Qualifying heartbreak and hard-earned points: a Portuguese GP to forget for Fantic MXGP

Tough weekend for Fantic in Agueda, between qualifying issues and uphill races. Eyes on redemption at the MXGP in South Africa.

The return of Brent van Doninck after the crash at Montevarchi (with a back problem far less serious than expected) is, unfortunately, the only good news for Fantic at the end of the MXGP weekend in Portugal. The biggest twist that marked the Agueda round was the exclusion from the qualifying race: both Alberto Forato and his Belgian teammate arrived too late for the start procedure, so they were officially assigned the last two gate picks for Sunday’s motos.

As a result, both races were quite tough for both riders: Forato managed to place his Fantic XXF 450 in 13th and 15th position, thus 13th overall, while Van Doninck finished 14th and 16th, thus 16th overall. Results well below expectations... But Fantic’s riders and team are already thinking about bouncing back: next week it’s the South African GP, the final stop of the triple-header that began with the Italian GP and the 11th event of the 2026 Motocross season.

“There’s not much to say, unfortunately it was a bad weekend, nothing went according to plan.” Alberto Forato didn’t mince words; the disappointment is clear. “It’s a shame, but the season is long, we’ll do a proper reset and look to the next races,” he continued, highlighting the ongoing efforts from himself and the Veneto-based squad. “What I can say is that I’m giving it my all, and the same goes for the whole team and Fantic. We’re working and we’ll keep at it until we reach our goal.”

“Obviously the final result of the weekend is not what we want,” echoed Brent van Doninck. “But just being here wasn’t a given: a week ago I didn’t think I’d be able to race in Portugal,” he added, recalling the physical issue on the Arezzo track and the almost unexpected fitness for the GP in Agueda. “We’ll restart from here. The positive thing is that my back responded well and that gives me confidence for the next races.”

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