Honda HRC will have a brand-new MX2 contingent for 2027 as Maxime Grau and Julius Mikula join the team, in what is an exciting change for the upcoming campaign.
Both riders are 20 years old, but have taken vastly different paths to this latest chapter of their careers – pitting underneath the Honda HRC awning.
. Grau stormed onto the EMX scene and actually experienced a factory setup due to his rapid speed which included four EMX250 podiums. However, unfortunate injuries meant he had to take a couple of steps back, before getting the chance to ride for Maddii Racing at the beginning of this year, putting in a number of solid results on-board their Honda CRF250R and showing the pace and determination that convinced Honda HRC to sign him for their revamped 250 programme.
Finishing the 2026 MX2 season in 11th place, the Frenchman will be hoping that full pre-season this time around will see him challenge much closer to the front of class in 2027.
Maxime Grau #83: «Riding for Honda HRC is an amazing opportunity, and I’m really proud of it. I’ve worked hard to get here, so I really want to make the most of this opportunity and give it my all. A lot of people have followed me since I started racing at a very young age. Today, I want to make the most of this opportunity with Honda HRC. I’d like to thank the Maddii Racing team for believing in me at the beginning of this year, because without their support, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Now, I want to keep this momentum going, and I’m really excited to race for Honda HRC!»
Czech rider Mikula, will also be hoping to regularly mix it up with the front-runners of the MX2 class next year, after a breakout 2026 which saw him finish ninth in the championship, with a number of impressive rides. The fourth overall in Trentino was his best result, but it was his good starts and style on the bike that also caught the eye and he’ll be hoping that the transition into Honda HRC goes seamlessly so he can continue this upward trend.
As he hasn’t ridden a Honda CRF250 before in his career, Mikula will be working hard from now until the first GP to get to grips with everything and make sure that by the time February 27-28 comes around, he is fully up to speed.
Julius Mikula #20: «It is a real honour to be riding for Honda HRC and just being part of such an amazing team. When you see them in the paddock, you can see how professional they are, and it feels amazing that they are now putting their faith in me. While I know that my results this year is what got me noticed, I also know that the real work begins now, because the Honda CRF250R is a brand-new bike for me and it is also a whole new team environment to get used to. I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself, but I really want to work hard this off-season so I can be as prepared as possible for 2027.»
