Fantic Factory Racing MXGP lined up at the MXGP of Flanders with a one-off special livery during its home Grand Prix. On the demanding sand circuit of Lommel, Jörgen-Matthias Talviku made his debut aboard the Fantic XXF 450 alongside Brent Van doninck. The Belgian rider completed his home Grand Prix in 14th overall.

With thousands of fans, glorious weather, and one of the toughest sand tracks on the calendar, Lommel once again delivered one of the most spectacular events of the season. The weekend held extra significance for Jacky Martens’ Fantic Factory Racing MXGP team, whose headquarters are located just a short distance from the legendary Belgian circuit.

To celebrate the home event, Van doninck and his new teammate Talviku raced with a special livery inspired by the Belgian flag. Between on-track sessions, friends and partners were welcomed in the team’s dedicated hospitality area.

Van doninck arrived in Lommel highly motivated after securing his best moto result of the season one week earlier in Loket. However, the weekend proved more difficult than expected. Several mistakes and crashes on Saturday prevented him from finishing the qualifying race, leaving him with an unfavourable gate pick for Sunday’s races.
In the opening moto, Van doninck fought his way back to 15th place before crossing the line in 16th in race two. Those results earned him 14th overall for the Grand Prix.
Talviku was called up to replace the injured Alberto Forato. The Estonian made a promising start to his stint with the team by finishing 14th in Saturday’s qualifying race. Despite having very limited time on the bike, he demonstrated encouraging potential. Sunday’s results did not fully reflect that progress. After a crash at the start of the second moto, Talviku finished 19th and 18th, placing him 20th overall.

Following an intense run of three consecutive Grand Prix weekends, the team now has a weekend off before the FIM Motocross World Championship resumes with the MXGP of Sweden.

Brent Van doninck:
“Lommel is always a special Grand Prix. Racing with the Belgian-inspired livery and having so much support from friends and family made it even more special. After my result in Loket, I was determined to put together another strong weekend, but unfortunately things didn’t go as planned. It was a difficult weekend from the start. I made too many mistakes and had too many crashes on Saturday. By Sunday, I felt like I had no energy left and couldn’t give anything extra. We have to put this Grand Prix behind us. After three demanding race weekends in a row, it’s good to have a weekend off to recover, reset, and come back stronger in Sweden.”

Jörgen-Matthias Talviku:
“It’s been a busy few days. On Sunday, I had to battle with myself more than anything. In these demanding conditions, I still don’t have enough confidence on a bike that is very new to me. I’m definitely not satisfied with the results, but at the same time I’m trying not to be too hard on myself. We did everything that was possible in such a short period of time. Now I’m looking forward to spending more time on the bike and becoming more comfortable. Once again, a big thank you to Fantic and the team for giving me this amazing opportunity.”

The Fantic Factory Racing MXGP Team experienced a weekend of mixed fortunes at the MXGP of Great Britain in Foxhill. While Alberto Forato was forced to withdraw due to injury, Brent Van Doninck showed that his upward trajectory is back on track.

Forato’s weekend started in promising fashion. The 26-year-old Italian posted the sixth-fastest time in timed practice and looked set for a strong result. However, disaster struck in Saturday’s qualifying race when he crashed heavily on the opening lap, injuring his left shoulder.

Following further medical examinations in Belgium, Forato was diagnosed with a fractured shoulder blade. He successfully underwent surgery on Sunday afternoon and will now focus entirely on his recovery. As a result, he will miss the upcoming rounds of the FIM Motocross World Championship.

For Brent Van Doninck, the weekend unfolded much more positively. The Belgian quickly felt at home on the classic hard-pack circuit of Foxhill and built on his 14th-place finish in the qualifying race. In the opening moto, however, he struggled to find the right lines to make passes and had to settle for 16th place.

The second moto was a significant improvement. Van Doninck delivered a strong performance and crossed the finish line in tenth place. That result earned him 11th overall for the day, just outside the top ten, and he now heads to the next Grand Prix in the Czech Republic full of confidence.

Brent Van Doninck:
“It was my first time racing at Foxhill and I really enjoyed it. The organisers did an amazing job, both with the track and the overall event. My riding in the first moto wasn’t actually bad, but the level in this class is so high that it’s incredibly difficult to make passes when you’re stuck further back in the field. In the second moto I was in a much better position after the opening lap, which allowed me to ride a strong race with a consistent pace. It was great to finish back inside the top ten. I’m really happy with the progress we’ve made. We also made a few changes to the bike setup that worked really well. I’m going home feeling positive, and it’s been a while since I could say that. The last few races have been mentally tough, with the crash in Montevarchi followed by illness in South Africa. We’re moving in the right direction now, and there are still a few tracks coming up that suit me well. We’ll keep working hard and never give up. Hopefully we can achieve even more top-ten finishes.”

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.”