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MXGP, MXGP OF GREAT BRITAIN - Matterley Basin, GREAT BRITAIN, 23 September 2023

Romain Febvre second in Qualifying in England

Romain Febvre of Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP qualified second for tomorrow's final round of the 2023 FIM World MXGP Motocross Championship under bright skies at Matterley Basin in southern England.

The Frenchman earnt third gate-pick for Qualifying with a rapid lap at the very end of Timed Practice and wasted no time slotting into second place in the twenty-minute-plus-two-lap race to decide starting positions for each of tomorrow's GP motos. With all of the leading riders at the head of the pack and the grassland circuit in prime condition there were few changes of position amongst a rapid leaderboard train but the Kawasaki rider, already assured of runner-up in the series, closed down the leader significantly through the later laps before easing back the throttle through the final turn.
 
Romain Febvre: “As I have always said many riders like this track and this morning the track was perfect with a good grip. It was a little slippery for the Timed Practice session as they watered the track but I was able to post the third-fastest lap. In the Qualifying race I got a good start behind Prado; I lost some positions in the first corner as I slid but then I soon came back to second. From mid-race the low sun was a real problem on several jumps; it was the same for everyone but I didn’t want to take risks so Gajser reduced the gap with me. I found some solutions and different lines to close the gap to Prado at the end so I’m confident for tomorrow."
 
Big Van World MTX Kawasaki’s Jack Chambers scored another championship point in Qualifying for the final round of the FIM World MX2 Motocross Championship as he charged impressively, setting consistently-fast lap times on the way, from fifteenth on the first lap to take over tenth place on lap seven of ten.
 
Jack Chambers: "I made my way through to the top-ten and held it there with some top-five lap-times so I'm feeling good for tomorrow. I'm really comfortable with the settings we found today and I'm super excited to be here; it feels like my new home GP after racing the British championship this year and I've got a lot of support out there."
 
A difficult Timed Practice left F&H Kawasaki Racing Team's Kevin Horgmo with an outside gate for Qualifying but the Norwegian birthday boy rode a scintillating line around the outside of turn one to emerge top-six, only to be halted at turn two as he was stuck behind a fallen rider. Setting top-ten lap times in traffic he stormed through the field to finish fourteenth.
 
Kevin Horgmo: "I had a difficult Timed Practice; the red flag came out at the end when I was on a fast lap so I had an outside gate. I made a good start around the outside of turn one in Qualifying and was sixth or seventh going into turn two but someone crashed right in front of me and I was nearly last. I had a really good flow towards the end so I feel good for tomorrow and I want to end my MX2 career on a high."
 
F&H teammate David Braceras, the fastest of the Kawasaki trio in practice, pulled out on the opening lap of Qualifying when he landed hard on his left shoulder as he raced seventh.
 
BUD Racing Kawasaki's Benjamin Garib finished eighth in the first moto of the final round of the FIM European EMX250 Championship after a mid-moto fall had cost him three positions; the Chilean rookie had set the third-fastest lap in practice.
 
Benjamin Garib: "This has to be one of the most enjoyable tracks I have ever ridden and I've been feeling good all day through both practices and in Qualifying. I took a decent start and was running fifth for half the race until I made a mistake, had a little crash and three guys passed me. But I was happy with my riding; tomorrow's a new day so we'll send it."
 
His teammate Quentin Marc Prugnières, second-fastest in practice, was running seventh early in Qualifying before pulling out.  WMX world number three Lotte van Drunen, making her debut in the EMX250 series, finished twenty-eighth.

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