Romain Febvre – Working Holiday

When Kawasaki Racing Team rider Romain Febvre stepped off the plane in Indonesia last week, he felt like he was starting another holiday. Despite having one of the toughest jobs in the World, racing the toughest sport and putting in hour after hour in the gym and on the racetrack, the 2015 World MXGP champion and winner of last weekend’s Grand Prix in Sumbawa, Febvre enjoys what he does and the fly-aways can easily be seen as a holiday away from Europe.

“Holiday!! Holiday!!” Febvre laughed when asked about being in Indonesia. “Yes, away from the kids, it is holiday (laughing). This year when I feel like I am out of the house, I am on holiday. But seriously, I wish they were here. When you are home, you are the partner and father. Sure, when they are there, I have to take care of them and it takes time. I like to be busy with the racing and it is hard for my girlfriend to come to the races as my daughter is still small. It is a good compromise you can say.”

As for the country itself, Febvre loves the vibe in Indonesia and the people who give our sportsmen so much love and respect. Something that the Frenchman also loves is the hot weather and despite what it looked like in Sumbawa last weekend, the hotter the better for our GP winner.

“It feels good to be here. It's a really long trip but it makes sense to come here for the enthusiastic supporters and such a nice track. I really enjoy the weather too; for sure it's hot but it's the same for everyone. About the heat, it has never bothered me, coming to Thailand and Indonesia, I have never suffered from the heat. I think I suffer less than the others, I don’t know why. I knew after Saturday, if I got the holeshot I had the speed and making the holeshot, you save 20% or 30% of energy on the others. So, when you go to the half-way of the second race, then you have saved a lot of energy compared to the other riders."

"Indonesian fans love us coming here. The track, it is really, really good. It was a bit sketchy with the stones and different soil, but it is a huge track, you can use the power of the 450cc and after a bit of travel, I am happy on this circuit. Next weekend, I don’t know what to say, because we have never been there, so it will be a bit of a surprise for us.”

Now, as we wait for the second Grand Prix in Lombok this coming weekend, you just know that Romain Febvre is sitting with a big smile.

Photo Credit: Pascal Haudiquert