Romain Febvre has done it. An MXGP World Champion for the second time in his career – 10 years apart – the French rider savours a second crown that is fully deserved. Arriving in Australia with a large points lead over Lucas Coenen, the Frenchman wasn’t exactly under pressure, but nothing is ever certain until the end, as the second MX2 race in Darwin reminded us once again. Febvre only needed to finish inside the top 16 of the first moto to clinch the title in case of a Lucas Coenen victory. The official De Carli KTM rider did indeed win, while Romain finished fourth. That was enough to seal the title.
“I feel really amazing,” said Romain Febvre. “It’s just a dream come true to be world champion again. This second title tastes even better than the first. The first time, I was young and without any particular expectations. This time it’s different. I remember when I won my first title in 2015, I was so caught up in everything happening around me that I didn’t really take a step back and enjoy it. Today, ten years later, I will savor every moment. This season has been really tough for all of us, but I managed it very well. I had to work hard – like everyone – but I didn’t back down, and I didn’t get injured like in all the previous years when it was so complicated. I got through that, and becoming world champion again is such a huge relief. Now, I’m going to enjoy this moment after my title a bit more. I’m very grateful for all the opportunities I’ve had in my life, I have a beautiful family, a wonderful little daughter, and that’s what counts today.”
Even though Romain entered the final part of the season with a comfortable margin, the French rider still found himself under pressure at times, especially when Lucas Coenen closed the gap to just nine points after the Belgian GP. Yes, Romain had doubts, but he never let up, nor lost his focus.
“Of course, everyone has doubts at some point,” admitted the new MXGP world champion. “When you’re fighting for a title, you count the points. The gap dropped to nine points after Lommel, and nine is nothing with so many Grand Prix’s still to go. I had to push through that and keep attacking, I did the best I could. Nine points was like restarting the whole championship from zero. I had to work even harder and prepare mentally too, because when the pressure is there, it’s different. When you’re the one chasing, the pressure is different and a bit easier than when you’re the one being chased. Still, I enjoyed every race, even the last one. In the final moto of the year, I was up front, racing with the other guys. Of course, after China, I didn’t feel as much stress or pressure on my shoulders, but I still enjoyed every moment.”
Four years earlier, Romain Febvre had gone into the MXGP championship finale with the red plate at Mantova, only to lose the title to Jeffrey Herlings by 5 points. The Frenchman had been waiting for his chance at redemption, to finally put that painful season behind him.
“I will always remember losing the title by five points in 2021,” he admitted. “When you face the best riders in the world, you have to be ready for everything; I was up against Jeffrey and Tim, it was a long season, a long battle. I think it taught me to be a bit more consistent at every Grand Prix. It taught me to find solutions to stay in the fight even on a bad day. And also, if the gap gets smaller, not to panic and start changing everything. That’s what happened at Lommel. Lucas was only nine points behind me, but I knew if I just kept doing the same thing, it would work on the tracks that were coming, which I liked. That’s what I did, and it paid off.”
With the title secured, Romain didn’t forget to acknowledge the talent of Lucas Coenen, who was his toughest rival this year. Despite being a rookie in the premier class, the Belgian displayed remarkable ease and speed on the 450 SX-F. At the end of the season, Lucas actually won the most motos (14, plus 8 qualifying races) as well as the most GPs: 6.
“Everyone can recognize that Lucas was incredible this year, especially considering he was new to the class and really young. Normally, rookies step up when they’re a bit older and more experienced. By mid-season, I already knew Lucas was going to be my main rival for the title. It’s crazy. His whole career is still ahead of him. I also knew, with my experience, what it’s like to be a rookie. I myself faced Gajser in my first year. When it’s your first year, you don’t overthink things, you just learn and go for it. By mid-season, Lucas had already shown what he was capable of, and after that, everything was just a bonus for him. He had nothing to lose, so he went all in. When you’ve got a guy like that behind you, you better be ready. Congratulations to him, I’m sure he’ll have a great career.”
Even though the Australian GP was hampered by rain and shortened by one race, it still received unanimous praise from the riders, both for the organization and the track preparation. The Darwin GP is already on the 2026 calendar and is set to host the world championship finale again next year.
“The track was really great, a bit short in terms of lap times, but the preparation was excellent,” commented Romain, who has often been critical of track prep this season. “It was obvious that it wasn’t the usual people preparing the track, because it was really well done. The watering was perfect, not too much, not too little. It was hot this weekend, and usually when it’s hot, the track turns to concrete after free practice and they just dump water on it, which doesn’t change anything because it’s already too hard. Today, every corner had two lines, inside and outside, and that almost never happens. This year, many tracks only had one line, and if you went off the main line, you ended up in mud. The organization was good, the prep was really well done. The paddock, which looked like the one in Qatar, was nice too. It’s really great to end the season on this kind of track, even if it’s a shame about the rain, but there’s nothing you can do about that.”
Although he chose not to run the number 1 plate after his 2015 title, Romain Febvre has confirmed he will wear it in the 2026 MXGP World Championship.
“Of course, I’ll race with the number 1 next year,” he said. “Like in the United States, they run the number 1 and it’s good, it shows who the reigning champion is. Ten years ago, I thought about it but decided to keep my own number for certain reasons. But next year, I’ll definitely run number 1!”
Before closing the chapter on the 2025 season, Romain Febvre will answer the call for the Motocross of Nations at Ironman in two weeks. The MXGP World Champion will line up alongside Mathis Valin and Maxime Renaux. One step at a time – for now, Romain is enjoying his 2025 MXGP World Championship crown.
“I’m excited for the Nations, but honestly, I don’t really care that much. I’m sorry for the French fans, but this title was the goal. Of course, I’ll enjoy this moment for now, then prepare for the Nations. But the Nations has never been the priority in my career, and it never will be.”
