MXGP France: Testing times at Ernée for De Wolf and Everts

Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing endured a challenging ninth round of the 2025 FIM Motocross World Championship at Ernée’s iconic Circuit Raymond Demy. Set against the steep hillsides of north-western France, the weekend delivered its share of challenges, with both Kay de Wolf and Liam Everts forced to charge hard for every point possible.

Heavy overnight rain created a tricky and technical mix of deep ruts and slick hardpack for Sunday’s races, making line choice and racecraft more important than ever.

Kay de Wolf entered the weekend with the red plate but picked up a sore ankle from a knock in timed practice. Despite a promising start in Sunday’s opening moto, an early crash and a second incident while avoiding another rider dropped him well down the order. He recovered to 14th but lost valuable ground in the overall title chase.

In the second moto, de Wolf was involved in a first-lap incident that left him near the back once again. He remounted quickly and steadily worked his way through the pack to finish 12th. His 14-12 finishes gave him 13th overall for the weekend and saw him slip to third in the MX2 standings - now 25 points adrift of the lead.

Liam Everts also faced a demanding MXGP of France. A crash in the first moto saw him drop outside the top ten, but he regrouped to take eighth at the flag. Race two was happily a much cleaner affair - where Everts rode a composed race to hold fifth from start to finish, securing seventh overall with 8-5 scores.

While the final results didn’t reflect the effort put in, both riders showed strong pace and a determined approach in tough conditions. As the championship heads to Teutschenthal, in Germany for Round 10 - marking the halfway point of the season - the team is focused on regrouping and getting back to winning ways.

#1 - Kay de Wolf: “This weekend was a rough one. I picked up an ankle injury in timed practice, and from there it felt like things just didn’t go our way. The conditions on Sunday were really tricky with the rain overnight, and I had a couple of crashes in the first race that set me back. In the second moto, I got caught up in a first-lap incident which made it another tough fight from the back. I did what I could and kept pushing, but obviously losing the red plate is frustrating. Still, we’re not giving up - I’ll rest up this week, reset, and come back ready to fight for the podium in Germany.”

#26 - Liam Everts: “It was a bit of a mixed day for me. I had a small crash in the first moto which cost me some positions, but I managed to regroup and finish strong. The second race was more solid – I got a good start, found my rhythm early, and held my pace to the end. The conditions were challenging all day, so I’m happy to come away with points and keep building. We’ll take the positives and look to keep improving next weekend in Germany.”

Results - 2025 FIM Motocross World Championship, Round Nine:

MX2 - Overall:
1. Simon Längenfelder (KTM) 50pts; 2. Andrea Adamo (KTM) 44pts; 3. Sacha Coenen (KTM) 33pts; 7. Liam Everts (Husqvarna) 29pts; 13. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 16pts; 

MX2 - Moto One:
1. Simon Längenfelder (KTM) 35:34.097; 2. Andrea Adamo (KTM) 35:57.294; 3. Valerio Lata (Honda) 35:59.987; 6. Sacha Coenen (KTM) 36:16.052; 8. Liam Everts (Husqvarna) 36:19.110; 14. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 37:00.583;

MX2 - Moto Two:
1. Simon Längenfelder (KTM) 34:40.058; 2. Andrea Adamo (KTM) 34:50.624; 3. Thibault Benistant (Yamaha) 34:53.509; 4. Sacha Coenen (KTM) 34:54.883; 5. Liam Everts (Husqvarna) 34:56.248; 12. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 35:43.805;

MX2 - Standings:
1. Simon Längenfelder (KTM) 424pts; 2. Andrea Adamo (KTM) 413pts; 3. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 399pts; 4. Liam Everts (Husqvarna) 343pts; 6. Sacha Coenen (KTM) 305pts; 28. Marc-Antoine Rossi (KTM) 6pts;

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P5 finish at the Washougal National for Rockstar Energy Husqvarna's RJ Hampshire

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The Washougal National marked another strong outing for Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s premier class newcomer RJ Hampshire, who claimed his third-consecutive 450MX top-five finish, while teammate Malcolm Stewart took 12th overall at Round 8 of the 2025 Pro Motocross Championship. Equipped with the Husqvarna FC 450 Factory Edition with a special Military Appreciation livery this weekend, Hampshire set the third-fastest time during the morning's 450MX qualifying sessions, before charging to a fourth-place finish in Moto 1 after battling the class front-runners at the scenic Pacific Northwest venue. An inspired ride during Moto 2 saw the 29-year-old climb into the top 10 after a mid-field start, inching his way toward the top five as the race developed. While challenging for fourth, Hampshire would drop the bike in slick conditions, remounting to claim sixth place for the moto and P5 overall. "Washougal was another solid day for us, I feel like we just keep making progress as the series develops," commented Hampshire. "P3 in qualifying was good, and then I ran up there with the front guys for a bit in Moto 1 on my way to finish P4. Second moto, decent start, then made a push towards the top-five after the restart, but lost the rear with a few laps to go – another top five and we keep progressing. We'll aim for an overall podium with three rounds to go, which I feel like we're capable of." 450MX teammate Malcolm Stewart and his Husqvarna FC 450 Factory Edition posted the ninth-fastest time in qualifying, before a fall in Moto 1 resulted in a 16th-place finish. Eighth in race two was a solid rebound for Stewart, who now takes hold of eighth in the 450MX standings with three rounds remaining. "First moto got off to a rough start with a first turn pile-up," reflected Stewart. "I saw a rider on the ground and he was getting burned, so I got off my bike and helped him out, lifted him up. I think that's the right thing to do... we race motorcycles for a living, and if I were in that position, I would hope someone would do that for me. We lost a little time there, but we dug deep for 16th. Second moto, we did all we could and got eighth, which was a good bounce back. We'll enjoy the break, and keep digging for these last three." Next Race: August 9 – Crawfordsville, Indiana Results 450MX Class – Washougal National 1. Chase Sexton (KTM) 2. Jett Lawrence (Honda) 3. Eli Tomac (Yamaha) 5. RJ Hampshire (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) 7. Justin Barcia (GASGAS) 12. Malcolm Stewart (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) Standings 450MX Class 2025 after 8 of 11 rounds 1. Jett Lawrence, 382 points 2. Hunter Lawrence, 321 3. Eli Tomac, 288 5. RJ Hampshire, 255 6. Aaron Plessinger, 204 8. Malcolm Stewart, 154 12. Chase Sexton, 122 16. Justin Barcia, 111