PETRONAS Lubricants International (PLI) has been announced as the sponsor of Honda HRC’s MXGP team, where Ruben Fernandez, Tom Vialle, Jeffrey Herlings (all MXGP) and Valerio Lata (MX2) will look to add to the incredible heritage of the team when they line-up for the 2026 Motocross World Championships.
Words | Press release
It’s been a busy off-season for everyone involved with the team, integrating the new riders onto unfamiliar machinery, as well as working with new sponsors to make sure everything is ready for another gruelling 20-round series spanning to the globe. Starting off the season in Argentina, ending in Australia and visiting numerous European nations as well as a revisit to South Africa in between, all four riders know that speed and consistency will be key if they want to have a rewarding 2026 campaign.
Ruben Fernandez #70:
«I’ve had a really good preseason and I’m really excited to get down to Argentina and start this campaign. Obviously the first two rounds are in Spanish-speaking countries so that’s always a nice boost, so I’m confident that I can start off strongly and just keep that going. Last year I was consistent, but not on the podium as much as I would have liked, so now the goal is to just really aim for the top three and make another step forward.»
Tom Vialle #16:
Coming back to Europe has been a change, but not a massive one, so I think I have got back into things over here quickly. The bike is of course completely different, but I’ve been riding it since November and we done a lot of work and got things to a level that I’m happy with. However, testing and training is a lot different than racing GPs, so that will be the real test, but I’m confident in my ability and I feel ready to get back in the series and really show everyone what I’m capable of on the bigger bikes.
Jeffrey Herlings #84:
It’s definitely been a hectic preseason so far, just learning the new bike, learning the team and just trying to get myself ready for the season ahead. I’ve done a lot of training since January 1, and we’ve made a lot of steps to get the bike where I want it, but we will keep working and testing and just make sure that I’m as ready as possible for Argentina. It has been a lot of changes, but so far, I am enjoying the challenge and the motivation is high coming into round one.
Valerio Lata #18:
I’m feeling fit and healthy, and excited to start the season. Last year was a tough year, and a steep learning curve to be able to race all the rounds but I feel like I have made a lot of improvements and I think I am much better prepared to race 20 races around the world. I have been riding with the other guys a few times and I think it is really helpful to see how they do things as they are a lot more experienced than me. Overall, I am very happy with how things have gone and I am really looking forward to Argentina.
PETRONAS HONDA HRC 2026
