MXGP of France
Words and images courtesy of Ducati
In the MXGP of France Jeremy Seewer brings the Desmo450 MX back to the podium
• The Aruba.it – Ducati Factory MX Team rider gains a position in the premier class World Championship standings
The ninth round of the 2025 FIM Motocross World Championship, the MXGP Grand Prix of France, took place at the Ernée track, just a few kilometres from Normandy. It marked another major milestone for the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Factory MX Team. Jeremy Seewer claimed the team’s second podium of the season by finishing third at one of the year’s most prestigious events. He achieved this in front of thousands of spectators.
After powering to seventh in Saturday’s qualifying race, Jeremy had a solid start in race one. He moved into third by the first corner and battled throughout all 18 laps to finish fifth, just short of fourth place.
In race two, the Desmo450 MX launched even better off the gate. The Swiss rider nearly got the holeshot, missing it by only a few centimetres. Third at the end of the opening lap, Seewer quickly found his rhythm on the steep ups and downs of the iconic circuit. He matched the pace of the frontrunners and maintained his position all the way to the chequered flag. This allowed him to clinch third place and his second podium of the season. The 36 points earned moved the Swiss rider up one spot in the World Championship standings to ninth.
It was a more challenging event for Mattia Guadagnini, who struggled to find a good feeling in the French mud.
After securing the 14th gate pick in Saturday’s qualifying heat, he ripped a strong start in race one and surged quickly into the top five. The Italian rider fought to find his groove in the first moto. However, 19th was the best he could manage. Wanting more in race two, Mattia frustratingly didn’t get an ideal jump and found himself outside the top 20 after the opening lap. A rear brake issue, caused by contact with another rider, then forced him to retire after seven laps. This occurred just as he was beginning to work his way back through the field.
The next round of the Motocross World Championship sees Teutschenthal take centre stage for the German Grand Prix. This event will mark the halfway point of the championship season.
Jeremy Seewer:
“Well, second podium of the year in GP number nine, so this is very positive. We are getting better. We are improving the bike. It paid off on the track all that testing during the week. We are going in a good direction, getting closer. This podium is more earned. I mean, in Switzerland I did it, but it was also a lot of luck. Today, I did it with 5-3 moto finishes, with good riding and good starts. I didn’t make any mistakes. We’re taking it step by step and we’re on the right path.”
Mattia Guadagnini:
“There’s not much to say, it was a complicated weekend, with a very difficult Saturday. I struggled to find a good feeling with the track in the two practice sessions. Then, luckily, the qualifying race went a bit better, which gave me some positives to take into Sunday. The track was really tough, though, and I made several mistakes. I took some risks trying to push and lost my rhythm and never really rode the way I know I can. In the second moto, I tried to reset and start fresh, but right after the start, several riders crashed in front of me, and I ended up way at the back. Unfortunately, I made contact with another rider while I was coming back through the pack, which damaged the rear brake. I tried to continue and finish the race but had to stop to avoid unnecessary risk – especially on this track with such big jumps, where it was nearly impossible to keep going.”