Romain Febvre rode like a Dutch sand specialist at Lommel to win race one then storm from 20th to second to clinch the overall win – and he nearly caught race leader Prado as well! It was a stunning performance and it just might have been the best race of his career, Febvre has now won four GPs in a row and is in superb form as he tries to gain some points on Prado in the championship.
This is what he had to say after the race: “The new track layout is even more technical and already since yesterday morning I have had a really good flow. I was soon second in the first race; Glenn tried to make a gap but he was making mistakes so I could pass him and pull away for the win.
“But I had to ride really hard for it in the second moto; it was chaos in the first two turns and for sure I was nearly last. I thought it would be hard from there with everyone cutting each other up in the pack but I think I am the best out there at the moment and I could work my magic and kept my pace to the end. I almost caught Prado with two laps to go but I was just exhausted by then so I was satisfied with the overall. Not many people have ever won four-in-a-row; that is something special.”
Febvre also admitted in the press conference that, “I have a few offers,” for 2024 and then said, “I want the best one.” There is nothing official yet, but winning GP’s will only add to his bargaining power!
Meanwhile, Mitch Evans, who went 8-16 for 13th overall, said: “Moto one was really good; I pushed through really well to eighth and was happy with my riding. I got a better start in race two but got caught up in turn two and lost a heap of positions. I came back through again but then I felt a lot of cramping in my lower back. There were a lot of positives again; just the last ten to fifteen minutes could have been better.”
Antti Pyrhönen (KRT team manager) commented: “I’m so proud of Romain and the complete team – all the technical guys, trainers, physios, truck drivers, hospitality, everybody! It’s an incredible achievement to win four-in-a-row and it is visible for all to see how good the Kawasaki is. Since the beginning of the season with the new bike we felt we had the platform and we have worked together with KMC R&D to develop the bike better-and-better; we now have a winning bike on all types of track and it’s a real statement to win here in Lommel.
“You know at that moment you win here that the rider, the bike, the engine, everything is at the highest level and it emphasizes the reliability. And it is like a ‘home’ win; our workshop is like a back-door neighbor with the track and we had a really busy weekend with lots of sponsors and guests who we could reward for their confidence in us.”
Image: InFront Moto Racing
