The 2026 MXGP World Championship season marks a significant chapter in the career of Tom Vialle, with the 25-year-old Frenchman set to make his premier class debut with Honda HRC Petronas following three seasons – and consecutive 250SX East titles – in the United States. In this Check In feature, Vialle speaks about his European return and shares his initial impressions on the factory CRF450R.

Image: Supplied.

Tom Vialle, you’ve returned from America to join the Honda HRC team this year for the first time in the MXGP class. How has that transition been? Obviously, you were in Europe before, but what’s it been like being back in Europe, and how have you adapted so far?

Yeah, it’s been nice actually. I’ve been three years in the US and then I was four years before that here in Europe. It’s my first 450 season, so the winter so far has been pretty good. The goal is to obviously, in the next year, to be as successful as I was in the 250 class, so yeah I’m trying to work as hard as I can to get there, but there are still a lot of things to learn on the 450. So yeah, the goal is to work hard and get there as soon as possible.

Another world championship would put you with three world titles, something that no Frenchman has been able to do in the major classes outside Yves Demaria in MX3. Is this something that’s a goal of yours, or how do you feel about becoming possibly the most successful French world champion?

I actually didn’t know that, but now it will be obviously my dream and my goal for the next years. This is my first year in the 450 class, so I have a lot to learn. It’s also a new bike, a new team for me, so a lot to learn, but hopefully we can achieve it, and as you said, that would be awesome if we can do it.

You had tremendous success in your 250 career with championships in America and in Europe, of course. Now you’re making the step up to the 450 class. What do you set as your expectations for this year, and what would be a successful year?

It’s hard to say. I’ve just done my first race in Mantova – my first 450 race – so it’s hard to say. GPs and the pre-season races are always quite a big difference, but try to build step by step during the season. Of course, the first step is to be on the podium and try to fight for [the] win if we can, that’s the goal and to be as consistent as possible. It’s a long season, we have almost 20 GPs, so a lot can happen and we try to be there every weekend, that’s my goal and try to be better and build through the season and see. I can’t really say my expectation because I haven’t raced a GP in the 450 class, so we will see after Argentina where we are, and then we try to improve for the next races and be better during the season.

Image: Supplied.

After several seasons in the US, what do you think is going to be the most difficult thing to adapt to being back in Europe again?

I think the bike. This is a new class, like I’ve said, for me, so getting used to the power of the 450, racing new guys that I’ve never raced before. So there are a lot of new things that I need to get used to. But also the tracks, I mean, we all know the tracks in the US and in Europe are a little bit different. The good thing is I know the tracks [here], but I have to get a little bit back in the rhythm and get to know the type of tracks. It’s a long weekend in MXGP, we have two days of racing, so a couple of things that I have to adapt again. But I’m sure it will be quick, and I did four seasons here in Europe in the 250 class, so I know how the system and the race weekend goes so it will be quick to adapt again.

Chase Sexton says he’s very excited to watch the GPs this year because you’re in it. You obviously had a very good relationship, but he says he wants to race you in Ernee [at MXoN]… Would you be excited for that, and are you looking forward to potentially being part of Team France?

Yeah, I mean, we all know the Nations is always a big race, especially in France in Ernee. I was there in 2023, and we won the race, so that was one of the best weekends of my life. It was really a crazy weekend with so many fans, so hopefully this year I can be able to race. Of course, it is Team France who decides the selection of the rider, and it would be nice to ride against Chase finally. I was in the US in the 250 class, he was always in the 450 class, so we’ve been training a lot together for the last two years, but yeah, if I’m selected to do the Motocross of Nations (MXoN), it would be nice to race against him.