UNSTOPPABLE FONTANESI CLAIMS SECOND STRAIGHT WINS IN GERMANY

The FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship riders were greeted with two vastly different challenges at the iconic Teutschenthal circuit during the Liqui Moly MXGP of Germany. Saturday’s Race 1 unfolded under hot and sunny skies, where the dry, hard-pack surface tested throttle control and precision. The second race however, brought a slicker, rain-affected track, transforming the terrain into a more technical and unpredictable battlefield.

Despite the changing conditions, it was MXFontaRacing’s Kiara Fontanesi who took the overall victory in Teutschenthal with a commanding win in Race 1 and a solid second-place finish in Race 2. De Baets Yamaha MX-Team’s Lotte van Drunen rebounded on Sunday to claim her first race win since Sardinia, securing second overall with 3-1 finishes while RFME Spain National Team’s Daniela Guillén narrowly clinched the final step on the podium thanks to a hard-fought 2-4 scorecard.

In Race 1, it was Kiara Fontanesi, fastest in time practice, who surged to the holeshot and never looked back. The Italian legend immediately established herself at the front of the pack, leading every single lap from start to finish with a dominant performance.

The opening WMX race of the Liqui Moly MXGP of Germany kicked off under sunny skies and delivered an intense race. A first-turn pile-up scattered several riders off-track, but at the front it was Fontanesi, fastest in time practice, who grabbed the holeshot and never looked back. The Italian led every lap with flawless control, navigating the slick and freshly watered Teutschenthal track to claim her second race win of the season.

Daniela Guillén initially slotted into fourth place out of the gate, behind van Drunen and Van Venrooy KTM Racing’s Lynn Valk, but the Spanish rider wasted no time making moves. On the second lap, she swept around the outside of Valk to take over third, capitalising on a slight error from the Dutch rider who lost traction in the turn.

Van Drunen held firm in second during the early laps, defending well as Guillén searched for an opening. Meanwhile, Amandine Verstappen gained ground further back, passing SYE Racing Team 423’s Larissa Papenmeier around the outside to climb to sixth as they both chased KL Racing Team’s Malou Jakobsen in fifth.

The pivotal moment came on lap 8 when Guillén finally made her move stick on van Drunen to take over second place. At the same time, a pack of lapped riders caused brief congestion that allowed Guillén to close the gap to Fontanesi, narrowing it to just over a second. But the Italian responded like a true champion, dropping the fastest lap of the race on lap 10 with a 1:59.963 to reestablish her lead and coolly manage the final stages.

Papenmeier, meanwhile, regrouped and reclaimed fifth from Verstappen with two laps to go, capping off a gritty ride through the midfield. Valk held onto a solitary fourth, having dropped out of the fight with van Drunen and Guillén earlier.

At the flag, Fontanesi crossed the line 4.7 seconds clear of Guillén, with van Drunen rounding out the podium. Valk, Papenmeier, and Verstappen followed, while Jakobsen settled for seventh after running as high as fifth in the early stages. Shana van der Vlist, April Franzoni, and De Baets Yamaha MX-Team’s Danee Gelissen completed the top 10.

The second WMX race at the Liqui Moly MXGP of Germany delivered more battles but it was van Drunen who stole the spotlight in Race 2, claiming her first race win since Sardinia in a commanding performance.

As the gate dropped, van Drunen wasted no time in taking control. She grabbed the holeshot and immediately began to open a gap over Fontanesi, who slotted into second. Valk secured third from the opening lap and rode a consistent race, holding that position all the way to the flag.

Early drama unfolded behind them, particularly for Guillén, who started fifth but dropped back after a hectic opening lap, trailing Papenmeier and dealing with traffic. Guillén’s charge was hampered by a few small mistakes, including an off-track excursion after clipping Martine Hughes’ rear wheel while attempting a pass. At that moment, Guillén needed two more positions to get onto the overall podium and fate soon helped her cause.

On lap 3, Hughes crashed from fifth, tumbling down the order to eventually finish ninth, opening the door for Guillén to climb back into contention. Meanwhile, Papenmeier was riding strongly in fourth but came under increasing pressure from the Spaniard.

The decisive moment came on lap 9, when Guillén took advantage of a mistake by Papenmeier in the wave section and surged into fourth, a move that would prove crucial in the overall standings.

At the front, van Drunen kept her focus and pace, clocking the fastest lap of the race on lap 2 with a 2:00.522. She maintained a steady gap over Fontanesi, who made no mistakes but simply couldn’t close the distance to the Yamaha rider. Valk rode her own race in third, unchallenged from behind and too far to threaten the leaders.

Van Drunen crossed the line in front of Fontanesi to claim her first race win since Sardinia. Valk secured third, with Guillén’s late-race push landing her fourth and, critically, a spot on the overall podium. Papenmeier completed the top five, ahead of Verstappen and Franzoni.

Gelissen, Hughes, and Lucy Barker rounded out the top 10, while further back, consistent rides from Mathea Selebø, van der Vlist earned important points.

Thanks to a 1-2 result, Kiara Fontanesi claimed the overall victory in Teutschenthal, making it back-to-back Grand Prix wins in the 2025 WMX Championship. The GASGAS rider now sits second in the standings with 127 points, just six behind red plate holder Lotte van Drunen, who leads with 133 after her 3-1 finish.

Lynn Valk stays third on 118 points, while Daniela Guillén, consistent as ever with 2-4 finishes, remains in the title fight in fourth on 112. With three rounds down and the series heating up, the WMX title battle is wide open heading into the second half of the season.

Kiara Fontanesi: “It sounds really great to say back-to-back GP victories. I think the last time I won two in a row was a long time ago, so it’s incredible to still be here, keeping my head up, working hard, and fighting at the front. Of course, when you’re racing you always want to win every race, and today it was tough; Lotte (van Drunen) was fast and passing wasn’t easy. But I’ll take the positives. A GP win is always something special, and the championship is still on.”

Main Photo: Kiara Fontanesi

Top Photo: WMX Start Germany

Bottom Photos: 1. Lotte van Drunen ; 2. Daniela Guillen

WMX – Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, GASGAS), 25:14.030; 2. Daniela Guillen (ESP, GASGAS), +0:04.743; 3. Lotte Van Drunen (NED, Yamaha), +0:06.756; 4. Lynn Valk (NED, KTM), +0:27.983; 5. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, Honda), +0:50.708; 6. Amandine Verstappen (BEL, Yamaha), +0:54.092; 7. Malou Jakobsen (DEN, KTM), +0:59.811; 8. Shana van der Vlist (NED, Yamaha), +1:00.836; 9. April Franzoni (FRA, Honda), +1:01.701; 10. Danee Gelissen (NED, Yamaha), +1:13.690

WMX – Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Lotte Van Drunen (NED, Yamaha), 25:27.521; 2. Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, GASGAS), +0:10.628; 3. Lynn Valk (NED, KTM), +0:25.381; 4. Daniela Guillen (ESP, GASGAS), +0:36.489; 5. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, Honda), +0:40.326; 6. Amandine Verstappen (BEL, Yamaha), +0:58.286; 7. April Franzoni (FRA, Honda), +1:20.183; 8. Danee Gelissen (NED, Yamaha), +1:32.458; 9. Martine Hughes (NOR, Kawasaki), +1:43.523; 10. Lucy Barker (GBR, KTM), +1:50.807

WMX Overall – Top 10 Classification: 1. Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, GAS), 47 points; 2. Lotte Van Drunen (NED, YAM), 45 p.; 3. Daniela Guillen (ESP, GAS), 40 p.; 4. Lynn Valk (NED, KTM), 38 p.; 5. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, HON), 32 p.; 6. Amandine Verstappen (BEL, YAM), 30 p.; 7. April Franzoni (FRA, HON), 26 p.; 8. Danee Gelissen (NED, YAM), 24 p.; 9. Martine Hughes (NOR, KAW), 22 p.; 10. Shana van der Vlist (NED, YAM), 22 p

WMX World Championship – Top 10 Classification: 1. Lotte Van Drunen (NED, YAM), 133 points; 2. Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, GAS), 127 p.; 3. Lynn Valk (NED, KTM), 118 p.; 4. Daniela Guillen (ESP, GAS), 112 p.; 5. Amandine Verstappen (BEL, YAM), 85 p.; 6. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, HON), 84 p.; 7. Shana van der Vlist (NED, YAM), 83 p.; 8. Danee Gelissen (NED, YAM), 74 p.; 9. Martine Hughes (NOR, KAW), 71 p.; 10. April Franzoni (FRA, HON), 68 p

WMX Manufacturers – Top 10 Classification: 1. Yamaha, 135 points; 2. GASGAS, 131 p.; 3. KTM, 118 p.; 4. Honda, 85 p.; 5. Kawasaki, 71 p.; 6. Fantic, 35 p.; 7. Triumph, 27 p.;