Even Romain Febvre knows that hardly anyone, not even the most hardened and experienced motocross Grand Prix expert, would have predicted his rise and impact in 2015. The Frenchman is already the most successful rookie in the premier class this century since a certain Sicilian blazed through the championship (also on a blue Yamaha) back in 2009.
From a broken arm and relative obscurity in the winter to standing on a MotoGP grid at Assen in late June with Valentino Rossi as the two series’ leaders posed for pictures is a juxtaposition of immense proportions. A brief check of Romain’s profile would indicate that he likes to do things in a hurry. Partially renowned for his dip into supermoto – that he loathes talking about now – Febvre came back to motocross and burned a path to the top: EMX250 European Champion in 2011, MX2 learning year to 13th in the series in ’12, first GP podium at the first race of ’13 and then maiden victory in Brazil last year with Husqvarna until he fell foul of the polemic 23 age rule on the 250s.
Frustratingly for Febvre his birthday on 31st of December meant that he missed a genuine tilt at the 2015 MX2 title by a matter of hours. However Yamaha, MXGP and stardom beckoned.
“I saw him as a someone that did everything by himself,” offers Yamaha Factory Racing Yamalube Team Principal Michele Rinaldi. “He didn’t have his family with him so much but he had some friends. He didn’t have everything like some kids have from the beginning. I thought he had a lot of potential to show, especially because he stopped motocross for a couple of years. Last year when I spoke with him in July and we had to decide with Yamaha which rider to go for I felt he had a lot of potential and he is now showing more than I thought at this stage so the decision to go with him was great.”
“I have watched him for the last three years and he moved to Belgium to learn the sand,” the Italian goes on. “He was ‘growing’ fast. He improved a lot last year and then had to move to MXGP for 2015 and I thought it would be another learning year. I was expecting it to be up-and-down, some good results and maybe a podium. I did not expect this consistency.”
“I guess he is coming at motocross from a different path,” says agent Gerard Valat, the Frenchman who helped Febvre broker the deal to ride the YZ450FM. “I would also say that he doesn’t have bad habits because he is pretty fresh and new. I think he can evaluate every option. He is open-minded. He is a really cool kid in everyday life and is a happy and nice person. Always funny and well-educated. He is like fresh air.”
There is something different about Febvre. He is very much his own guy. He doesn’t have an entourage, can smile easily and carries an intensity that he keeps in his own (admittedly quite public) space in the Yamaha awning where he preps goggles, gets changed and digests his latest set of laps on the 461 machine. His rate of accomplishment has leapt up on everybody in 2015 and you get the feeling that he is just starting to get used to the extra demands on his time (he never complains and to my knowledge fulfils every request). He is now stopped more in the paddock and still carries a shy little edge when it comes to the attention and growing adoration (it was an eye-opener to see just how much the public cheered and supported him at Villars sous ecot when he ran to home GP glory with the same level of reverence usually enjoyed by countryman Gautier Paulin). With girlfriend Megan permanently in tow, Romain is part of the furniture of the Grand Prix paddock…the only difference is that now he’s almost the centrepiece of the room
We speak – Romain with his good but heavily accented English – at the Grand Prix of Italy. He’d wear Yamaha’s yellow to dramatic effect in the rain on Sunday for win number two and then wait a week to complete his hat-trick in Germany and seize the red-plate from the luckless Max Nagl. There had already been comments that Febvre’s all-out approach to MXGP and the fact that he has been too-fast-too-soon would lead to a fall sooner or later but at this stage it remains to be seen and he is still shooting upwards…and forwards.
OK, what was better: MXGP victory at home in France or your very first GP win in Brazil last year?
France, for sure. To win your first GP – in MXGP – and in front of your home crowd was amazing. For sure it was my best moment ever. Brazil was really good last year but I think the crowd [in Villars] changed things. I can remember how difficult it was to get to the press conference right after the race because of the public. I think it was a long time before I could finally get changed, but after winning a GP like that then for sure you want to be with the fans.
Do you think the team were surprised that the first win had come by round eight?
Yeah! And not only the team…! I think after the British GP they knew I could win some motos and a GP victory would be close. They could see my progression and how every race I had been getting better. Maybe they were not expecting that result so early…me also. It was strange for me in France. I was a bit over-excited going to that race and because results had been going well I thought it might be a stressful weekend…but it wasn’t at all. I didn’t get pressurised more than any other race and I was really pleased with that. I hope things will stay that way.
To read the rest of the feature in the latest edition of OTOR click HERE
