A challenging MXGP of Switzerland saw Alberto Forato secure his position in the top 10 of the premier class, with a sixth- and ninth-place finish. The speed is clearly there for the Fantic Factory Racing EMX youngsters too, but the outcome proved unlucky this time.
FANTIC FACTORY RACING MXGP
A fifth place in time practice set the tone for a strong showing for Alberto Forato in Frauenfeld, Switzerland, as he secured ninth gate pick in Saturday’s qualifying race. The Fantic Factory Racing MXGP rider went on to impress in race 1 on Sunday, with a season-best sixth place. Ninth place and another top-10 result in race 2 put “Alby” seventh overall, confirming his improving form, with the Italian clearly at ease on his Fantic XXF 450 even in heavy track conditions, with low temperatures and rain adding to the challenge at the Swiss GP.
The Grand Prix was cut short for Brent Van doninck, sidelined for most of race day due to an unlucky qualifying race. The Belgian was forced to charge through the field after a first-turn incident, and he managed to come back to P15. Unfortunately, with two laps to go, he twisted his right foot in a rut, leaving him with a painful ankle. Even though he tried to line up for race 1 on Sunday, the Fantic Factory Racing MXGP rider was unable to continue and sat out the second race of the day.
Alberto Forato:
“A positive GP, with a sixth place in race 1 and ninth in race 2. The speed is building and I am feeling good on my Fantic. It was just a bit of a shame that I struggled at the starts, but we still managed to secure seventh overall. So, all in all, it went well. I am happy and looking forward to continuing the work heading into two Italian rounds. I hope to see a lot of fans in Riola and especially Arco!”
Brent Van doninck:
“I was doing pretty well in the qualifying race, but with two laps to go I twisted my ankle. I thought it would be okay, but it was pretty painful this morning, and I couldn’t really put my foot down in warm-up. With the rain and the ruts, it got even worse, making it very difficult for me to continue. I tried to start race 1 but realized pretty quickly I had to come back to the box. It is a bummer, I am obviously very disappointed, but I am also pretty sure it is nothing too bad. I am confident I will be back at it again in Riola in two weeks.”
FANTIC FACTORY RACING EMX
Coming off an amazing EMX125 season opener in Spain, highlighted by a race win and Bertram Thorius’ first podium, the Fantic Factory Racing EMX team once again left a strong impression, even though the final outcome of the Swiss GP was unfortunate. Gennaro Utech showed his speed in time practice, taking third place in his group, while Thorius placed a second Fantic XX 125 inside the top-6 in qualifying.
Two fast starts put the 15-year-old Danish talent straight into the fight for the podium once again. Fifth in race 1 thanks to a solid and consistent performance, he was even more impressive in particularly demanding track conditions in race 2. In the heavy mud, Thorius managed to stay calm and collected, holding second place for much of the race – a result that would have secured him a spot on the podium. However, with just a few laps to go, he ran into a technical issue. Despite the unfortunate DNF in brutal conditions, he narrowly missed out on the overall top 10, finishing eleventh.
A result that doesn’t reflect his true potential, and the same goes for his Fantic Factory Racing EMX teammate Gennaro Utech, who was unable to turn his speed into a strong result. After a costly mistake in the early stages of race 1, he had to settle for tenth place. In race 2, the 17-year-old Italian had already worked his way into the battle for the top-6 when a fall in the mud forced him to retire.
The potential and the motivation are definitely high ahead of two home rounds for Fantic: after a week off, the team will head into back-to-back Italian rounds in Sardinia and Trentino.
Bertram Thorius:
“It is definitely a bummer to miss out on the podium, but the most important thing is that we were right in the fight again, which also confirms our strong weekend in Spain. We know we can perform well in any conditions, and today’s were very tough. We keep learning race after race. Sometimes a DNF is just part of it – that’s motocross – but we focus on all the positives going into the upcoming rounds in Italy.”
Gennaro Utech:
“I was fast in qualifying, proving once again that the potential is there. We still need to put it all together in the races though, and we will continue to work on that. I am looking forward to two rounds on Italian soil, even more so because the feeling is really good.”
