Fantic Factory Racing MXGP Faces Setback at the MXGP of Trentino

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The striking look of the Fantic Factory Racing MXGP x NILS livery and the energy of the home crowd created the perfect setting for a special weekend. However, the sporting results fell short of expectations, with home rider Alberto Forato finishing 16th overall in the fifth round of the MXGP World Championship in Trentino.

With a special one-off livery—designed in collaboration with Fantic’s official partner NILS (Experts in lubricants)—Alberto Forato and Brent Van doninck were aiming to deliver a strong performance in front of a packed crowd. A total of 36,500 spectators attended over the course of the weekend.

To fight for top results in MXGP, everything needs to come together. This time, however, things did not go in favor of the Fantic Factory Racing MXGP riders. In Saturday’s Qualifying Race, Forato held a strong sixth position for much of the race until a small issue dropped him back to 18th, with Van doninck finishing just behind in 19th.
The first moto proved difficult, with the duo finishing 14th and 17th. The second moto brought more misfortune: Forato crashed in the opening corner, while Van doninck was forced to retire later in the race following a heavy crash.

The positive news is that both riders escaped injury. Despite another fall, Forato still managed to score points with a 19th-place finish. However, 16th overall was not the result the Italian had hoped for on home soil—especially after strong performances in MXGP of Sardegna and MXGP of Switzerland, where he finished sixth and seventh overall.

The upcoming four-week break in the championship provides the team with an opportunity to regroup, while the riders can fully recover after an intense start to the season.

Alberto Forato:
“This is definitely not the result I wanted or expected from my home GP, especially since the speed was there to perform well. In the first moto, I lost many positions at the start due to a crash in front of me. I managed to come back to 14th. I gave everything I had, and that was the maximum possible. In the second moto, I crashed at the start. During my comeback, I fell again and couldn’t do better than 19th. Overall, the first five rounds of the season have still been positive. I’m happy with my speed, and the feeling on the Fantic keeps improving. Now we have a month to keep working and come back stronger in France.”

Brent Van doninck:
“I’m still struggling with my ankle, but I wanted to score some points before the break. The break will give me time to recover properly and train more. Unfortunately, Jeremy Seewer and I touched in the air during the second moto and crashed hard, but luckily we were both able to get up. It was a heavy impact, but I feel okay. The bike was badly damaged, which was the main reason I had to retire. I’ll use the coming weeks to get fully fit again and work towards my goals.”

Alberto Forato strong sixth in MXGP Sardinia

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The Fantic Factory Racing MXGP Team enjoyed a solid and positive weekend during the MXGP of Sardinia in Riola Sardo. On the demanding sand circuit, where conditions are always extremely tough, both Alberto Forato and Brent Van doninck managed to score points multiple times.

The Fantic XXF 450 machines stood out not only thanks to their special “Sunset White” livery, but also with a strong performance in the qualifying race, where Forato finished eighth and Van doninck followed closely behind in tenth.

Forato carried his strong form into Sunday’s races. In the first moto, he managed to hold on to a top-eight position despite suffering a heavy crash during the warm-up.

In the second moto, the Italian made an even better start and briefly ran in fifth position. After a hectic opening phase, he crossed the line in ninth place before finding his rhythm and working his way forward. He eventually finished seventh, which secured him a strong sixth overall.

For Van doninck, the weekend started promisingly with a solid qualifying race, but he crashed at the start of the first moto. From the back of the field, he fought his way back to 19th position.

In the second moto, the Belgian had a good start but lost ground in the first corner and once again had to fight his way forward. With a strong comeback, he eventually finished 12th, placing him 16th overall for the weekend.

Alberto Forato:
“It was a positive weekend, despite a heavy crash in the warm-up. I clearly felt the consequences of that, especially in my left hand, which didn’t make things easier in the tough sand conditions of Riola. But I did my best, gave everything I had, and I’m very happy with sixth overall. We’ve taken another small step forward and I’m looking forward to seeing everyone in Arco di Trento!”

Brent Van doninck:
“I didn’t really know what to expect from this weekend after twisting my ankle in Switzerland, so tenth place in the qualifying race was actually quite good. Unfortunately, I crashed at the start of the first moto. The second moto went better with a solid twelfth place. Two out of three starts were very good, which is definitely a positive. Overall it was okay, but of course we want more. I hope my ankle will feel better next week, and after that we have a longer break to get the body back to 100%. But first, I hope to score good points in Arco.”

Strong performance by Forato with seventh place in Switzerland

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A challenging MXGP of Switzerland resulted in a top ten finish in the MXGP class for Alberto Forato. Brent Van Doninck had a more difficult weekend in Frauenfeld; due to an injury, he was only able to ride the first moto on Sunday and had to return to the paddock early.

With the fifth fastest time in timed practice, Forato immediately set the tone for a strong weekend in Frauenfeld. In Saturday’s qualifying race, he secured a ninth starting position. On Sunday, the Italian impressed in the first moto with a season-best sixth place. In the second moto, he delivered another solid performance with a ninth-place finish, which ultimately earned him seventh overall.

Forato showed that he is becoming increasingly comfortable on the Fantic XXF 450, even under tough conditions with low temperatures and rain making the track even more challenging.

For Brent Van Doninck, the Grand Prix was less fortunate. After an incident in the first corner of the qualifying race, he had to fight his way back from the rear of the field and managed to recover to 15th place. However, with two laps to go, he made a mistake in a rut and twisted his ankle.

Although he tried to start on Sunday, the injury proved too painful. Van Doninck was unable to finish the races and had to skip the second moto entirely.

Alberto Forato
“A positive GP, with a sixth place in the first moto and a ninth in the second. My speed is improving and I feel good on my Fantic. It’s a shame the starts weren’t ideal, but we still managed to finish seventh overall. All in all, it went well. I’m satisfied and looking forward to continuing the work towards the two races in Italy. Hopefully I’ll see many fans in Riola and especially in Arco!”

Brent Van Doninck
“The qualifying race actually went quite well, but with two laps to go I twisted my ankle. At first, I thought it wouldn’t be too bad, but on Sunday morning it was quite painful and I couldn’t properly put my foot down during warm-up. With the rain and the ruts, it only got worse, making it very difficult to keep riding. I tried to start the first moto, but quickly realized it wasn’t possible and had to return to the pits. It’s frustrating and of course I’m disappointed, but I don’t think it’s anything serious. I’m confident I’ll be back in two weeks in Riola.”

Alberto Forato shows strong pace in Spain, Van Doninck faces setback

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The second round of the MXGP World Championship took place last weekend in Andalucía, marking the first European race of the season.
Alberto Forato demonstrated he has the speed to compete at the front of the highly competitive MXGP class. He set the seventh-fastest time in time practice, finished tenth in the qualifying race, and topped the timesheets in Sunday’s warm-up.

However, in the first moto, his chances of a top ten result were immediately compromised by a crash on the opening lap. Despite this setback, he fought his way back impressively to finish 13th. In the second moto, “Alby” got off to a better start and delivered a solid ride, crossing the line in tenth place. These results secured him his first overall top ten finish of the season.

There were also positives to take for Brent Van Doninck, starting with the qualifying race on Saturday. Despite crashing at the start, he recovered well to finish 14th, posting strong lap times along the way.

After setting the fourth-fastest time in Sunday’s warm-up, Van Doninck came close to a top ten finish in the first moto, ending the race in 11th position. Unfortunately, this positive momentum did not continue, as he crashed in the opening lap of the second moto and was forced to retire from the race.

The good news is that Van Doninck is feeling okay and remains motivated to bounce back next weekend at the upcoming round in Frauenfeld, Switzerland.

Alberto Forato:
“All in all, it was a positive weekend. Considering where we are coming from, I’m very happy with a tenth overall. Of course, that’s not where I ultimately want to be, but I could clearly see that the speed is there, even this morning in the warm-up. I gave everything this weekend and in the end it went quite well. Now full focus on the next race in Switzerland — we keep building.”

Brent Van Doninck:
“With every session here in Almonte, I felt better and better on the bike. Even yesterday in qualifying, despite the crash, it was a positive race. I came from far back and posted good lap times. In the first moto, I didn’t have a great start, but I still came back to P11 and felt strong. I was looking forward to the second moto to push towards the top ten. Unfortunately, I crashed in the first lap. It was a decent hit, I was far back, and I decided to stop. But nothing serious — I feel good and we’ll be back on the gate next weekend in Switzerland.”

A solid start of the World Championship for Fantic Factory Racing MXGP in Argentina

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MXGP is back in action, and Brent Van doninck opened the 2026 FIM Motocross World Championship with a twelfth-place overall finish, while his Fantic Factory Racing MXGP teammate Alberto Forato experienced a more challenging weekend.

The MXGP of Argentina kicked off what is set to become a stellar MXGP season. Lining up alongside no fewer than 14 (!) former GP winners, Brent Van doninck and Alberto Forato came home 12th and 18th overall on their first World Championship outing aboard the Fantic XXF 450.

For Fantic, the much-anticipated season opener marked the beginning of a new journey with the new team structure led by Jacky Martens. The results – and even more so the information gathered – provide a solid base to keep building as the team looks ahead to a long season.

Brent Van doninck opted for a calm approach, taking his time to adapt to the brand-new racetrack in Bariloche, and finished 15th in Saturday’s qualifying race, despite a start that was not yet ideal. Ninth in Sunday morning’s warm-up – a session that saw both Fantic Factory Racing MXGP riders inside the top 10 – Van doninck ran close to the top 10 in the two races as well, finishing 13th and 11th, for 12th overall.

Alberto Forato, who had already impressed with second place at the Internazionali d’Italia for his Fantic debut earlier this year, did not have luck on his side in Argentina. Eleventh and twelfth in the practice sessions, he was hit by roost right at the start of the qualifying race and struggled with visibility throughout, which meant he had to settle for 17th gate pick.

In Sunday’s races, “Alby” went down twice right after the start, remounting at the back of the field. Despite damaging his front brake in the crash, he still managed to pick up a point with a 20th-place finish in the opening race. In race 2, he came back to 15th, securing 18th overall – a result that does not reflect his potential, but he will have plenty of opportunities to bounce back soon.

The MXGP paddock now moves back to Europe for the Grand Prix of Andaluc?a in Almonte, scheduled for 21-22 March.

Brent Van doninck:
“A solid start to the season – nothing too special, but two solid races with good points and, most importantly, no crashes, because it was a pretty eventful weekend for many riders. Personally, I am happy, we definitely have something to build on. I know I always need the first races to find my rhythm a bit. We will keep working and improving race by race, and I am looking forward to the process.”

Alberto Forato:
“It was a pretty unlucky weekend, but I am healthy, and I guess that is a big positive. Actually, on Saturday I felt pretty good, until the qualifying race, when something hit my left eye and I couldn’t see properly from that eye for the entire race – it was a very tough one. In race 1, I went down right at the first corner. My handlebar was bent and I had no front brake, but I continued and finished twentieth. Before the second race, my starting blocks went missing, so we borrowed one that obviously wasn’t my usual size. Behind the gate, I lost my balance and my finger slipped. I thought I was going to hit the gate, but it went down instead. I slowed down immediately, thinking they would stop us, but the red flag came out after a couple of laps. At the restart, I got through the first corner pretty well, but then I was involved in another crash. My bike got stuck under two others, and I lost a lot of time there. Restarting last once again, I finished fifteenth. This is definitely not the way I wanted to start my season, but that is how it goes sometimes. Now we have to focus on the next race. We will try to be better in Spain and, hopefully, we will be luckier next time around.”