The 2026 MXGP World Championship is in the middle stages, with the title fights continuing to take shape across both MXGP and MX2 categories. After 11 rounds of racing, this Top 10 Feature highlights the topics to follow across the remainder of the season.

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1. Farres closes in on MX2 lead:
Triumph Factory Racing’s Guillem Farres has been nothing short of a revelation in 2026, elevating his status from a single podium last year – second overall in Germany – to three overall victories and a further four podium finishes this season. As a result, he sits just 14 points behind championship leader Sacha Coenen, and after back-to-back 1-1 scorecards in South Africa and Portugal, the momentum is firmly on his side.

2. The time is now for Laengenfelder:
Defending MX2 champion Simon Laengenfelder claimed a much-needed second overall at South Africa, snapping a seven-round podium drought in the process. Despite the Red Bull KTM rider’s recent struggles, he remains third in the championship standings, 56 points behind Coenen. It’s a sizeable deficit, although with eight rounds remaining, it’s not yet insurmountable. That said, the German cannot afford any further off weekends – he will need to be consistently at the front from here if he is to successfully defend his title.

3. Lucas Coenen inches away in MX1 title-picture:
It’s been aces so far for Belgian teenage sensation Lucas Coenen, who leads the MXGP standings by 68 points over Jeffrey Herlings. Granted, he was aided by Herlings’ double DNF due to technical issues, but a perfect 60-point haul in South Africa was a hammer blow to the rest of the field and reinforced that his championship advantage is no accident. Coenen is a special talent – the kind of rider who doesn’t come along very often – and at just 19 years of age is making a serious impact on both the MXGP World Championship and AMA Pro Motocross.

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4. Improvements for Ducati and Vlaanderen:
There have been challenges at the Red Bull Ducati Factory MXGP Team this year, highlighted by the early departure of experienced Swiss rider Jeremy Seewer after he was unable to replicate his 2025 form. Since then, however, the trajectory has been positive for Calvin Vlaanderen and the Desmo450 MX, with sixth overall in Italy followed by a season-best fourth overall in South Africa. It appears the factory Ducati program is beginning to find its footing under Louis Vosters’ Dutch organisation, which assumed operations from Maddii Racing ahead of the 2026 season.

5. Foxhills provides fresh MXGP challenge:
The MXGP of Great Britain returns to Foxhills this weekend, marking the venue’s first FIM Motocross World Championship event in 26 years. To put that into perspective, Joel Smets claimed the 500cc world title that year, Frederic Bolley secured the 250cc crown, and Grant Langston was the 125cc world champion. A lot has changed since then, with today’s generation of riders set to face a fresh challenge as the iconic English circuit returns to the calendar.

6. Winning a must for Herlings and Honda HRC Petronas:
At 68 points behind, Jeffrey Herlings and Honda HRC Petronas are effectively in a must-win situation if they are to be crowned world champions in 2026. His double DNF due to technical issues dealt a major blow to the campaign, made all the more costly by the fact that Coenen won on both occasions. At this stage, all the Dutchman can do is keep winning – or, at the very least, finish ahead of the number five.

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7. A so-so start for Gajser and Yamaha partnership:
It’s been a mediocre start to five-time world champion Tim Gajser and Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s partnership, with the Slovenian sitting fourth in the championship standings with three podium finishes after 11 rounds. In contrast to Jeffrey Herlings’ switch to Honda, the move has yet to meet expectations for a rider of Gajser’s calibre, with both he and the team searching for stronger performances across the remainder of the season.

8. Guillen targets gold in WMX series:
20-year-old Spaniard Daniela Guillen is targeting a maiden FIM Women’s world championship, having finished third in last year’s series after runner-up honours in 2024. Defending two-time champion Lotte van Drunen has slipped down the standings after a string of setbacks derailed her title defence, although Guillen faces strong competition from six-time world champion Kiara Fontanesi, who sits just six points off the lead. With three rounds remaining – beginning at Foxhills this weekend – the WMX title fight is one to watch.

9. Second-half rebound needed for Vialle:
Tom Vialle’s MXGP return started brightly, highlighted by an overall victory at the MXGP of Switzerland, before an injury sustained in France interrupted his momentum. The Frenchman has since returned with 12th overall finishes in both Portugal and South Africa, showing flashes of speed while continuing to search for consistency. That’s to be expected from a class newcomer, with Vialle and the team focused on building momentum across the remainder of the season.

10. MX2 rookie Janis Reisulis gains form:
Back-to-back podium finishes for Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s Janis Reisulis are beginning to showcase the talent that carried him to last year’s EMX250 title. Ranked sixth in the MX2 standings, the Latvian’s rookie campaign has been highly encouraging – he’s finished every round, established himself as a consistent front-runner, and still appears to have plenty of untapped potential this early in his career.