Image: Supplied.

Kawasaki Racing Team has extended Pauls Jonass with the factory effort for the 2027 MXGP World Championship, entering his third season with the team as KRT’s sole MXGP class rider.

The 29-year-old has delivered a strong second half to his 2026 MXGP season, finding the top five on five occasions and sitting ninth in the standings after recovering from a concussion sustained at the MXGP of Great Britain that forced him to miss two rounds.

A former MX2 world champion in 2017, Jonass has 12 Grand Prix victories to his name – 11 in MX2 and one in MXGP. He’s set to continue contributing to the development of the KX450-SR in 2027, fielded alongside the team’s MX2 riders Mathis Valin and Francisco Garcia.

“I am very happy to continue with Kawasaki and the Kawasaki Racing Team for 2027,” said Jonass. “I’m looking forward to working on the project for another year and keep building with the team. This year we made a good step forward in terms of my feel with the bike, and for the future I’m sure that we can make even bigger steps working in partnership with the Kawasaki factory.

“It’s always nice to stay working with the same people and keep progressing, and it’s good to have a strong base, as today the level in the MXGP class is so high. I sincerely appreciate the trust of Antti, Kimi, and everyone involved for believing in me. Now we can focus on making another step forward together in 2027.”

Jonass will also represent Latvia for the sixth time at the Motocross of Nations (MXoN) in Ernee, France, this weekend.

His continuation with KRT comes following Romain Febvre’s departure from the team, with the Frenchman transferring to the Red Bull Ducati Factory MXGP Team for the 2027 and 2028 seasons. Febvre will represent France alongside KRT MX2 teammate Valin at this weekend’s MXoN.

Kawasaki will therefore enter the 2027 MXGP World Championship with Jonass as its sole factory rider in the premier class, while Valin and Garcia spearhead its MX2 effort.