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Honda HRC has confirmed an entirely new MX2 World Championship line-up for 2027, signing Frenchman Maxime Grau and Czech contender Julius Mikula to its factory program.

Both aged 20, the pair will join the Japanese manufacturer’s revamped MX2 effort aboard the CRF250R, with Honda targeting further progress in the 250 category.

Grau steps up from the Honda-supported Maddii Racing operation following an encouraging 2026 campaign, finishing 11th in the MX2 standings. His form this season has secured a promotion to HRC, where he will benefit from familiarity with the manufacturer and its machinery.

“Riding for Honda HRC is an amazing opportunity and I’m really proud of it,” Grau commented. “I’ve worked hard to get here, so I really want to make the most of this opportunity and give it my all. A lot of people have followed me since I started racing at a very young age.

“Today, I want to make the most of this opportunity with Honda HRC. I’d like to thank the Maddii Racing team for believing in me at the beginning of this year, because without their support, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Now, I want to keep this momentum going, and I’m really excited to race for Honda HRC!”

Meanwhile, Mikula arrives following a breakout season that saw him finish ninth in the MX2 championship, highlighted by a career-best fourth overall at Trentino. The Czech rider faces a greater adjustment as he transitions to CRF machinery for the first time, with pre-season preparations planned ahead of the opening round in late February.

“It is a real honour to be riding for Honda HRC and just being part of such an amazing team,” Mikula said. “When you see them in the paddock, you can see how professional they are, and it feels amazing that they are now putting their faith in me. While I know that my results this year is what got me noticed, I also know that the real work begins now.

“The Honda CRF250R is a brand-new bike for me and it is also a whole new team environment to get used to. I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself, but I really want to work hard this off-season so I can be as prepared as possible for 2027.”

Honda HRC team manager Marcus Pereira de Freitas welcomed the new combination, expressing confidence in their potential: “I think it is an exciting time for the team to have these two youngsters joining our MX2 program.

“For Maxime, it is nice for him to progress from Maddii, because he has been around our team a little bit this year already and knows a lot of our members and the CRF250R machine, so hopefully he should be able to fit in easily and keep up the good work from this year.

“For Julius, it will be a bigger change from his previous setup, so we will be doing everything we can to make that transition as easy as possible. Both guys are young and hungry and I think there is a lot of potential for the pair to have successful seasons.”

Honda’s new arrivals replace outgoing Italian Valerio Lata, whose two-year stint with HRC ended prematurely following the Dutch GP in August. Lata has been linked to a switch to Red Bull KTM’s factory MX2 program for 2027 – potentially joining the De Carli organization – in a move that remains unconfirmed.

The MX2 pairing will join Honda HRC’s MXGP combination of reigning world champion Jeffrey Herlings and Tom Vialle, completing its four-rider factory line-up for 2027.