The MXGP of China hosted the penultimate round of the 2026 world championship season, with the Shanghai venue providing an action-packed weekend of competition ahead of the series finale. Revisit the action through our Captured feature, highlighting the defining moments from the weekend in illustrated form.

It was a top-10 weekend for Pauls Jonass [fifth], Jeremy Seewer [eighth] and Jago Geerts [ninth] in China – solid results for the trio that will no doubt provide a shot of confidence during the late-season swing.

And talking about a strong weekend, Red Bull Ducati’s Calvin Vlaanderen returned to form in China via a P4 result in the MXGP division. It hasn’t always been pretty throughout 2026 for the South African, although results such as Shanghai really show that when he and his Desmo 450MX are inside the window, they can be right at the pointy end.

Just like that, neither Coenen will be crowned world champion in 2026, and with their upcoming American transfer, both Lucas and Sacha will exit Europe without a professional title to their name. Shanghai was another weekend of inconsistency for Sacha, who finished a close second in Saturday’s qualification race [much to his dismay], before posting 5-DNF scores on Sunday. Consequently, he’s now ruled out of the MX2 title chase.

The Jeffrey Herlings show rolls on, with the Dutchman executing a perfect weekend in Shanghai.

Liam Everts scored his fourth consecutive MX2 podium finish in China via a 3-3 scorecard, continuing his uptick in performance throughout the second half of 2026.

The MX2 world championship now belongs to Triumph Factory Racing! The question is, which rider will walk away with the number one plate once the MXGP of Australia concludes? Camden McLellan claimed victory in China, remaining relentless in his pressure on teammate Guillem Farres. The Spaniard still holds a sizable 48-point lead, with 60 points on the table in Darwin.

After spending two months on the sidelines, Ferruccio Zanchi returned to score ninth overall at round 18, which is a neat result for the Ducati Desmo250 MX and worth keeping track of as the Italian manufacturer continues to develop its quarter-liter challenger.

Romain Febvre scored his 10th podium of the 2026 season, with second overall in China a nice way to begin wrapping up his tenure with Kawasaki Racing Team.

It’s turning into a sneaky good season’s end for Dixon Racing Team’s Kay Karssemakers, as the Dutch talent has recorded 5-6 scores at Turkey and China. These are career-high results, with a podium finish not entirely out of reach given his form.

The Australian KTM Racing Team contingent were in action at the MXGP of China, with Byron Dennis [MX2] and Dylan Walsh [MXGP] making an impression across their respective classes. Dennis powered to seventh by way of 8-7 moto scores, while consistent 10-10 results for Walsh ended in 10th overall.