The French teenager, already impressive on his way to fifth in Qualifying on Saturday, confirmed his pace with third-fastest time in Sunday morning warm-up.  He swept his KX250-SR top-six into turn one of the first moto but the joy was soon over as he tumbled at turn two after tagging the rear wheel of another bike. By lap three he had already battled through from the back of the pack to thirteenth and continued to show a mature patience and outstanding speed, with top-six lap times to the finish, as he closed down and passed one rival after another to snatch eighth on lap eleven. Seventh was thirteen seconds down the track but he continued to push, relentlessly edging closer each lap, but he came up short by just a couple of seconds as time ran out. A poor jump at the gate saw him closed down immediately at the start of race two but a decisive first few turns saw him ninth at the end of the first lap. Again dropping into an impressive rhythm around the rugged track he made passes for eighth on lap eight and seventh on lap twelve to secure seventh overall on the day and jump two positions in the series standings to thirteenth.
 
Mathis Valin: "It was not an easy day. I crashed directly in the second corner when I took the rear wheel of another bike and then I crashed again further round the first lap so I was completely last. But I found my good rhythm and could pass many guys for eighth. I started mid-pack in the second moto and it was a tough race;  the track was very bumpy and there is no rest anywhere. For sure it was hard for everyone, particularly in the heat and the thin air, and I was already a little tired after the first moto. I still miss the experience to deal with this at the GPs, but I learnt a lot this weekend and this will help me in the future."