Romain Febvre concluded the 2026 MXGP World Championship as runner-up, bringing an end to a successful seven-year partnership with the Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP. The Frenchman will embark on a new challenge in 2027 after securing a move to Ducati’s factory MXGP project.
The reigning world champion was unable to defend his crown against a dominant Jeffrey Herlings, but consistency once again proved to be one of his greatest strengths. Febvre collected eleven overall podiums throughout the season, including second overall at the season-ending Australian Grand Prix, his final appearance in Kawasaki colors.
“I gave it everything and fought until the very end; it was close in China and also here, but Jeffrey was difficult to beat this year. It is never easy to defend a title, so I am proud to take the silver medal for the third time in my career. That’s not bad, and don’t forget that I am the oldest guy, nearly thirty-five years old; not many riders have achieved success at my age.”
“This was my last GP with Kawasaki after seven wonderful years, a successful story that we will celebrate tonight, but we still have the Motocross of Nations in two weeks. That race is always special and we have a good team with Tom and Mathis. It would be great to get a good result there for France and also for the team.”
Febvre joined Kawasaki in 2020 after leaving Yamaha and quickly established himself as one of the leading riders in MXGP. During his time with the Japanese manufacturer, he finished runner-up in 2021, 2023 and 2026, while reaching the pinnacle in 2025 by capturing his second MXGP World Championship, ten years after winning his first title in 2015.
Febvre’s Kawasaki Statistics (2020-2026)
- 116 Grands Prix
- 66 Podiums
- 13 GP Wins
- 1 MXGP World Title (2025)
- 3 MXGP Runner-Up Finishes (2021, 2023, 2026)
