Romain Febvre

Romain Febvre became the 2025 FIM Motocross World Champion on the Kawasaki KX450SR — the first rider ever to win the premier-class MXGP title for the Japanese manufacturer. It was his second world title, a decade after his first in 2015, and the culmination of a career that had included injury, near-misses, and a relentless persistence that defines true champions. He enters 2026 defending the #1 plate on the same green machine, surrounded by the deepest field in the sport's recent history.

Born on November 23, 1995 in Manosque, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of France, Febvre came through the French amateur system before turning professional in 2012. His 2015 MXGP title — won in his second premier-class season — announced him as a generational talent. Years of injury interrupted the run of championships that seemed inevitable, but Febvre never stopped competing at the front. His partnership with Kawasaki Racing Team has been one of the most productive manufacturer-rider relationships in the sport.

Making History on Green

Kawasaki has competed at the top of World Championship motocross for decades, but the 2025 season was the first time in the manufacturer's history that its rider claimed the premier-class MXGP crown. That Febvre is the man who achieved it — a Frenchman who bounced back from serious injury not once but multiple times — makes the story even more compelling. The green machine is now a championship-winning machine, and the team behind it knows exactly how to defend a title.

The Defence

Defending a world title is always harder than winning one. The field knows your strengths, your weaknesses, and your setup. Every other rider has circled your results as their benchmark. Febvre approaches the defence with the same composure that defined his 2025 title run. Through three rounds he sits sixth with 113 points — just 23 behind leader Coenen. In a sport where a single race win can shift the standings dramatically, Febvre is well within striking distance. When the tracks suit him — the hard-pack circuits of Europe in the second half of the season — he will be dangerous.