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.”
