Fresh off a commanding 1-1 performance at the opening round of the 2025 FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship, reigning champion Lotte van Drunen is set to take on an even greater challenge this weekend—lining up in the MX2 class at the FIM Motocross World Championship round in Trentino, Italy.
The 17-year-old Dutch rider will go head-to-head with the men on the hard-pack layout of Pietramurata, marking her first MX2 Grand Prix appearance on a surface other than sand. While she made headlines last year by scoring points at Lommel’s brutal sand track, this outing presents a new test of her versatility and technical ability.
“I need to do some hard pack training,” van Drunen explained. “And racing a rough GP track with some uphills and downhills is the best training possible, so that’s why I’ve decided to race MX2 in Trentino. I enjoy racing the boys and in MX2, and I also love Arco—I’ve had some good memories there.”
While van Drunen is quick to play down expectations—emphasising her focus on training and skill development—her recent form suggests she’ll be one to watch. At the WMX opener in Riola Sardo last weekend, she overcame a challenging week of illness to deliver a flawless ride.
“I lost three kilos during the week,” she revealed post-race. “There were moments I wasn’t sure I could even race.” But those doubts faded fast as she dominated both motos in the deep Sardinian sand, building comfortable leads and leaving no question about who’s the rider to beat in WMX this year.
Now, with Sardinia in the rearview mirror, van Drunen’s attention has shifted to learning and testing herself in a much deeper field. “I don’t expect anything,” she said of her MX2 outing. “The qualifying race is the same length as WMX, so I hope to put in 20 minutes plus two laps of good riding. Sunday is really about physical training and improving my technique and skills when the track gets really rough, rutty and bumpy.”
As for whether this marks the start of a bigger MX2 push? She’s keeping it open: “I think I will race Lommel again for sure,” she added. “I need to see—like I said, I really enjoy it and it’s good for me. We will see – probably!”
