Fantic Factory Racing MXGP Scores Valuable Championship Points During Challenging Portuguese Weekend

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The Fantic Factory Racing MXGP Team secured another valuable haul of World Championship points during the tenth round of the FIM MXGP World Championship in Águeda, Portugal. The biggest positive of the weekend was the return of Brent van Doninck, who was cleared to race again following his heavy crash in Montevarchi.
After undergoing a mandatory medical examination ahead of the race weekend, Van Doninck was declared fit to compete. Fortunately, the back injury he sustained during the MXGP of Italy proved to be less serious than initially feared, allowing the Belgian to make his comeback aboard the Fantic XXF 450.

On Águeda’s demanding red clay circuit, both Van Doninck and teammate Alberto Forato faced a highly competitive field. Despite solid efforts, both riders narrowly missed out on a place inside the top ten.

Forato delivered a consistent performance in Race 1 to finish 13th, with Van Doninck crossing the line immediately behind him in 14th. In the second moto, Forato struggled to match the pace of the front runners and finished 15th. Despite still feeling the effects of his back injury, Van Doninck continued to fight throughout the race and brought his Fantic home in 16th place.

The combined results placed Forato 13th overall for the day, while Van Doninck finished 16th overall. More importantly, after missing his home Grand Prix in Montevarchi, the Belgian immediately returned to scoring World Championship points.

After ten rounds, Forato currently sits 12th in the MXGP World Championship standings. The team will have another opportunity to build on its results next weekend when round eleven of the season takes place in South Africa.

Alberto Forato:
“There isn’t really much to say. It simply wasn’t my weekend. That’s disappointing, but the season is still long. We put this one behind us and focus on the next races. As always, I’ll continue giving everything I have, just like everyone within the team and at Fantic. We’ll keep working hard until we achieve our goals.”

Brent van Doninck:
“Of course, this isn’t the result we were hoping for. But considering that just a week ago I didn’t even know if I’d be able to race, I’m happy to take this outcome. The positive thing is that my back felt good throughout the weekend, and that gives me confidence heading into the upcoming races.”

Fantic Factory Racing MXGP Faces Challenging MXGP of Latvia

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The Fantic Factory Racing MXGP Team endured a difficult weekend during the eighth round of the FIM Motocross World Championship in Kegums, Latvia. On the demanding sandy circuit, both Alberto Forato and Brent Van doninck faced a number of challenges, but both riders also took away valuable lessons ahead of the upcoming races.

The weekend began in wet conditions, with Forato posting a solid tenth-fastest time in timed practice. The Italian then narrowly missed out on a top-ten finish in the qualifying race, crossing the line in eleventh place. Teammate Van doninck followed shortly behind in thirteenth.

Under sunny conditions, the Grand Prix races took place on Sunday. In the opening moto, both Fantic riders struggled to find their rhythm on the technical sand track. Van doninck fought his way to fifteenth place, while Forato lost significant ground in the opening corner and found himself outside the top twenty. The Italian was unable to find the right lines to move further forward and had to settle for twentieth position.

In the second moto, both riders were determined to bounce back. However, Forato crashed early in the race and once again had to fight his way through the field. The Italian responded strongly and recovered to finish thirteenth.

At that point, Van doninck was in a better position and looked set for a solid result. Unfortunately, a technical issue brought his race to a premature end while he was running in twelfth place.

Despite the disappointing results, the team is already looking ahead to the next Grand Prix. In two weeks’ time, the MXGP of Italy in Montevarchi is on the schedule, the home event for the Italian manufacturer.

Alberto Forato
“This weekend was more complicated than we expected. We worked hard between the sessions, but we struggled to find the right setup. In the second moto I felt a little better, and I’m happy to leave Latvia without any injuries. We have a few more test sessions planned over the coming days before returning to Italy. It’s always special to race in front of the home crowd, and I’m looking forward to feeling that extra support again.”

Brent Van doninck
“The final result is not what we were hoping for, but I felt a little better in every session. It’s unfortunate to have had the small issue in the second moto, but it seems that it was a difficult weekend for many riders, and that’s simply part of motocross. We’ll take the positives with us: I felt better, and without the DNF we could have finished close to the top ten. Now we’re looking forward to another home Grand Prix for Fantic, with a few surprises in store. It’s going to be a great race!”

Alberto Forato Finishes Sixth in Germany

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The Fantic Factory Racing MXGP team enjoyed a positive weekend at the MXGP of Germany in Teutschenthal. Alberto Forato was particularly impressive, securing sixth place overall. Teammate Brent Van Doninck also showed significant progress and achieved his best race result of the season so far with a ninth-place finish in the opening moto.

Forato started the weekend strongly by setting the eighth-fastest time in timed practice. In the qualifying race, the Italian got off the gate exceptionally well and entered the first corner in third position. However, a hectic opening lap and a few minor mistakes dropped him back to tenth place. He then found his rhythm on the technical Teutschenthal circuit but was unable to make further progress through the field.

Van Doninck was also comfortable on the track and crossed the finish line in thirteenth place in the qualifying race, giving both riders a solid starting position for Sunday’s races.

Conditions became much more challenging on Sunday after rainfall left the track heavy and treacherous. Once again, Alberto got off to a strong start and spent the entire first moto battling among the front runners in the MXGP field. Maintaining a consistent pace and avoiding mistakes, he secured an excellent sixth-place finish.
Van Doninck also delivered a strong performance. The Belgian rider showed good speed throughout the race and finished in ninth place, marking his best moto result of the season so far.

In the second moto, Van Doninck suffered an early setback. After crashing in the first corner, he attempted to continue but was ultimately forced to retire due to damage sustained to his motorcycle.

Forato found himself outside the top ten after contact with another rider shortly after the start. Showing great determination, the Italian fought his way back to ninth place, which earned him an impressive sixth position in the overall classification. He also moves up to tenth place in the MXGP World Championship standings.

Alberto Forato:
“Overall, it was certainly a positive weekend here in Germany. The feeling was good from Saturday onwards. I set the eighth-fastest time in timed practice and had a great start in the qualifying race. Unfortunately, I lost several positions during the opening laps. After that, my pace was good, but overtaking was difficult and I finished tenth. On Sunday, the rain once again changed the track conditions. I had another good start in the first moto and finished sixth with a strong pace throughout the race. In the second moto, I made contact with another rider immediately after the gate dropped, and the muddy conditions limited visibility through the opening corners. In fact, I felt even better than I did in the first moto, but passing was extremely difficult. I got the maximum out of what was possible and finished ninth, which was enough for sixth overall. I have also moved up to tenth place in the championship standings. The starts were good, the feeling is there, and we can be satisfied with the progress we have made.”

Brent Van Doninck:
“I feel that I made a big step forward this weekend. Already on Saturday I felt more comfortable on the bike. The first moto on Sunday was very positive, resulting in a ninth-place finish. In the second moto, I missed the start and then crashed in the first corner when my front wheel slid away in the mud, sending me over the handlebars. I tried to continue, but my handlebars were bent so badly that it was impossible to ride normally. On top of that, I was already far behind the rest of the field, so there was little point in continuing. It is disappointing to end the weekend this way because I was feeling better and would have liked to finish the day strongly. Nevertheless, we will take the positives from this weekend and go into battle again next week.”