The 2025 FIM Motocross World Championships came to a conclusion in Darwin as three world champions were crowned in an unforgettable MXGP of Australia.
Compared to Saturday’s blazing sunshine, the main race day was mostly overcast, although the humidity was back in its place to keep the temperatures up at extremely challenging levels for the riders in both MXGP and MX2.
Storm clouds gathered before the second MX2 race, however, and a massive deluge brought a halt to that race and left the second MXGP race unable to run.
The MXGP podium was made up of the results of race one, which saw a brilliant victory for Lucas Coenen as he took second in the championship.
Dutchman Jeffrey Herlings made it a Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 1-2 for the day, with Tim Gajser claiming third for Honda HRC.
Taking fourth in the race to sew up the World Championship in fine style, however, was Romain Febvre, taking the first ever title in the MXGP class for Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP.
The MX2 class saw the Championship fight intensify to new heights as Kay de Wolf did everything in his power to take the title for himself and Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing.
Even though he won the Grand Prix overall, it was Simon Längenfelder who took second overall and claimed the 2025 World Championship for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing.
In chaotic conditions, Valerio Lata finished his rookie season with a hard-fought third overall, his first podium for Honda HRC.
Despite the weather bringing a premature halt to the second MX2 race, and cancelling the second MXGP race altogether, the general opinion of the Hidden Valley circuit and the Darwin organisation was first class, and MXGP will be happy to return in 2026.
Febvre began his day of destiny with a clear fastest lap in morning warm-up, with JK Racing Yamaha’s Isak Gifting over a second behind him, while qualifying race winner Lucas Coenen came in third, unusually high for him in a warm-up.
Coenen rocketed out of the gate to a clear holeshot, his 13th of the season, with his front wheel in the air for much of the start straight.
Herlings followed in his wake to slot into second place ahead of Febvre, but Tim Gajser cut to the inside of the Frenchman on the exit of turn three to take third place as the pack blasted through the sunshine.
Behind the big four, Mattia Guadagnini, on a high from his third in the qualifying race for Aruba.it Ducati Factory MX Team, made an early pass on Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP rider Calvin Vlaanderen to take fifth on lap one.
Vlaanderen was also relegated by Honda HRC man Ruben Fernandez. Glenn Coldenhoff held eighth for Fantic Factory Racing MXGP, but behind him there was a collision through the waves between Vlaanderen’s team-mate Maxime Renaux and Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP pilot Pauls Jonass, leaving the Monster Energy Yamaha on the deck and having to retire from the race.
The Latvian survived to hold ninth ahead of the other Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP pilot Jago Geerts.
Gifting moved forward well, however, passing Geerts on lap one before leaping past Jonass for ninth on lap five.
Geerts also tried to make a move, but hit the rear wheel of the Kawasaki and nearly hit the floor.
Sadly for Jago, he suffered a big crash on a long, rutted downhill section which ended his race on lap 15.
Coldenhoff, already assured of the bronze medal for the series after the previous round, kept steady to finish in eighth ahead of Gifting and Jonass.
Guadagnini fell prey to Fernandez on lap 10, then Vlaanderen on lap 17, to finish in seventh, his best Sunday race result for nearly six months.
Fernandez took fifth ahead of Vlaanderen, and all of these positions were to become their overall results for the day in the end.
Febvre did close in on Gajser and Herlings toward the end of the race, but the medical flags for Geerts seemed to slow his progress, and while Coenen powered to a four-second win over Herlings and Gajser to claim his 16th career GP win, it was the Frenchman who eased his green machine home in fourth to claim his second world title a full decade after his first.
His wait for another world crown was actually not as long as Kawasaki’s, who had to go back to Christophe Pourcel for their last men’s world title in 2006, and all the way back to 1998 for their last premiere class crown with Sebastien Tortelli.
There were tears for the whole Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP squad, not least for Team Manager Antti Pyrhönen as they staged an informal champagne celebration on the start straight. So informal, they even popped the cork early.
After the track took a pounding from a massive storm during the MX2 race, which brought a red flag to stop the action prematurely, the event management decided to cancel the second MXGP race completely due to weather conditions, leaving the podium celebrations to begin in earnest.
Despite injuries affecting some leading protagonists, the 2025 MXGP World Championship has been an enthralling season-long battle with many star players bringing copious moments of Motocross magic.
Lucas Coenen put in a fantastic first year in the class, but the biggest congratulations have to go to Febvre, with this title making up for the heartbreak of 2021 and rewarding a decade of persistence and hard work at the top of the sport.
Romain Febvre – MXGP World Champion: “A lot of emotions are coming up. I just remember the hard times, the injuries, and everything I went through. It took me 10 years to become world champion again, and I feel like I’ve achieved something really important in my career.
“I feel on top of the world. Thanks to all the sponsors, my team, and everyone at home. I’ve made a lot of sacrifices for my family through my career, and today it feels worth it. Now it’s time to enjoy this moment.”
So, the MXGP season has come to a close, but 2025 is not quite over.
The riders head to the USA in two weeks’ time for the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations at Ironman in Indiana, and what a climax to the season that will be.
Photo courtesy Infront Moto Racing
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LEADING FINAL ROUND RESULTS & STANDINGS:
MXGP – Grand Prix Race 1 – Top 10 Classification:
1. Lucas Coenen (BEL, KTM), 34:56.200; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:04.241; 3. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:05.838; 4. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:32.121; 5. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Honda), +0:36.535; 6. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Yamaha), +0:43.791; 7. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, Ducati), +0:46.182; 8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Fantic), +0:52.512; 9. Isak Gifting (SWE, Yamaha), +0:54.547; 10. Pauls Jonass (LAT, Kawasaki), +1:12.641.
MXGP – Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: Due to weather conditions the event management decided to cancel MXGP Race 2.
MXGP Overall – Top 10 Classification:
1. Lucas Coenen (BEL, KTM), 25p; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 22p; 3. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), 20p; 4. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), 18p; 5. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Honda), 16p; 6. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Yamaha), 15p; 7. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, Ducati), 14p; 8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Fantic), 13p; 9. Isak Gifting (SWE, Yamaha), 12p; 10. Pauls Jonass (LAT, Kawasaki), 11p.
MXGP – World Championship – Top 10 Classification:
1. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 956 points; 2. Lucas Coenen (BEL, KTM), 917 p.; 3. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, FAN), 678 p.; 4. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 620 p.; 5. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 608 p.; 6. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM), 582 p.; 7. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 527 p.; 8. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, FAN), 518 p.; 9. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 490 p.; 10. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, DUC), 377 p.
MX2 – Grand Prix Race 1 – Top 10 Classification:
1. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), 33:42.445; 2. Simon Längenfelder (GER, KTM), +0:04.481; 3. Guillem Farres (ESP, Triumph), +0:08.935; 4. Mathis Valin (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:11.146; 5. Liam Everts (BEL, Husqvarna), +0:11.969; 6. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), +0:28.086; 7. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, Triumph), +0:32.265; 8. Rick Elzinga (NED, Yamaha), +0:33.989; 9. Valerio Lata (ITA, Honda), +0:42.533; 10. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), +0:45.306.
MX2 – Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification:
1. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 17:09.073; 2. Valerio Lata (ITA, Honda), +0:21.452; 3. Rick Elzinga (NED, Yamaha), +0:36.523; 4. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), +0:39.592; 5. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:41.121; 6. Simon Längenfelder (GER, KTM), +0:41.546; 7. Kay Karssemakers (NED, Kawasaki), +0:49.311; 8. Liam Everts (BEL, Husqvarna), +0:56.026; 9. Jens Walvoort (NED, KTM), +0:57.476; 10. Guillem Farres (ESP, Triumph), +1:15.176.
MX2 Overall – Top 10 Classification:
1. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 41 points; 2. Simon Längenfelder (GER, KTM), 37 p.; 3. Valerio Lata (ITA, HON), 34 p.; 4. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 33 p.; 5. Rick Elzinga (NED, YAM), 33 p.; 6. Guillem Farres (ESP, TRI), 31 p.; 7. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 29 p.; 8. Liam Everts (BEL, HUS), 29 p.; 9. Mathis Valin (FRA, KAW), 28 p.; 10. Jens Walvoort (NED, KTM), 22 p.
MX2 – World Championship Classification:
1. Simon Längenfelder (GER, KTM), 928 points; 2. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 919 p.; 3. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 845 p.; 4. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 798 p.; 5. Camden McLellan (RSA, TRI), 636 p.; 6. Liam Everts (BEL, HUS), 635 p.; 7. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 603 p.; 8. Guillem Farres (ESP, TRI), 500 p.; 9. Valerio Lata (ITA, HON), 481 p.; 10. Mathis Valin (FRA, KAW), 467 p.