It looks like the 2026 Fantic MXGP line-up is beginning to take shape. Last week we reported that Brent van Doninck could be heading to the factory Fantic team, and now it appears that Italian rider Alberto Forato could also be set to join the squad.
The talented Italian has shown plenty of potential throughout his MXGP career, but the past couple of seasons have been plagued by injury setbacks. Forato signed with the Motoblouz SR Honda team for 2025, but his campaign was cut short after another unfortunate injury. It was a similar story in 2024 when he was part of the Standing Construct Honda setup – a team that has since departed from the paddock.
Fantic were believed to have been in talks with Mattia Guadagnini and Jan Pancar, but with neither deal materializing, they’ve turned their attention to Forato, who now looks poised to take on a full factory role for 2026.
For Forato, the priority will be to remain injury-free and complete a full season. When healthy, he’s proven that he has the pace and strength to consistently run inside the top ten in the MXGP World Championship, which is shaping up to be incredibly competitive next year.
A move to Fantic could also mean a relocation to Belgium, where Forato would put in a lot of sand riding and especially plenty of laps around Lommel. With Van Doninck also expected to be part of the team, the pair could push each other throughout the off-season and during Grand Prix weekends.
Although nothing has been officially confirmed yet, it’s looking increasingly likely that both Forato and Van Doninck will line up under the factory Fantic awning for the 2026 season.
Attention will now turn to what Fantic decide to do with their EMX program, as the brand is a key player in the EMX125 class. In 2025, Simeone Mancini also represented the brand in EMX250, but the young Italian is expected to switch to Ducati for 2026.
Stay tuned – there’s still plenty of movement happening behind the scenes as the 2026 season begins to take shape.
