Following Fantic Factory Racing EMX’s dominant 1-2 at Arco di Trento, Gennaro Utech stepped onto the podium once again in Faenza, securing the 2026 Rookies Cup title aboard the Fantic XX 125.

Gennaro Utech is the 2026 Rookies Cup Champion. Lining up at Andrea Dovizioso’s 04 Park in Faenza just two weeks after suffering a shoulder injury at the Portuguese GP, the 17-year-old from Sicily secured the title with a pair of second-place finishes, which sealed his place at the top of the standings.

This marks the second title for the Fantic Factory Racing EMX team in this cup after Simone Mancini’s success in the 2024 season, further underlining the competitiveness of the race-kitted Fantic XX 125.

Bertram Thorius came into the Rookies Cup finale tied on points with his teammate Utech, and with the same ambition of moving to the top of the standings. The 15-year-old Dane finished race 1 in third place, leaving the title fight wide open, but following a racing incident in race 2, Thorius crashed out of the race, denying him a spot on the overall podium for the day and the championship.

The good news is that the two-time EMX125 podium finisher escaped any injuries and will be ready to return to action next weekend at the British GP, round 8 of the European Championship, where he currently sits fourth in the standings.

Gennaro Utech:

“I am really happy to have won the Rookies Cup title after taking the victory in Arco and two second-place finishes here in Faenza. The other guys were very fast, and I am still working on getting back to 100% after my shoulder injury. In the end, we managed to get the job done and bring the title home. Now the focus shifts back to the EMX125 European Championship, and we will do our best in the remaining rounds. A big thank you to Fantic and the whole team. See you in Great Britain.”