Febvre ready to open a new chapter

He was second in the 2023 MXGP World Championship. In 2024, he placed fifth in the MXGP World Championship. In 2025, he won the MXGP World Championship.

And Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP's Romain Febvre put an exclamation mark on his MXGP career by charging to his 11th podium of the 2026 season in Darwin in Northern Australia. The silver medal winner of the ’26 MXGP season, Febvre was pleased with what he achieved in the closing phase of the campaign.

I gave my all and battled to the end,” explained Febvre immediately after the season closing MXGP of Australia.“It was close in China and again here but Jeffrey [Herlings] was taught to beat this year. It is never easy to defend the title so I am proud to take the silver medal for the third time in my career.”

The 2015 and 2025 MXGP world championship winner, Febvre was also a member of Team France for the nation’s 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2023 Motocross of Nations victories, and will rejoin Team France at the 2026 Monster Energy Motocross of Nations at the Circuit Raymond Demy in Ernee, France.

Febvre ran up front all season long on the factory Kawasaki KX450-SR (Special Racer), but despite his huge podium count, overall victories eluded him.

“Yeah, it’s bad that I didn’t win any races, but that’s how it is,” he said. “I was really consistent, so that’s a good point. I also had some bad races at the beginning of the year, which maybe I could have won some motos in. I was not riding that great at the beginning. Also, a few times we faced some issues with the bike. I had three `DNFs on the season, which is too much to fight for the championship. That was not good.

"When I look back, to still be second in the championship was good. I am happy. Towards the end of the season, I was riding much better. Like in China, I could battle with Jeffrey. He’s really good at the moment, so I was pretty happy to end the season like this.”

Omnipotent throughout the entire 2026 MXGP World Championship, Honda’s Jeffrey Herlings strung together a sensational season. What was it like to race against the Dutch sensation? 

"Jeffrey is always really strong at the end of the races,” said Febvre. “The last five and 10 minutes, he’s really strong.

"You have to learn to race with Jeffrey. At the beginning of the races he is trying to push and to make a gap. If you can stay with him for a few laps, he will slow down his pace a little bit and then you can close the gap. From there you have to try and pass him. Like I said, the first few laps he is trying to make a gap to get comfortable. But you also have to think about at the end of the races, Jeffrey will come back. He will come back to try to do something, so you have to sprint during the races. That’s how he is riding.

"When he was leading the championship quite comfortably, he was hard to beat him. And now with the Honda, he is also starting at the front. It was not like that with the KTM. Now it makes it even more difficult to beat him.”

Can he actually be defeated?

“This year I didn’t beat him, but Lucas [Coenen] was able to beat him in many races at the beginning of the year when he was fit, so yeah, it’s possible," Febvre said.

"For sure it is possible. I felt the main thing was the start. You always have to start with him. if you are not at the front, you have no chance of catching him. This season in many races, I did not get a good start, I would start in sixth or seventh, so by the time that I would get back to second, he was gone. He’s gone and it is not possible to beat him. I know what I have to work on for next year. The main focus will be on the start to be at the front early.”

Darwin marked Febvre’s final ride on the Kawasaki Racing Team KX450-SR as he will move on to the Red Bull Ducati Factory MXGP Team for the 2027 MXGP season.

"It’ has been seven years with Kawasaki, so yeah, seven years in a career is quite long,” said Febvre. “I’m happy with the season. I had some injuries and stuff, but most of the main part of the season was pretty consistent. I was also happy to work quite close with Kawasaki Japan, as well. That was a good experience. Now we have one more race to go at the Motocross of Nations and then it will be over.”

Febvre admitted that he will miss the Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP organization.

“After seven years you make some strong relationships,” said Febvre. “But that’s life. It was my choice to leave the team. I feel like I needed some new motivation to keep going one or two more years. I felt like if I changed teams, that would be my main motivation. It will be sad, but that’s how it is. It’s life and it’s my choice. I’m also looking forward to this new chapter.”

Next stop is the Red Bull Ducati Factory MXGP and a seat on the KX50-SR. Confident to make the move? 

“Yeah, I am," he said. "I’m really motivated to show what I can do with that bike. It’s going to be a new team and a new bike, but also all the people at Ducati. I believe the last two years they have been learning a lot from motocross and now I think they are even more ready to make some modifications on the bike to suit the rider more. That will be interesting.

"Like I said, I am quite motivated to show that I can also ride at the front with that bike. I’m also excited to work with some older people coming from road racing. For sure they can come up with many good things, as well. We’ll see in one month how it’s going. I’m in contract with Kawasaki until the 31st of October. Let’s say at the beginning of November I will be able to ride with the bike. We are already planning some testing because they have many things to try. It’s going to be quite a long winter to test, but that’s how it is. I’m quite excited to do that.”

Febvre has clear targets for the Ducati effort. 

“The bike never won a moto at a GP," he said. "I think we need to be very realistic. For sure I want to win, but I think we need to go step by step. Also with me, I need to adapt to the bike and to the team, as well. That’s going to be the biggest challenge. If we put the goal to maybe win the first moto and then maybe a GP and then to be able to fight for the top three in the World Championship, that would be my goal for next year.

"We’ll see. We first have to get past the winter in good shape, and then the first few rounds next year, we’re going to see where we are and then that will set up our goals for the season and see what we can do. There is a lot of expectation. As a brand, they want to win, that’s for sure. We’ll see. It’s not good to expect too much at the beginning because you can be disappointed. I think need to set the goal up step by step.”