Fantic back on track: Forato solid in MXGP, Arbolino regains his rhythm in Moto2

Positive signals for Fantic between MXGP and Moto2 after the just-finished weekend. Here’s how it went.

A double top 10 for Fantic between speed and knobby tires with their Italian riders: small boosts of confidence, aiming to do better and better. Looking at Motocross, a solid first 10th place in MXGP arrived in Spain with Alberto Forato, who lifted his head after the misfortune in Argentina. Turning to the World Championship, Tony Arbolino recorded his best Moto2 weekend with the Veneto brand, finishing a strong 7th in Sunday’s GP in Brazil. Encouraging world-level signs for Fantic, which will have both championships back in action already next weekend, in Switzerland (MX) and the USA (Moto2).

The evidence of progress with Fantic is there: seventh in time practice, tenth in qualifying, and the fastest in Sunday’s warm-up. A notable step forward for Alberto Forato, increasingly at ease on the XXF 450. In Almonte, the only “blemish” was a crash in Race 1 that prevented him from fighting for the top 10, but he managed to climb back and finish 13th. Better in the second moto in Spain: excellent pace, solid performance and, finally, here’s the tenth place, which means the first overall top 10. The 2026 MXGP season has only just begun, but the signs are decidedly encouraging.

“The balance of the weekend is definitely positive,” Alberto Forato stated afterwards. “Considering where we were coming from this week, I’m very happy with the overall tenth place. Clearly, it’s not yet what I’m aiming for, but we’ve seen the speed is there. I gave everything I could this weekend and, all in all, it went well.” We can say this is the real starting point for Forato and for Fantic in this MXGP season, and there’s no long wait for the next round: they’re racing again next weekend. “Now we’re getting ready for the next stop in Switzerland, we need to keep going down this path,” Forato concluded.

Baltus, a historic 3rd overall in 2025, didn’t really shine in Brazil. The newcomer at Fantic, Tony Arbolino—back on KALEX after a year with Pramac’s Boscoscuro—sent positive signals instead. Granted, in Goiânia it was a roll of the dice between rain and track conditions, but the Lombard rider still showed “something” in his second GP with the Veneto brand. He topped the timesheets in Friday’s chaotic Practice, qualified 10th, and in the race brought home 7th place and solid points. A restart point, with the hope of seeing him much higher as the GPs go by.

Especially because Arbolino is coming off his worst season in the Moto2 World Championship (despite an encouraging early-season podium), the second most disastrous of his career after his Moto3 debut in 2017 (34th overall with 2 points). “Another big step forward this weekend, we’re getting there,” was Arbolino’s comment at the end of the event in Brazil. And watch out, because they’ll be back on track again in just a few days: racing at COTA in Austin, a demanding circuit and, at the same time, a proving ground not to be underestimated.