French rider Benoit Paturel is set to return to the MXGP paddock from the Lacapelle-Marival Grand Prix onwards as a replacement rider for JK Yamaha.
Last season, Paturel took on a new challenge by moving to the United States to compete in the AMA Pro Motocross Championship with HEP Suzuki, the same structure with which Ken Roczen claimed the AMA Supercross title. It marked the Frenchman’s first full season in America, forcing him to quickly adapt to unfamiliar tracks, different race formats, and a highly competitive field. Despite the learning curve, he managed to finish 15th overall in the 450MX standings.
Heading into the 2026 season, Paturel had been searching for a new opportunity, either remaining in the United States or returning to the MXGP World Championship. That opportunity now appears to have arrived, as JK Yamaha has reportedly offered the experienced French rider a temporary replacement role, which he is believed to have accepted. While there has been no official confirmation yet, both Paturel’s name and the team already appear on the entry list for round six of the championship on May 23-24.
His first outing with the team is expected to come this weekend at the Italian Championship round in Fermo, where Paturel will debut aboard the JK Yamaha machinery before shifting his focus toward selected MXGP rounds.
At this stage, it remains unclear how long the agreement will last. The team is hopeful that Isak Gifting will be able to return to competition during the second half of the season after recently resuming cycling training. The target currently points toward a comeback at Montevarchi on June 21, although a return at Águeda the following weekend has also been mentioned as a possibility.
Much will depend on Gifting’s recovery timeline, but for Paturel the upcoming MXGP rounds could provide the perfect opportunity to remind the paddock of the speed and experience he brings at world championship level.
