Headlining the field in MXGP are eight World Champions with a combined 18 titles to their name. Reigning MXGP Champion Romain Febvre returns to run his number one plate for Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP, and the 2025 MXGP runner-up Lucas Coenen is also back for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, keen to become the ninth title winner in the 2026 lineup.
However, the big news at the start of January centered on five-time World Champion Jeffrey Herlings signing with Honda HRC and Tim Gajser moving to Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP. Both men have changed teams for the first time in their Grand Prix careers.
Besides Febvre, 2026 sees the return of his fellow Frenchman and two-time MX2 World Champion, Tom Vialle, who lines up alongside Herlings and the retained Ruben Fernandez at Honda HRC, in what will be his debut in the MXGP class. Maxime Renaux will be the other French former World Champion in the mix, and he stays with the Monster Energy Yamaha team, with whom he won his 2021 MX2 title.
Former MX2 Champions Kay de Wolf, Andrea Adamo and Pauls Jonass return with Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, and Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP, respectively. De Wolf and Adamo will be making their MXGP debuts with the benefit of many months of practice since the end of last year’s MX2 Championship, in which they both scored multiple GP wins and came home second and third in the series, respectively.
The man who denied them both, Simon Laengenfelder, returns to defend his crown with the number-one plate for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, although he makes the shift to the KTM Austria team instead of Davide De Carli’s Italian-based squad. He will contend with GP winners Liam Everts and Sacha Coenen, who both stay with their previous factory Husqvarna and KTM outfits.
Other major movements include Calvin Vlaanderen and Andrea Bonacorsi joining Jeremy Seewer at Ducati Factory Racing MXGP, now run by Louis Vosters. Fantic Factory Racing MXGP will now be run by Jacky Martens and the team will field Brent Van Doninck and Alberto Forato, while a third Italian manufacturer takes on Jago Geerts and MXGP rookie Rick Elzinga to MRT Racing Team Beta.
Another high-profile rookie in MXGP is Thibault Benistant, switching classes to join Kevin Horgmo on Team Honda Motoblouz SR Motul. Oriol Oliver also moves up with Gabriel SS24 KTM, while Mattia Guadagnini shifts to the Van Venrooy KTM Racing Team.
Young Frenchman Mathis Valin stays on with Kawasaki Racing Team MX2, while his successor as EMX250 Champion, Janis Reisulis, joins his brother Karlis on the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 squad. His rival from 2025 and former EMX125 Champion, Noel Zanocz, makes his GP debut for Van Venrooy KTM.
Triumph Factory Racing Team continues with Camden McLellan and Guillem Farres.
Ferruccio Zanchi will make his 250cc debut for the Beddini Racing Ducati Factory MX2 Team, bringing an eighth manufacturer to the MX2 class.
Other movements include Cas Valk joining TM Moto CRD Motosport and Marc-Antoine Rossi hoping for an injury-free season to show his potential for the new Maddii Racing Honda ABF Italia organization. Valerio Lata stays with Honda HRC as its lone MX2 rider.
Dutchman Scott Smulders returns to the OAT (Officially Approved Teams) list with the SixtySeven Racing Team, while his countryman, Kay Karssemakers, will line up for his first full year with the DRT Kawasaki team, which he moved to midseason in 2025. Czech team Osicka MX will also feature as an OAT in MX2 with Julius Mikula from the same country. CN
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