FIM Motocross World Championship
Agueda
MXGP of Portugal
Romain Febvre Claims Red Plate with Podium as Kawasaki’s Mathis Valin Shines with Fourth Overall at Muddy Agueda MXGP
Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP’s Romain Febvre claimed the red plate as the new points leader in the FIM World MXGP Motocross Championship after securing his sixth podium in seven rounds at a rain-soaked Agueda circuit in central Portugal. Meanwhile, Kawasaki Racing Team MX2’s Mathis Valin made an impressive return to racing, charging to a strong fourth overall finish in Round 7 of the MX2 FIM Motocross World Championship.
MXGP Results
Romain Febvre
“I wanted to go for the win today, but my main goal was to get strong starts and avoid crashing—getting mud on your gloves in these conditions can ruin everything. I was right up front in both races, which is a good sign for the rest of the season. I passed Lucas twice in the first moto, but he responded quickly each time. In the second moto, I got back to his rear wheel but couldn’t find a clean line to make the move. I had more to lose than gain by forcing it, so I played it smart. Taking second overall and the red plate feels great. I’ve spent four years chasing it, and now that I have it, it gives me confidence—not pressure. There’s still a long way to go, and anything can happen, so I need to stay focused.”
Pauls Jonass
“It felt great to be back in race conditions. I was happy with my pace in the first moto and finishing fourth felt like a solid reward. I struggled a bit to find rhythm in the second race, so eighth wasn’t ideal, but fifth overall is a good result for my return. The conditions were tough, but credit to the track crew—they gave us a layout we could still race on. I'm looking forward to building momentum from here, step by step.”
Mathis Valin
“I wasn’t expecting results like this in my first race back from injury, so I’m really happy with fourth overall. I was running fourth in the first moto but crashed with two laps to go. Restarting cost me time, but sixth was still solid. The track was really rough, and with less recovery time between motos, it was a physically demanding weekend. I was stoked with fifth in the second race. The team has improved the engine, and I’ve worked on my technique, so our starts were strong all weekend—even with a low gate pick. Resting my wrist was the right decision; now I’m pain-free. I’ve reflected a lot on the first part of the season—I had the speed but made too many mistakes. Today, I showed I’ve learned to be more patient and consistent.”
