MXGP of France: Race Results Qualy Races

The 2026 MXGP World Championship returned to action this Saturday at Lacapelle-Marival after a four-week break, delivering intense qualifying races in both MXGP and MX2. With track position proving crucial around the tight French layout, Jeffrey Herlings and Mathis Valin emerged victorious, while the championship battles tightened even further heading into Sunday’s main races.

MXGP – Herlings closes the gap

Jeffrey Herlings claimed his third Saturday victory of the season after inheriting the lead early on when teammate Tom Vialle crashed out of contention. Herlings controlled the race from the front ahead of Kay de Wolf and Lucas Coenen, with the latter charging through the field to finish only 0.075 seconds behind De Wolf at the flag.

The result significantly impacts the championship standings, as Herlings now sits just two points behind Coenen heading into Sunday. Maxime Renaux and Romain Febvre completed the top five after both passing Tim Gajser on the final lap.

MX2 – Valin ends Coenen’s streak

Mathis Valin delivered a major result on home soil by winning the MX2 qualifying race and ending Sacha Coenen’s run of five consecutive Saturday victories. Early race leader Guillem Farrés grabbed the holeshot and led the opening laps before crashing and dropping down the order, allowing Valin to take control ahead of Liam Everts and Janis Reisulis.

Despite the setback, Farrés recovered strongly to finish fourth, while Simon Längenfelder and Coenen both came through the pack after poor starts to finish sixth and seventh respectively. The championship situation remains extremely close, with Längenfelder now holding a narrow two-point advantage over Coenen, while Farrés and Everts are tied for third overall.

SATURDAY HIGHLIGHTS

QUALIFYING RACE RESULTS

TOP 20 MXGP QUALY RACE

TOP 20 MX2 QUALY RACE