Kawasaki Racing Team Starts MXGP Season with Podium
All Three KRT Riders Podium in First Shake-Down Race of the 2026 MXGP Season
After dry training sessions in the morning, rain began to fall just after midday, but it could not dampen the enthusiasm of the large crowd that had gathered to see their heroes, in particular reigning MXGP World Champion Romain Febvre, who was racing for the first time with the #1 plate on his Kawasaki KX™450SR. The Frenchman emerged victorious from a first moto duel with his leading adversary of the previous year's world championship campaign and added another clear victory by nearly half a minute in the second moto as the track became heavier in the incessant rain. He was poised for a perfect day as he also led Race 3, but conditions were worsening, and two mistakes pushed him downfield; unaffected, he recovered to sixth by the end of the moto to earn second place on the overall podium. Pauls Jonass had three solid rides for 3-4-2 moto finishes to join his Kawasaki Racing Team teammate on the podium.
Mathis Valin was dominant in the MX2 category, which ran concurrently with MXGP, to claim victory despite a DNF in Race 2 after he had been knocked off by a 450 rider at the start. In morning timed training before the rain, he had posted the third-fastest time against the 450s aboard his KX™250, and even a pit-stop for fresh goggles in the first moto could not prevent him from finishing sixth, nearly a minute ahead of the next 250 in the combined classification. Fifth overall in the final moto earned him the top step of the podium in MX2.
MXGP Results
Romain Febvre
"Overall, it was a good day. The track was perfect for the first race, and I had a nice duel with Lucas [Coenen]. I rode two good races, but then in the third one, the track was cut up and it was easy to make a mistake. I know my preparation is not completely advanced, with the goal of being ready at the opening GP next month, but today I saw that the speed is there and the starts are good. We worked hard this winter, so I can say that we are already on a good way."
Pauls Jonass
"The track was really heavy and the mud was super-sticky in the second and third motos, but I had three good races. It was a pity about the small crash in the second moto, but I finished on the podium and was really happy with how I felt on the bike. My starts were really good too, and I'm looking forward to the next race. We saw today that the hard work from the winter is paying off."
Mathis Valin
“I had a really good feeling in the morning to post the third-fastest time amongst the 450s, but then it started to rain in the afternoon. I had to stop for fresh goggles in the first moto, but found a good rhythm to come back to sixth. With all the rocks here, you can't risk racing without good vision. At the second start, I fell down when Tonus went on me, and pulled out after another crash to focus on the last moto. My start was good, but it felt like enduro with the rain, and my goggles got filled in again. But now, our season has started, and we can look forward to a successful year.”
Antti Pyrhönen, Team Manager
“Today was a really good shake-down for the entire team. You can train and test all you want, but there is no substitute for racing. At these early-season races, we have such an intense schedule with free practice, timed training, and three motos back-to-back. All three of our riders ended the day on the podium and learned how the bike feels in race conditions. From here, we'll continue our intense training schedule as we build towards the first GP in Argentina next month.”
