Mathis Valin on his MX2 qualifying win in France: “The atmosphere was crazy”

Mathis Valin delivered a commanding performance in the MX2 qualifying race at the French round of the FIM World MX2 Motocross Championship in Lacapelle-Marival. The young Kawasaki Racing Team rider, who had already shown strong pace in practice sessions, secured a confident holeshot and quickly regained the lead after briefly being overtaken early on. Valin was the only rider to break the 1:41 lap time barrier and extended his advantage to five seconds, ultimately controlling the race to claim a dominant qualifying victory. Reflecting on his performance, Valin highlighted the technical nature of the track and the energising support from the home crowd, describing the atmosphere as “crazy” and expressing his determination to replicate the result in the main race. In contrast, the MXGP qualifying session proved more challenging for Kawasaki’s top-tier riders Romain Febvre and Pauls Jonass. Febvre, hindered by a poor gate pick and a difficult start, was forced to fight through the pack on a track that had developed deep ruts under the hot conditions. Despite these setbacks, he managed to climb from ninth to fifth, closing the points gap to third in the championship standings. Febvre acknowledged the tough start but remained optimistic about improving his position in the race with a better gate draw. Jonass also struggled with his start and early race pace, ultimately finishing tenth after battling armpump and the demanding track conditions, though he remained confident about his speed and prospects for the following day. The event also marked the MX2 GP debut for Venum Bud Racing Kawasaki’s Francisco Garcia, who made an immediate impression by advancing from ninth in Timed Practice to a strong eighth-place finish in qualifying. Garcia demonstrated composure and competitiveness, holding a top-six position for much of the race despite pressure from experienced GP moto winners. His teammate, Jake Cannon, also impressed in his first GP outing, moving up from fifteenth to twelfth. Meanwhile, DRT Kawasaki’s Kay Karssemakers showed solid form by running in the top ten for the majority of the qualifying race before finishing eleventh. The qualifying results set the stage for an exciting main event, with Valin emerging as a clear frontrunner on home soil and the Kawasaki MXGP riders aiming to overcome their early difficulties. The technical and physically demanding track conditions, combined with the fervent support of the French fans, promise a thrilling contest in the upcoming races. Both Kawasaki teams will be looking to build on their qualifying performances as the championship battle intensifies.