Romain Febvre (Kawasaki) and Simon Laengenfelder (KTM) sealed the MXGP and MX2 titles, respectively, at the season-ending MXGP of Australia, held for the first time at the Hidden Valley complex in Darwin, Northern Territory, September 20-21.
In the first such event held in Australia since 2001, wet weather was always going to be a factor as humidity soared, and the eventual rain and lightning saw the second MX2 race called early and the second MXGP event canceled entirely after a huge rainstorm made the track unrideable.
Race one of the MX2 class saw incumbent champion Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) take the win over Laengenfelder, the former taking all but two corners to run Laengenfelder wide in a deliberate attempt to slow his rival down.
Laengenfelder charged into the lead as De Wolf started his self-imposed comeback, past the Triumph of Guillem Farres and into second. Then came de Wolf in full takedown mode as he locked the rear wheel and clattered into the side of Laengenfelder, sending the German crashing down.
Laengenfelder remounted for second place behind winner de Wolf with Farres taking third, the title gap between de Wolf and leader Laengenfelder down to 10 points.
Race two of MX2 saw de Wolf once again engage Laengenfelder, running the factory KTM rider high and causing another crash right before the rain came. Laengenfelder remounted but crashed again, dropping to 13th and to a possible championship loss.
Fortune favored the German, however, as Dutchman de Wolf’s Husqvarna suffered technical problems, but a lap later, lightning caused the red flag to come out, and Laengenfelder was deemed MX2 World Champion, the first German since Ken Roczen in 2011 to take a World Championship win. Sacha Coenen (KTM) was declared the winner of race two ahead of Valerio Lata (Honda) and Rick Elzinga (Yamaha).
Langenfelder said, “Honestly, it’s been a tough season, but I gave everything I had. There were ups and downs, but I’m proud of the way we kept pushing and always tried to fight at the front. We’ve had strong races, and I know there is still more to come. The support from the team and the fans has been amazing, and that means a lot.”
“It is what it is; I gave it everything, no regrets,” de Wolf said. “I tried everything I could, and I’m proud of myself. Of course, it’s a bummer that the season ended like this, with the rain, and my dream just slipped away. But I’ve shown I can be a champion. I wanted to finish it off like one, but it wasn’t to be.”
Only one race was held in MXGP due to the weather, and it was KTM’s Lucas Coenen who took the win, comfortably ahead of teammate Jeffrey Herlings, with Honda’s Tim Gajser in third.
All eyes, however, were on Frenchman Roman Febvre, whose fourth place sealed a second MXGP crown and the first for Kawasaki since Sebastian Tortelli in 1998.
“It took me 10 years to become World Champion again, and I feel like I’ve achieved something really important in my career,” said Febvre. “I feel on top of the world.”
Race winner and vice champion Coenen said, “I’m happy because when you’re 18 and people are doubting you, saying bad things, you just want to show them. Honestly, even after Argentina, I felt it could be done, but finishing second in my rookie season is still amazing. Of course, I wanted to win, but Romain was strong, so congratulations to him. It was a good season, even if I missed a couple of races. I proved myself, and at 18 years old, being vice-champion is something I can be proud of.”
Febvre, Gajser, Coenen and co. will now turn their attention to the upcoming Motocross of Nations as they ride for their respective countries at Ironman Raceway on October 3-5. CN
VIDEO | 2025 MXGP of Australia Highlights
2025 FIM MXGP Round 20 Results
MXGP OVERALL (Top 5)
- Lucas Coenen (KTM)
- Jeffrey Herlings (KTM)
- Tim Gajser (Hon)
- Romain Febvre (Kaw)
- Ruben Fernandez (Hon)
MX2 OVERALL (Top 5)
- Kay de Wolf (Hus) 1-5
- Simon Laengenfelder (KTM) 2-6
- Valerio Lata (Hon) 9-2
- Sacha Coenen (KTM) 13-1
- Rick Elzinga (Yam) 8-3
Lotte van Drunen Crowned 2025 WMX World Champion
De Baets Yamaha Supported MX Team’s Lotte van Drunen is now a two-time WMX World Champion after securing the 2025 title in Australia. The talented Dutch racer finished third overall at the MXGP of Australia in Darwin to successfully defend her 2024 crown, with both championships secured aboard her GYTR-kitted YZ250F.
Since winning the opening Grand Prix of the season with a dominant 1-1 performance in Sardinia, van Drunen led the series through all six rounds, ensuring the championship leader’s red plates remained on her Yamaha machine all season long. Throughout the year, the 18-year-old demonstrated her ability on a variety of racetracks to only miss the overall podium on one occasion – a feat which also underlined her unmatched consistency.
The now two-time WMX World Champion arrived in Darwin, Australia, with a 16-point lead. Knowing that two strong finishes would secure the title, van Drunen charged to a third-place result in the opening race. In Race Two, she executed a perfect start to take the holeshot. She briefly lost the lead on lap two, but regained control a few corners later. At the conclusion of the race, van Drunen had dropped to fourth, which was more than enough to secure her second consecutive WMX World Championship.
Lotte van Drunen: “This is incredible! To be a two-time world champion at just 18 years old is amazing. I can’t thank my team, Yamaha, and the people around me enough. My friends and family have supported me all season long, and I’d especially like to thank my trainer, who couldn’t make it to this race, but I know he’ll be watching at home. Thanks again to everyone.”
Across her championship-defending year in 2025, Lotte secured one Grand Prix victory, four race wins, and five overall podium finishes from six rounds in a class full of talented female racers.
2025 WMX of Australia Results (Overall, Top 5)
1. Daniela Guillen (GG)
2. Kiara Fontanesi (GG)
3. Lotte Van Drunen (Yam)
4. Charli Cannon (Hon)
5. Larissa Papenmeier (Hon)
2025 WMX Championship Classification (Top 3)
1.Lotte Van Drunen (256)
2. Kiara Fontanesi (249)
3. Daniela Guillen (248
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