main content of page
Racing News |
Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP Shines in Challenging Spanish Conditions
Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP's Romain Febvre successfully retained second place in the FIM World Motocross Championship standings despite battling difficult, rain-soaked conditions at the Cozar Motor Ranch in central Spain.
The MXGP motos faced the toughest track conditions as intermittent rain and sunshine created a muddy and treacherous surface. In the first race, Febvre struggled off the gate and was further delayed when another rider crashed in front of him at the first turn. However, the Frenchman fought back, advancing to eighth within the opening lap and securing seventh shortly after. Despite a valiant effort, he spent the rest of the race navigating the challenging terrain in survival mode.
In race two, with the track even heavier after additional rainfall, Febvre climbed from seventh to fifth by the second lap and held that position to the finish. Although he narrowly missed the overall podium in fifth, he maintained his focus on the bigger picture, preserving his second-place standing as the championship heads to his home GP at St. Jean d'Angely next weekend.
Romain Febvre: "I'm actually pretty happy with today's performance; there was more to lose than to gain. My mistake in qualifying prevented me from selecting a favorable gate position, which made the start crucial. The riders who got out front had a much easier race, while those in the pack, like me, were constantly bombarded with mud. By the end, the bike felt like it weighed 300 kilos with 10 kilos of mud on my helmet. Gajser gained some points, but I’m still second in the championship heading into my home GP next weekend."
KRT teammate Pauls Jonass, who impressed with a third-place finish in qualifying, had a rollercoaster day. In the first moto, he advanced from sixth to fourth on the opening lap, but mistakes and a fall on lap four dropped him back to 16th. Jonass rebounded with a stunning holeshot in race two and maintained a top-three position until he bogged down in a deep rut on lap two, ultimately finishing sixth. Despite the setbacks, he holds ninth in the series standings, just four points from fifth.
Pauls Jonass: "I was thrilled with my starts, especially the holeshot in race two, but disappointed with my riding, particularly in the first moto. I pushed too hard early on, struggled to find a rhythm, and only started riding well in the last 15 minutes of race two. The heavy, sticky mud made it a game of luck after the rain stopped."
In the MX2 class, Kawasaki Racing Team’s Mathis Valin faced misfortune. Forced to select a wider gate position, Valin emerged just outside the top six in race one. He made quick passes to secure fourth but fell heavily midway through the race. Despite his efforts to continue, a painful right hand forced him to retire and miss race two.
Antti Pyrhönen (KRT Team Manager): "Mathis was riding well and comfortably holding fourth until he lost balance on a small downhill. He hurt his right hand in the fall and couldn’t start race two. X-rays showed no fractures, but we’ll conduct another scan tomorrow. Fingers crossed he’ll be fine."
With Febvre holding strong in the MXGP standings and Jonass closing in on the top five, Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP looks forward to the upcoming French Grand Prix.
