2015 World MXGP champion, Romain Febvre moved closer to the points-lead in the FIM World MXGP Motocross Championship at Frauenfeld in Switzerland with his fourth consecutive podium. With a crash and DNF from series leader, Tim Gajser in Switzerland, the fight for the 2025 MXGP championship is without question more open now.

After six rounds of the 2025 season, Febvre is just 27 points off Gajsers lead and with the HRC man coming to Portugal, in some difficulties from his crash in Switzerland, you just know that Febvre will want to pile a lot of pressure on his rival and make life as difficult as possible.

As is always the case, the Frenchman will fight until the end and with the disappointment for the Slovenian, comes even more motivation and resolve for Febvre to make the most of the moment and try and cut the points gap to Gajser even more in Portugal this coming weekend.

"I was again fast and felt good both days, but it was a track where you needed to take a good start as it was tough to pass. I was riding good but with starts like today it's not enough to fight for the victory. I think I was one of the few guys who could make passes, but it was also a track where you had to really take care. You could make a huge mistake if you lost it for a split-second and many riders crashed, particularly in the second moto; I almost hit Guillod's bike when he had a big one right in front of me and there were a lot of rocks as you can see by my nose. For sure I was pleased to take another podium, but I want one more step!"

Saturday – Start Drama

On the Saturday the Frenchman had posted second-fastest time during Timed Practice but faced a long hard ride in the Qualifying race after a ragged start as he slewed sideways coming out of the gate to be seventeenth the first time past the timing box. Within two laps he had advanced into the top ten and made yet more majestic strides to take over fourth on lap eleven before a fall in the late afternoon shadows cost three positions. A renewed charge brough him back to fifth, in the wheel tracks of the rider in fourth. Teams and riders now face a free day as the main GP program in Switzerland traditionally takes place on Easter Monday.

"I spun at the gate, and I was completely last, but I rode well and had some good lines so I could make passes almost every lap to come back to fourth. But then I had a crash; it was only small, but it could have been big at that place, so I am lucky that I am not hurt. I came back and was close to fourth again at the finish. The gate-pick is OK for the starts on Monday but what I need are the points every race."

Sunday Two Moto’s

The Frenchman was closed down straight out of the gate in both GP motos but displayed true grit, racing through the pack each time to secure sixth- and second-placed moto finishes; his thirty-seven point haul earnt second overall on the day and, retaining his secure second place in the championship, he has significantly reduced the points-gap to the series leader to just twenty-seven points.

He emerged ninth from turn one in the first moto but had already advanced to sixth on lap two. Overtaking proved extremely difficult for all of the riders on the ultra-fast raceway and a small tumble on the exit from a slick turn pushed him back to eighth temporarily before the Kawasaki rider struck back with great resolve to regain sixth with two outstanding passes.

Lapping more than a second per lap faster than his rivals through the closing laps he had fourth in his sights on the final lap as time ran out to make further moves. He was again quickly on the move from an eighth-placed start in race two to take fifth on lap four and was soon involved in a three-way battle for third, which he decided in his favour on lap fourteen of twenty after two more enthralling passes. Three laps later he had closed down his next target to sweep into second, the position he held to the finish behind the race-long leader.

Agueda Portugal - Consistent

Going into Agueda in Portugal, Febvre has taken three moto wins and seven second place finishes in 2025, many of those runner-up spots to the very consistent five-time World motocross champion (Gajser).

While Febvre is yet to win an overall at Agueda he was second overall in 2024 in the mud to Paul Jonass, and beat Gajser. A year earlier in Portugal, he finished second on the podium to Jeffrey Herlings, so while a victory isn’t yet on his name, he has been very consistent there in recent times.

A GP win and maybe some tough times for Gajser, it wouldn't surprise too many if the points gap is again cut and we head to Lugo in Spain a week later with even more momentum for the Frenchman. The ball is in his court and maybe its time to really make a push for that second World Motocross Championship.

Pascal Haudiquert images