of course my first choice! We worked hard last winter to develop the brand-new KX450-SR from the KX450 production machine and we have shown with all these podiums how competitive the bike is. I want to keep that package for next season. I feel so comfortable on the bike and we have already won six GPs together. I know the bike and the team members; we have a great connection together and to stay on the same bike with the same people is for sure the best way to prepare for another title assault next year.”
 
Shigemi Tanaka, General Manager of Marketing and Sales Division, KMC “Our desire to win is matched by a mission to continue to evolve and refine the Kawasaki KX range of motocross machines for customers worldwide. Romain has helped KRT and the Kawasaki factory engineers develop an awesome MXGP winning machine while exploring technology that transfers directly to machines that enthusiasts can purchase. The prospect of achieving the MXGP World Championship title is a tempting thought and the combination of KRT, KMC and Romain Febvre for 2024 has all the hallmarks of a winning team!”
 
Antti Pyrhonen, KRT Manager: “It’s great news to continue working with Romain; it was clear from both sides that we wanted to continue this successful cooperation. We are very happy with Romain’s performances and results, as well as his approach towards the team and racing. He always gives 100% effort at every training and testing session. At every race he represents exactly the values that we all love and share! From Romain’s side it’s very obvious that he is gelling with the bike, and with the team. We have already reached a very high level but we always keep our feet on the ground; we know that no year will be easy as we’re racing at the highest level of motocross so we’ll never stop working hard and, as always, need to be ready for any challenge.”
 
Steve Guttridge, KME Race Planning Manager: “Romain has played a major role in our Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP project over the past few seasons and is known to be fiercely competitive every time he gets behind the gate! Now already into the second year of the new factory team project plus this season’s flurry of GP wins is a clear result of the massively hard work from both the KMC and KRT staff who dedicate their full commitment to competing at the highest level with Romain, our technical partners and the all new KX450-SR bike for this season. We are delighted to continue on the MXGP journey with Romain and we hope Kawasaki fans will be treated to even greater success in 2024 as he pursues our dream to win the premier off-road World Championship.”

In MXGP, Kawasaki Racing Team’s Romain Febvre got his personal record with 5 Grand Prix victories in a row and continues to be the top rider at the moment while Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado finished 2nd again and scored a lot of points too thanks to his win in race 2. Closing the podium was once again Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team’s Glenn Coldenhoff who gets a back-to-back podium confirming his great form.

In MX2, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Andrea Adamo managed to get his first perfect GP win with an excellent 1-1 that extends his lead in the Championship. Finishing 2nd overall and getting his 4th podium in a row was Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing’s Simon Laengenfelder in front of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Liam Everts who climbed back on the podium since Sumbawa-Indonesia after being very consistent over the weekend.

In race 1, Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team’s Jeremy Seewer took his 10th FOX Holeshot of the season and kept going at the lead in front of Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado and Kawasaki Racing Team’s Romain Febvre. Febvre quickly charged on Prado in the opening lap to overtake his closest rival and move up to 2nd. Febvre kept his impressive level as he found the way past Seewer to take the lead on lap 2 of 19. On this tough track, Seewer stayed in touch the whole race with the Frenchman but could do nothing to prevent Febvre’s 6th victory of the season. Seewer managed a strong race as he had to defend on Prado for most of the race with the front three riders separated by 3 seconds for many laps. In the end Seewer finished 2nd and Prado 3rd. 

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP Team’s Glenn Coldenhoff had a quiet race as he trailed further back from the top 3 riders but still got a comfortable cushion with his pursuers. In the end Coldenhoff managed a podium-hopeful 4th place. 

The 5th place on the other hand got fought for during the whole race. Team HRC’s Rubén Fernández showed a good start in 3rd but got overtaken in the opening lap by Prado and Coldenhoff to move down to 5th. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings was behind Fernandez after the start and took 2 laps to dive on the inside of the Spanish rider and moved up to 5th. However Fernandez didn’t throw the towel and came back on the back wheel of the ‘bullet’ on lap 7. Fernandez dig deep and was able get the 5th place back. We thought that he was going to go all the way but crashed on lap 13 and had to retire from the race and the GP in the end. Herlings got goggles issues and had to go to the pitstop to change them on lap 10 while he was 6th. He moved down to 11th and had to battle back again to finish 8th in the end. 

Team Gebben Van Venroy Yamaha Racing’s Calvin Vlaanderen and Team HRC’s Tim Gajser
who were 7th and 8th since the opening lap respectively followed each other and befitted from Fernandez and Herlings misfortunes to move up one position and finish 5th and 6th in the end. 

It was a strong showing for SM Action Racing Team Yuasa Battery MXGP’s Alberto Forato after his 6th place in Flanders as the young Italian managed to pass riders regularly during the race and did not make mistakes to finish 7th.  Unfortunately, he didn’t confirm in the second race as he finished 18th. The two riders from Standing Construct Honda MXGP, Jeremy Van Horebeek and Brian Bogers did very well again to get a top 10 as they managed to finish 9th for Van Horebeek and 10th for Bogers.

In race 2, Prado took also his 10th FOX Holeshot to go level with Seewer. Prado kept going at the lead with Febvre on his tail but with both riders riding at the same speed it was difficult for Febvre to find a way to pass Prado. Prado’s consistent and strong pace made him win the race to go 3-1 and get on another podium, regaining some lost points on Febvre from race 1. Febvre knew that he was winning the overall in 2nd place and despite trying to find an opening he settled for 2nd in the end. Febvre went 1-2 to incredibly get his personal record of 5 GP wins in a row. 

Coldenhoff showed up again as he did in Flanders with a great start to go 3rd on the turn of lap 1. He then had to managed Herlings pushing behind him the whole race. Coldenhoff kept his cool and composure to bring the 3rd place home synonymous of 3rd overall. It was a back-to-back podium for the ‘Hoff’ that will give him even more confidence for the next GP in Sweden. Herlings settled for 4th to go 8-4 and a good 5th overall on his return to the competition.

Seewer had a sense of urgency in race 2 after an average start compared to his usual standards as he found himself 7th on the turn of Lap 1. He rode with a strong pace to overtake first Gajser on lap 11 of 19 for 6th and then a lap later Vlaanderen to move up to 5th and finish there. Unfortunately, although level on points with Coldenhoff, the Swiss rider just missed out on the podium to his teammate.

Gajser showed that he is getting back his flow and speed as after getting overtaken by Seewer and Vlaanderen on lap 11 and moving down to 7th, the Slovenian managed to stay in touching distance and capitalised on Vlaanderen’s fall to finish 6th in the end. Going 6-6 for 6th overall which is his best finish of the season. Vlaanderen had to settle for 7th in the end, and 7th overall maintaining his perfect run of top 10s this season. 

Van Horebeek managed to overtake several times in race 2 which was an impressive feat given that it was not easy to pass on this track. He finished 8th for an 8th overall. Coming out of retirement to replace Pauls Jonass after his injury for the last 3 European GPs with Standing Construct Honda MXGP; Van Horebeek showed that he did more than just filling the gap as he got 3 top 10s.

Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP’s Mitch Evans managed to get an 11-10 to get another top 10 to bounce back from Lommel.

Romain Febvre: “It was a good weekend overall. I had the speed every time I was on the track. I just feel one with the bike and the confidence is growing, that’s the most important. I managed some good move, but in the second race it was just harder. I came close few times could not pass. But I knew it was going to be enough for a GP victory. That is five in a row I beat my personal record so let’s keep it like this for a few more GPs.”

Jorge Prado: “I think it was a positive weekend winning two out of the three possible races. So I think I need to be happy. We have one goal and the goal is to get the championship, but also you know, once I get out to the track, my goal is also to win, so I’m I’m happy with the 2nd place and it was a pity in the first race that I couldn’t pass Jeremy (Seewer) and I was very close a few times. This weekend was a solid, solid weekend so it was positive I had a lot of fun and I get a bit closer to the championship title”

Glenn Coldenhoff: “It was a pretty intense battle with Herlings at the end of race 2 but I felt good even if it was difficult to pass. It is another podium and a great job from the team. I fight with the front guys week after week which shows that I have a good pace. I always like Sweden so I am really looking forward for the next GP.”

MXGP – Grand Prix Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), 34:11.808; 2. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:01.341; 3. Jorge Prado (ESP, GASGAS), +0:04.529; 4. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Yamaha), +0:20.353; 5. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Yamaha), +0:29.129; 6. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:32.550; 7. Alberto Forato (ITA, KTM), +0:34.128; 8. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:37.678; 9. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Honda), +0:41.939; 10. Brian Bogers (NED, Honda), +0:45.907;

MXGP – Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification:  1. Jorge Prado (ESP, GASGAS), 33:50.401; 2. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:02.319; 3. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Yamaha), +0:03.755; 4. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:05.683; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:11.470; 6. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:38.334; 7. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Yamaha), +0:43.163; 8. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, Honda), +1:03.007; 9. Alvin Östlund (SWE, Honda), +1:04.857; 10. Mitchell Evans (AUS, Kawasaki), +1:05.648

MXGP – Grand Prix Top 10 Classification:  1. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 47 points; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, GAS), 45 p.; 3. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 38 p.; 4. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 38 p.; 5. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 31 p.; 6. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 30 p.; 7. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM), 30 p.; 8. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, HON), 25 p.; 9. Alvin Östlund (SWE, HON), 21 p.; 10. Mitchell Evans (AUS, KAW), 21 p

MXGP – World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Jorge Prado (ESP, GAS), 720 points; 2. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 622 p.; 3. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 550 p.; 4. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 525 p.; 5. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 489 p.; 6. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM), 477 p.; 7. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 418 p.; 8. Alberto Forato (ITA, KTM), 350 p.; 9. Valentin Guillod (SUI, HON), 276 p.; 10. Benoit Paturel (FRA, YAM), 204 p

MXGP – Manufacturers Classification: 1. GASGAS, 726 points; 2. Yamaha, 703 p.; 3. Kawasaki, 638 p.; 4. KTM, 575 p.; 5. Honda, 555 p.; 6. Beta, 246 p.; 7. Husqvarna, 73 p.

Main Photo: Romain Febvre

Bottom Photos: 1. Jorge Prado; 2. Glenn Coldenhoff

In race 1, the FOX Holeshot was taken by Simon Laengenfelder as he took also the lead in front of Andrea Adamo. After the first couple of corners, behind them were Liam Everts, Fantic Racing MX Hakon Osterhagen and Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 Team’s Jago Geerts. Osterhagen who made a great start crashed on a landing and Geerts could not avoid him and crashed too. Unfortunately, Geerts got injured on the spot and had to retire from the Grand Prix which puts a blow in his chase after the MX2 Title. 

Osterhagen kept going for a while but had to retire with a bike problem in the end. The race however kept going and Adamo put immense pressure on race leader Laengenfelder. On lap 3 of 19, Adamo dived on the inside of Laengenfelder to take the lead. The German rider didn’t give up and tried to answer straight away but Adamo was not giving in and kept the lead until the end. Laengenfelder settled for 2nd. 

Everts managed to stay out of trouble and rode a consistent race to get to the finish line in 3rd place. Behind him F&H Kawasaki Racing Team’s Kevin Horgmo also showed that when he gets a good start, he is a rider that knows how to ride at the front. Horgmo finished 4th. 

Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Lucas Coenen had some race as he found himself in 11th position on the turn of lap 1 but showed that he is a rider who can overturn a bad situation. L.Coenen quickly found his flow and on lap 7 really started his charge forward. The young Belgian found himself 6th on lap 16 after getting the better of his brother Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Sacha Coenen on lap 11 and of Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 Team’s Rick Elzinga a couple of laps later. He kept charging on to get on the back wheel of WZ Racing Team’s Oriol Oliver and overtake him to finish at an excellent 5th place. Oliver also managed a strong race, as he only got overtaken by L.Coenen to finish 6th.

Elzinga displayed great pace and also gained many positions as the young Dutch rider is getting more consistent. He finished 7th in front of a solid F&H Kawasaki Racing Team’s David Braceras who consistently rode well into the top 10. S.Coenen in the end finished 9th but he is getting the measure of his potential over the last GPs.  

In Race 2, the fastest out of the gate to clinch the FOX Holeshot was Adamo, taking his 3rd but it was his teammate Everts who took the lead after that. Elzinga made a great start to find himself 2nd on the turn of lap 1. Adamo found himself 4th behind his teammate S.Coenen but passed him in the opening lap and continued on his excellent pace setting a fastest lap along the way. Adamo made a perfect move to pass Elzinga for 2nd on lap 2 of 19 to get closer to his other teammate and race leader Everts. 

While Adamo was on the charge to get the lead, Laengenfelder on his side, crashed in the opening lap and had to make his way back up from 10th on a hard track that does not facilitate passes. 

Adamo got closer and closer to Everts and swept on the inside of the Belgian on lap 7 to take the lead. After that Adamo continued at the lead, keeping a cushion of 4 seconds at all time. Adamo flew to victory to get a perfect 1-1 and win the GP by a great margin. Extending in the same time his lead to the Championship.

While Adamo was riding at the top, Laengenfelder displayed one of the most impressive performances of his season as he put his head down, passed nearly every rider in front of him with ease and set several fastest laps. The German had to fight with L.Coenen over 3 laps to finally pass him for 3rd in the end on lap 16. He then closed in on Everts for the battle of the 2nd overall. Nothing could stop Laengenfelder in this second race, and Everts could not hold him back on lap 17. Laengenfelder finished 2nd in the end going 2-2 for his 4th podium in a row showing how good he feels at the moment. 

Everts got under pressure by his countryman L.Coenen on the very last lap and finished 4th in the end to go 3-4 for 3rd overall and getting his first Podium since Sumbawa-Indonesia. L.Coenen narrowly missed out the podium to finish 4th overall but his riding was impressive. 

Elzinga’s performance was also impressive and managed a strong and solid race to finish 5th for 6th overall which is his best finish since returning from injury in Germany. 

S.Coenen continues on showing positive things as he managed to finish 6th in race 2 to get the 7th overall again after Flanders. Horgmo is another rider confirming his form as he finished 7th in race 2 to go 5th overall and get his 3rd top 5 in a row.

Andrea Adamo: ”I already won my first GP in Trentino but doing it like this with two race wins is really special and I’m so happy. I didn’t expect this because it still a sand track but I made it work. Now I want to keep working and keep going on this way.”

Simon Längenfelder: “The first race was easy when you see the second one but what can you do, when you crash in the first lap, first you are a bit disappointed but then I took my time and I had some places where I knew that I could pass. I didn’t expect to come so far to the front but I was feeling really good on the bike and I did a good job and It’s very nice to be back again on the podium”

Liam Everts: “This weekend was pretty tough actually. In the second race I was quite riding defence and I got caught out to finish 4th. It was a bit of a shame but the positives are that I led some laps in the beginning and I am really happy to be back on the podium”

MX2 – Grand Prix Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 34:53.171; 2. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GASGAS), +0:02.805; 3. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), +0:16.381; 4. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, Kawasaki), +0:18.547; 5. Lucas Coenen (BEL, Husqvarna), +0:25.722; 6. Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM), +0:28.851; 7. Rick Elzinga (NED, Yamaha), +0:34.335; 8. David Braceras (ESP, Kawasaki), +0:48.293; 9. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), +0:52.001; 10. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, Honda), +1:00.386

MX2 – Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 34:36.893; 2. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GASGAS), +0:07.299; 3. Lucas Coenen (BEL, Husqvarna), +0:07.569; 4. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), +0:10.835; 5. Rick Elzinga (NED, Yamaha), +0:15.789; 6. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), +0:17.331; 7. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, Kawasaki), +0:21.015; 8. Isak Gifting (SWE, GASGAS), +0:39.789; 9. Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM), +0:50.091; 10. Jan Pancar (SLO, KTM), +1:20.158

MX2 – Grand Prix Top 10 Classification: 1. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 50 points; 2. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 44 p.; 3. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 38 p.; 4. Lucas Coenen (BEL, HUS), 36 p.; 5. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, KAW), 32 p.; 6. Rick Elzinga (NED, YAM), 30 p.; 7. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 27 p.; 8. Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM), 27 p.; 9. Jan Pancar (SLO, KTM), 20 p.; 10. Jorgen-Matthias Talviku (EST, HUS), 20 p

MX2 – World Championship Top 10 Classification:  1. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 619 points; 2. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 559 p.; 3. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 532 p.; 4. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 501 p.; 5. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 492 p.; 6. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 462 p.; 7. Lucas Coenen (BEL, HUS), 461 p.; 8. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, HUS), 433 p.; 9. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, KAW), 395 p.; 10. Jan Pancar (SLO, KTM), 273 p

MX2 – Manufacturers Classification: 1. Yamaha, 732 points; 2. Husqvarna, 679 p.; 3. KTM, 676 p.; 4. GASGAS, 554 p.; 5. Kawasaki, 400 p.; 6. Honda, 261 p.; 7. Fantic, 18 

Main Photo: Andrea Adamo

Bottom Photos: 1. Simon Laengenfelder; 2. Liam Everts

The Frenchman used KX450-SR power to perfection out of the start in race one to launch immediately into third place from gate six and held the position for three laps before surrendering to a tough move from the current world-number-three. Showing no signs of race-rustiness despite more than six months off the bike he remained unruffled and, building a solid rhythm, raced clear of all other chasers until he slackened his pace slightly in the final laps as the strenuous track inevitably made its presence felt but he still maintained fourth to the finish for a remarkable return to GP racing. Initially ninth in race two after being closed down on the approach to the first turn the immaculate Frenchman moved quickly forward to seventh by the completion of the first complete lap. After two solid days of racing in mid-summer weather the track surface had become ever more unforgiving as the ruts became rock-hard and on his return to racing he sensibly avoided unnecessary risks. Nevertheless he was rewarded with fifth overall, just two points shy of the podium, to more than justify the decision to race just two-and-a-half weeks after resuming training and can now look forward optimistically to putting Kawasaki back in their rightful place at the sharp end during the second half of the season.
 
 Romain Febvre: “I’m feeling happy at my performance but I’m really tired this evening. I knew it would be a tough track. I had some good practice but I have only had nine-or-ten hours on the bike during the last two-and-a-half weeks and after six months out that is nothing. My speed is not that bad but I knew my fitness would be tough. On Saturday I already showed good speed and even more today but the opposition have their flow after half-a-season and I have to catch up. I got a really good start in the first moto and it was great to race up there with the front-three but after fifteen-twenty minutes I missed some physical condition. When I decided to come here I never expected to be able to finish fourth but I knew the second moto would be even tougher. I had another good jump but the rear wheel spun over the gate and the two guys either side of me closed me down immediately. I think I was around seventh most of the race. I’m really happy but really tired.“
 
Antti Pyrhönen (KRT team manager):  “Romain proved once again today that he is a truly great rider; his experience and base-level is so high that he could achieve this incredible fifth place after just two-and-a-half weeks back on the bike.“
 
Ben Watson maintained eleventh position for fourteen of the eighteen laps in race one before a loss of rhythm cost him two places at the end. A difficult first turn left the Englishman sixteenth on the opening lap of race two; he finished seventeenth to maintain twelfth place in the series standings.
 
Ben Watson: “I had a good feeling from the first session on Saturday but these are not my favourite conditions to race in; the Qualifying race was hard, slick and dusty but I came through to twelfth from nineteenth in the timed session. The track was much flatter on Sunday morning and got even harder and slippery as the day went on. I just felt physically tired at the end of the first race, as though I had a wall in front of me, and the second race was the same. It’s a bit disappointing as the last few weeks have been positive, but the key now is to focus on a good recovery, a little riding at the end of the week and then a good trip to Indonesia. We don’t know what to expect there but it will be an exciting challenge.“
 
F&H Kawasaki Racing Team’s Jed Beaton emerged seventeenth from the opening lap of the first moto but was able to push for the entire thirty-five minutes to gain three positions on his way to fourteenth. The Australian was quickly fourteenth in race two and also finished in that position after a race-long battle with the runner-up from race one. He is now seventeenth in the series standings despite missing three rounds through injury.

It has been a long wait for the Frenchman, the Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP and motocross fans worldwide, but finally this weekend will mark the comeback for the 2021 World Championship runner-up who has decided he is ready to return to the race track after several promising training sessions during the past few weeks. “There has been a lot of bad news in the past months but now I have a good one and I’m so happy to announce that I will be back behind the gate this weekend,” said Romain after another test-ride this morning; in accord with the team he will return to racing in the German GP at Teutschenthal this weekend. “I didn’t ride that much yet as I have only been training for two-and-a-half weeks so far, but the feeling with the bike is already really good so it’s time to be back racing. As I already explained previously the doctor told me that the pain will guide me and, even if sometimes I feel some pain, that’s acceptable,” he continued.

Having not raced for several months Romain has no real expectations for his comeback as he has no reference mark for his speed compared to his MXGP rivals. “I go to Germany without any specific goal as I didn’t ride with any other top riders in recent weeks; I would have liked to ride with Ben but after his crash in Spain he was not able to practice last week. We never stopped working on my fitness programme, even when I wasn’t able to ride the bike, so physically I am ready and I think that my speed will be OK, but for sure it will be more difficult at first to maintain the speed for the entire duration of the motos. But we must start somewhere. I’m not yet at 100% but as I have a good feeling on the bike and as we had some good training sessions it’s time to go and it was better to be back in Germany rather than wait for Indonesia. We didn’t want to return overseas; it’s much better to do so in Europe even if Teutschenthal is not the easiest track for a comeback. But I have some experience and know what is required.”

For Antti Pyrhönen and the KRT staff, this is excellent news of course. “We are so happy to welcome Romain back to racing. He has been working extremely hard for his comeback and now it’s time to take the next step and start building the race fitness. We are proud of the fight Romain has been putting in through this tough period and, together with Ben, they will complete the team,” concluded Antti who will thus have his full squad in action this weekend.

“In fact we wanted to know how painful my leg was when riding a bike, and also to see how my leg felt a few hours after a training session. They were not long sessions, but they were enough for me to evaluate the pain and for my doctor to understand how my body had reacted,” he continued. As the medical examinations were encouraging it’s now up to Romain to determine his future training programme. “My doctor told me that the pain-level will guide me, and it’s up to me to decide the frequency and the intensity of the training sessions on the bike. At the moment the plan is to progress step-by-step, and to determine the evolution. It’s too early to consider a date to be back racing; time will tell us,” he added, although of course he is impatient to once again line-up at the start-gate alongside his teammate Ben Watson.

After his impressive second moto at Maggiora on Sunday, where he took the holeshot award and finished fourth, Watson will line up this weekend at Riola Sardo (Sardinia) for the eighth round of the FIM MXGP Motocross World Championship.
 
Antti Pyrhonen (KRT team manager): “We are very happy that Romain is reaching the next stage in his recovery and can start riding! We have all been waiting for this moment and we are looking forward to continuing the work together at the track, but we will do this carefully step-by-step. And we are convinced that it will also help Ben, who gave a strong performance last weekend in Maggiora, to have Romain at his side when training.”

“I tried to ride last week but it wasn’t possible, so had a checkup this week with the surgeon and actually the bone from the tibia is not healing everywhere!” said Febvre. “On one spot the space between the bone is apparently too much so I have to make another operation next week to clean and take some bones in my hip to put it there!So it means my bike will have to wait again few months to be out!

“Feel I didn’t have so much luck on that one, I feel so sorry for my team and sponsors as well! Thank you for the support of all my sponsors!”

Feeling comfortable on the track laid out in the Paris la Defense Arena Romain posted the third fastest lap time, ahead of the US riders, in the Superpole to confirm his fastest time from Friday practice. Fifth in the first of the three races Romain made a great start in the second sprint and was a challenging second behind Marvin Musquin when he crashed on the finish jump.

Evacuated by the medical service and later transferred to the hospital Ambroise Pare at Boulogne Billancourt, where he had further examinations, Romain underwent surgery this morning; Professors Bernard Hollier-Larousse and Victoire Bouveau treated a double fracture of the tibia and fibula of the right leg.

Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Romain Febvre continues to hold the red plate after two strong races yesterday that saw him finish second on the podium to Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jeffrey Herlings who secured his 98^th career Grand Prix victory and edged closer to the series leader. Meanwhile a penalty in race one for Team HRC’s Tim Gajser was costly, as despite making up for it in the second race with a third-place finish, this has now left him 12 points behind Herlings in terms of the standings.

The next two races on Wednesday will be crucial as by the end of the final chequered flag we will crown our 2021 MXGP World Champion!

While the focus remains on the battle between Febvre and Herlings, there are two more champions to be confirmed as Fantic Factory Team Maddii’s Nicholas Lapucci will look to wrap-up the EMX250 title in front of his how supporters, while Valerio Lata from MRT Racing Team KTM will look to do the same in the EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing category.   

The big focus on Wednesday will be the battle between Febvre and Herlings, as the pair will look for every possible advantage that will help them score maximum points. Both shared the wins yesterday, as Febvre won race one and Herlings was victorious in race two.

With the racing and the points so close, there is a possibility that we could see the pair tied on points by the end of the second race and in that case, it would go down to the race victories, which as it stands Herlings has the most of. The Dutchman has won a total of 13 races this season so far, while Febvre has won six. Just ahead of him is Gajser who has seven heat wins to his name.

Either way, the racing will be intense and as we have seen many times this season already; anything can happen and that’s why Gajser is not out of the run completely just yet. While the Slovenian may be 15 points off Febvre, his fight for the title is not over yet. Gajser has delivered consistent results and this consistency could pay off, in case Febvre and Herlings find themselves in any trouble.

While all eyes will be on the fight for the title, a rider who will no doubt be in the middle of this battle, is the 9-time World Champion, Antonio Cairoli of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing. The MXGP of Città di Mantova is set to be his final Grand Prix race as a full-time rider, which no doubt he will look to enjoy. Cairoli was on form yesterday as he rode two good races to get himself on the box and with his final two races approaching, he will no doubt be motivated to do the same and give his fans something to cheer about!

Then there’s Honda 114 Motorsports Ruben Fernandez who had a spectacular MXGP wildcard appearance as he got right in the mix with the front runners of the class. The Spaniard put up a challenge, especially to Herlings in race one, as he went on to finish in fourth and then seventh in race two, which gave him sixth overall. No doubt he will look to repeat his success of yesterday and deliver some more positive results for the final race of the season.

Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Mathys Boisrame was also another rookie who was keen on getting in the mix at the front. He finished race one in ninth, while he got unlucky in race two, where he was forced to DNF. With the bad luck behind him, it would be nice to see him battling inside the top 10 once again as he hopes to secure a team for 2022.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Arminas Jasikonis made his return after missing the triple-header in Pietramurata. The Lithuanian struggled, as he finished race one in 18^th, while in race two he ran into some trouble and did not finish the race. The Husqvarna rider is still making his recovery after a serious injury last season, but will no doubt be motivated to deliver some positive results for the final race. His teammate Thomas Kjer Olsen will look to do the same after another top 10 finish yesterday. The Dane finished seventh and tenth for eighth overall, which is his sixth top 10 finish of the season.

Now it’s time to look forward to the races on Wednesday as the final races are bound to deliver a lot of excitement as we witness the closest battled for the title in the premier class since 1986.

Previous Grand Prix Top 3 – MXGP:

1. Jeffrey Herlings (47pts)

2. Romain Febvre (47 pts)

3. Antonio Cairoli (38 pts)

Main Photo: MXGP Start

Bottom Photos: 1. Antonio Cairoli 2. Romain Febvre

MXGP – World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 661 points; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 658 p.; 3. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 646 p.; 4. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 534 p.; 5. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 532 p.; 6. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 530 p.; 7. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 416 p.; 8. Pauls Jonass (LAT, GAS), 391 p.; 9. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, KTM), 310 p.; 10. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 309 p.;

In MX2, Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Maxime Renaux will enter the final race with the pressure off his shoulders after wrapping up his maiden MX2 World Championship title two rounds ago in Pietramurata. Now the Frenchman will be able to enjoy the final races and revel in his success.

And while Renaux will be more relaxed than ever, his teammate Jago Geerts of Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle will not have that luxury. The pair are divided by just seven points in the battle for the silver medal and Geerts will no doubt be feeling confident after his overall victory yesterday. Geerts was looking strong as he finished the day with a 2-1 result to have the advantage over his teammate Renaux, while Vialle looked like he was struggling to find his rhythm on the hard sand track. Nonetheless, the Frenchman was third on the box. Confirming in the post-race press conference, Vialle said he will make some changes to his bike and come back for the final race ready to be out in front once again.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Mattia Guadagnini is set for his final MX2 race as a rookie, as he will look to round out his first season in the World Championship on a high. This season so far, the Italian has held the red plate, secured three race wins and two Grand Prix victories, along with a total of six visits to the podium. Those are pretty impressive statistics for a rookie, and we could even see him add to these on Wednesday.

His Austrian teammate, Rene Hofer will look to bounce back from an unlucky MXGP of Lombardia. Hofer finished sixth and ninth for seventh overall, despite two crashes. But those are not the results he is capable of, as we have seen him win races in the final rounds, as well as taking his first pole position yesterday. It is clear that the KTM rider is fast here, so it will be interesting to see what results he can deliver for the end of the season.

The fight for the podium will be intense as Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Jed Beaton and Kay de Wolf are on the verge of their fourth podium this season. Beaton missed the podium yesterday by just two points as he battled well inside the top five in both races, finishing fifth and third. For Beaton, Wednesday will be his final race in MX2, and he will be more motivated than ever to end his MX2 career on the podium. His younger teammate de Wolf will want to solidify his rookie season too, so we can also expect him in the mix once again.

It will be interesting to see what the final races of the 2021 season will deliver.

Previous Grand Prix Top 3 – MX2:

1. Jago Geerts (47pts)

2. Maxime Renaux (47 pts)

3. Tom Vialle (38 pts)

Main Photo: MX2 Start

Bottom Photos: 1. Jago Geerts 2. Tom Vialle

MX2 – World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 689 points; 2. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 570 p.; 3. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 563 p.; 4. Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 513 p.; 5. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, KTM), 512 p.; 6. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 501 p.; 7. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 441 p.; 8. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 413 p.; 9. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 404 p.; 10. Simon Längenfelder (GER, GAS), 316 p.;

TIMETABLE

TUESDAY: 09:25 EMX125 Free Practice, 09:50 EMX250 Free Practice, 10:45 EMX125 Qualifying Practice, 11:20 EMX250 Qualifying Practice, 12:20 EMX125 Race 1, 13:10 EMX250 Race 1, 14:20 EMX125 Race 2, 15:15 EMX250 Race 2.

WEDNESDAY: 08:15 MX2 Free/Time Practice, 09:15 MXGP Free/Time Practice, 11:15 MX2 Race 1, 12:15 MXGP Race 1, 14:10 MX2 Race 2, 15:10 MXGP Race 2.