The Fantic Factory Racing MXGP Team once again scored valuable championship points during the eleventh round of the FIM MXGP Motocross World Championship in South Africa. Racing on the fast and technical Terra Topia MX Circuit, a brand-new venue for all riders, Alberto Forato and Brent van Doninck lined up aboard the Fantic XXF 450.
Forato showed early in the weekend that he had the pace to challenge for a top-10 finish. The Italian posted the 11th-fastest time in Time Practice before finishing 12th in the Qualifying Race. Teammate Brent van Doninck crossed the line in 13th.
On Sunday morning, Van Doninck was the quickest Fantic rider in Warm-Up, setting the 11th-fastest time. However, he was unable to build on that performance in Race One, where he finished 16th.
Forato’s race day got off to an unfortunate start. The Italian crashed on the opening lap of Race One, damaging his motorcycle and forcing him to retire from the race.
He bounced back strongly in Race Two, delivering an impressive ride to finish 11th, just one second shy of a top-10 result. However, due to his retirement in the opening race, he had to settle for 16th overall. Van Doninck finished 17th in Race Two and was also classified 17th overall for the Grand Prix.
Following an intense run of three consecutive Grand Prix weekends, the team now heads into a well-earned weekend off before the FIM Motocross World Championship resumes on 18–19 July with the MXGP of Great Britain.
Alberto Forato:
“The goal is always to fight for a top-10 finish, and once again we came very close in the second race. Unfortunately, a DNF always hurts your overall result. The weekend off comes at the perfect time after this demanding triple-header to recharge the batteries. Over the past few weeks I haven’t always felt at my best. Now we’ll take a few days to recover and then get back to work. A big thank you to my team and to everyone who continues to support me!”
Brent van Doninck:
*”It was a difficult weekend. I just couldn’t find a good feeling with the track today, and my starts didn’t help either. Of course I’m disappointed, but we have to keep looking forward. Since Montevarchi we’ve had a few eventful weeks, and I’m looking forward to getting back home and continuing to work towards the upcoming races.”
