MXGP RACE 1: Herlings delivered first win in red
Jeffrey Herlings secured his 113th career Grand Prix victory and the first since joining Honda HRC Petronas. The five-time world champion had already shown strong pace on Saturday by topping both free practice and time practice, although a crash in the Qualifying Race left him without points.
On Sunday, however, the Dutchman delivered when it mattered. In Race 1 he passed teammate Tom Vialle with three laps remaining, before producing another late charge in Race 2, climbing from eighth place to overtake reigning champion Romain Febvre (Kawasaki KRT) near the end.
Febvre finished second overall with consistent 3-2 results, while Vialle — making both his HRC debut and his first MXGP appearance — completed the podium with a 2-4 score.
Thanks to his Qualifying Race win on Saturday, Vialle leaves the round tied on points with Herlings at the top of the standings, both with 50 points, while Febvre sits just two points behind.
Tim Gajser (Monster Energy Yamaha) improved throughout the weekend and secured fourth overall after finishing third in Race 2, ahead of Lucas Coenen (Red Bull KTM De Carli), who posted 6-4 results.
Rubén Fernández (Honda HRC Petronas) climbed through the field on Sunday to finish sixth overall (10-5), while Oriol Oliver (Gabriel SS24 KTM) completed his MXGP debut in 15th place. Argentina’s Joaquín Poli (Kawasaki) was the top Latin American rider in 19th.
MX2: Längenfelder goes 1-1
After a Saturday full of struggles that saw him leave without points, reigning MX2 World Champion Simon Längenfelder struck back in dominant fashion on Sunday, sweeping both motos to secure a perfect 1-1 and open the 2026 season in style.
Despite scoring nothing on Saturday, Längenfelder’s flawless Sunday was enough to secure the red plate as well.
The story unfolded very differently for Sacha Coenen. The Belgian topped every session on Saturday and finished second in Race 1, but his weekend unraveled in Race 2 after a heavy crash in the early laps forced him out of the moto.
Spaniard Guillem Farrés finished second overall with a consistent 3-4 scorecard, while Camden McLellan (Triumph Factory Racing) claimed third overall with 6-2, delivering a historic double podium for Triumph in the MX2 class.
Liam Everts (Nestaan Husqvarna) narrowly missed the podium. After recovering from a first-turn crash to finish seventh in Race 1, the Belgian led much of Race 2 before eventually dropping to third, leaving him fourth overall.
Rookie standout Janis Reisulis (Monster Energy Yamaha) completed the top five overall with 4-6 finishes after an impressive and combative weekend.
Saturday Recap
Saturday delivered plenty of storylines. Tom Vialle made an immediate impact by winning the MXGP Qualifying Race on both his MXGP debut and his first outing with Honda HRC. Lucas Coenen finished a close second, while Andrea Adamo completed the podium as the second rookie. Maxime Renaux and reigning world champion Romain Febvre rounded out the top five.
It was also the much-anticipated Honda debut for Jeffrey Herlings. The Dutchman looked strong early, setting the fastest lap in both Free Practice and Time Practice. However, his qualifying race ended early after a crash on the opening lap dropped him to the back, eventually recovering only to 13th and outside the points. He will be looking to bounce back in Sunday’s motos.
In MX2, the day offered another twist. Reigning world champion Simon Längenfelder failed to score after a first-turn crash left him down in 22nd place, which also determines his gate pick for Sunday’s races. Meanwhile, Sacha Coenen enjoyed a perfect Saturday, topping both practice sessions before sealing the Qualifying Race victory. Guillem Farrés and Mathis Valin followed him home to complete the top three.
SATURDAY HIGHLIGHTS
