A weekend of mixed emotions for Fantic at the iconic Foxhills track: Bertram Thorius claimed his third EMX125 podium of the season, while Fantic Factory Racing MXGP’s Alberto Forato suffered a broken shoulder blade.
Fantic Factory Racing EMX
Bertram Thorius delivered another impressive performance aboard the race-kitted Fantic XX 125. Fast out of the gate in race 1, he claimed a commanding holeshot. Riding a near-perfect race, the 16-year-old Danish talent only had to relinquish one position, crossing the line in second. In the opening lap of race 2, he was once again briefly in the lead before dropping just outside the top 5 after a hectic opening few laps. With consistency and grit, Thorius fought his way back to fifth, securing second overall – his third podium of the season and his career-best result.
His teammate Gennaro Utech also had the pace to challenge at the front but had to settle for seventh overall after a weekend of ups and downs. Just outside the top 10 at the start of race 1, he lost more ground after a small crash. However, he found a strong rhythm and worked his way back to seventh, repeating the result in race 2.
With the valuable points collected in Great Britain, the Fantic Factory Racing EMX pairing remains fourth and sixth in the championship standings, with the EMX125 series returning on August 15-16 at the MXGP of Sweden.
Bertram Thorius:
“Another podium secured, and it is my first time finishing second overall. It took me a few laps to find the right lines in race 2, but overall, it was a really good weekend. I felt great with the bike and am very happy with the result. A huge thank you to my team and Fantic, and my family and everyone supporting me at the track or from home. Now let’s continue to put in the work before going for it again in Sweden.”
Fantic Factory Racing MXGP
The British GP had started in promising fashion for Alberto Forato, who was sixth fastest in time practice. However, his weekend took an unfortunate turn when the 26-year-old Italian crashed on the opening lap of Saturday’s MXGP qualifying race, injuring his left shoulder. Following further medical evaluation in Belgium, a fracture of the scapula was confirmed. He underwent successful surgery on Sunday afternoon and will now focus on his recovery, meaning he will miss the upcoming MXGP rounds.
Meanwhile at Foxhills, Brent Van doninck was flying the flag for Fantic Factory Racing MXGP. The Belgian was enjoying the classic hard-pack circuit and looking to build on his solid 14th place in Saturday’s qualifying race. Race 1 on Sunday didn’t quite go to plan, as he struggled to find the right lines to make progress and had to settle for 16th.
Race 2 was a different story: Van doninck finished tenth, narrowly missing out on a top-10 overall in 11th place, and clearly heading in the right direction ahead of the upcoming MXGP of Czech Republic.
Brent Van doninck:
“It was my first time at Foxhills and I really enjoyed it. They did a great job with both the track preparation and the organization. My riding wasn’t too bad in race 1, but the level in this class is so high that it’s hard to make passes when you find yourself at the back of the pack. In race 2, I was in a better position after the first lap and put together a good race with solid pace throughout. It was great to be back in the top 10. I am really happy with the progress riding-wise, and we also made some setup changes that worked well. I am going home with a good feeling, and it has been quite a while since I have been able to say that. The last few races have been tough mentally, with the crash in Montevarchi and then getting sick in South Africa. But we are heading in the right direction now, and there are still a few tracks coming up that I really enjoy. We won’t give up, we will keep working and hopefully bring home some more top-10 finishes.”
