Alberto Forato put the Fantic XXF 450 sixth overall with a strong showing in tough conditions. There were positives for Brent Van doninck too, with a season-best ninth place in race 1.
The MXGP of Germany got off to a promising start for the Fantic Factory Racing MXGP team. Eighth in time practice, Alberto Forato was fast out of the gate in Saturday’s qualifying race, emerging from the first turn in third. A hectic opening lap and a few costly mistakes dropped him back to 10th. After a couple of laps, the Italian found his rhythm on the technical hard-pack track but was unable to find a way past the rider ahead of him. Tenth at the chequered flag still secured Forato a solid gate pick for Sunday, with Brent Van doninck not far behind in 13th.
A heavy rain shower on Sunday added to the challenge of the Talkessel circuit for both riders and machines, but the Fantic pairing was up to the task. Forato got another strong start aboard the Fantic XXF 450 and battled inside the top 7 of a highly competitive MXGP field throughout race 1. While others made mistakes, “Alby” maintained a strong and consistent pace to secure sixth place. Rounding out an impressive team performance, Van doninck claimed a season-best ninth place.
That positive momentum was halted at the start of race 2, when Van doninck was caught up in a first-turn crash. Despite finding himself well behind the field, the Belgian tried to continue, but eventually had to return to the pits as his bike had sustained too much damage. It was an unfortunate end to an otherwise encouraging weekend for Van doninck, who had shown clear progress throughout the weekend.
Forato found himself outside the top 10 after contact with another rider on the start straight, and battled hard to climb back to ninth, securing sixth overall. A strong result that moves him into the top 10 of the MXGP championship standings ahead of the eighth round of the season, which takes place next weekend in Latvia.
Alberto Forato:
“Overall, it was definitely a positive weekend here in Germany. The feeling was good from Saturday – I was eighth in Time Practice and got a great start in the qualifying race. Unfortunately, I struggled in the first couple of laps and lost several positions. After that, the pace was there, but overtaking was difficult and I finished P10. On Sunday, the rain arrived just before the races and changed the conditions once again. I got another good start in race 1 and finished sixth with a solid pace. In race 2, I made contact with another rider just after the gate and, in the mud, visibility was not great through the opening corners. I actually felt even better than in the first race, but it was very difficult to pass. I recovered as much as I could, finishing ninth for sixth overall and moving up to tenth in the championship standings. I had some good starts and the feeling is there, so we can be pleased with how far we have come so far.”
Brent Van doninck:
“I felt like I made a big improvement this weekend. Already on Saturday, I felt better with my riding. Race 1 on Sunday was really positive, finishing ninth. In race 2, I missed the start and then crashed in the first corner when the front folded in the mud, sending me over the bars. I tried to continue, but my handlebar was so bent that I could no longer ride properly. I was also way behind the field, so it did not really make sense to continue. It is a shame to end the weekend like this because I was feeling better and would have liked to finish the day strong, but it didn’t work out. Still, we take the positives and try again next week.”
