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.”
Photocredits – Fullspectrum Media
