In front of Ernée’s packed hillside, Fantic Factory Racing MXGP’s Andrea Bonacorsi delivered another rock-solid performance, securing a career-first holeshot and finishing fifth overall to wrap up a challenging French GP on a high for the Italian brand.
The iconic Raymond Demy track in Ernée, slightly revised in the upper section but still highly technical and challenging to tackle, hosted round nine of the 2025 FIM Motocross World Championship. This time, rain fell only on Sunday morning, but the challenges were no less demanding, while the stadium-like atmosphere remained electric throughout the weekend. The Fantic Factory Racing MXGP trio took some time to find the right feeling, with Glenn Coldenhoff the only one scoring points in Saturday’s qualifying race, finishing ninth. Andrea Bonacorsi and Brian Bogers ended just outside the top 10, in 12th and 13th place respectively.
But the all-important races are held on Sunday – and once again, “Bona” delivered! The 22-year-old Italian has established himself as a consistent presence in the top 5 during his first full season in the premier class. At the French GP, he launched his Fantic XXF 450 out of the gate to claim his first-ever holeshot in race 2 and went on to secure a strong fifth overall. Already off to a great start in race 1, Bonacorsi immediately joined the battle for the top 5. The pace was intense and the racing fierce, and the Fantic Factory Racing MXGP rider eventually crossed the line in sixth.
For his teammate Coldenhoff, race 1 was an uphill battle after getting tangled with other riders on the way into the first turn. He used all of his experience and determination to come from mid-pack to secure 10th place, despite not feeling 100% physically. Brian Bogers fought just outside the top 10 and crossed the line in 13th.
Race 2 featured a spectacular start, with all three Fantic Factory Racing MXGP riders at the sharp end heading into turn one – and Bonacorsi grabbed the first holeshot of his World Championship career. Bogers lost ground after making a few poor line choices during a hectic opening lap and slipped just outside the top 10. Meanwhile, Bona and Coldenhoff settled into fifth and sixth during the early stages of the race.
Not being at his physical best, Coldenhoff couldn’t hold the pace for the full race and slipped to ninth. Bonacorsi, on the other hand, fended off all attacks for most of the race, with only Herlings managing to pass him at the start of the final lap. In the overall GP classification, the Italian secured a strong fifth place. The “Hoff” rounded out the top 10, while Bogers finished 12th in race 2 and 13th overall – and most importantly, with a good feeling for this intense triple-header. From Ernée, MXGP now heads to Teutschenthal, Germany, before moving on to Latvia the following week.
Andrea Bonacorsi:
“It was a good weekend! I struggled a bit on Saturday but didn’t want to take too many risks either. On Sunday, we started well with fifth in the warm-up, then took two sixth places in the races – and my first holeshot, hopefully the first of many – actually, I am sure of it. The key? The team atmosphere, how calm we are before going to the gate, and above all, the bike, because at the start you need to get the power to the ground. The whole package is helping me improve a lot. I am happy with the steps I am taking. We are becoming more and more consistent in the positions that matter. Now the goal is to take the next step to get on the podium. I have to thank the whole team and everyone at Fantic because we are doing a great job.”
Glenn Coldenhoff:
“I am facing some issues with my body. When I woke up on Sunday morning, I immediately felt that I wasn’t at my best – and you could see it in race 2. Normally, I am physically strong, but I was really dropping back. The mind wanted to go, but the body said no. Of course, I am disappointed with a 10-9 – these are not the positions I should be in. We have to accept it for now and focus on getting better for next week. Hopefully, I can recover well and be back where I belong in Teutschenthal.”
Brian Bogers:
“Feeling-wise, it was one of my better weekends. Still, these are not yet the results we want, but the feeling is getting better and better. I am also happy with my start in race 2, because that is one area I used to struggle with. The riding was quite good in the second moto as well, especially towards the end. So that was another positive. We need to take all these good things into the next weekend – and we will get there.”
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