We’re 15 rounds into the 2026 MXGP World Championship season, with the final stretch now upon us as both the MXGP and MX2 titles head toward their conclusion. In this edition of Q&A, MotoOnline unpacks the series to date.

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Q: Is Jeffrey Herlings in the box seat to claim a third MXGP World Championship?

A: Firstly, it feels strange to say that the legendary Dutchman is chasing just a third premier class title after debuting in 2017 and remaining at the forefront of the division ever since. The major issue has been consistency, which once again came close to derailing his championship prospects this season, with moto DNFs in both Germany and Latvia. At those rounds, championship rival Lucas Coenen went 1-1-1-1 to deliver a significant blow to the 31-year-old, before injury struck the young Belgian in Great Britain and dramatically altered the championship landscape. As it stands, Herlings holds a commanding 116-point lead over Romain Febvre in second, but as we know, it’s never over until it’s over. He will need to remain focused across the next four rounds if he is to secure a third MXGP crown – and his first with Honda HRC Petronas.

Q: What’s the story with the Coenen twins?

A: Around the middle stages of the season, Belgian twins Lucas and Sacha Coenen’s stocks were through the roof, with both holding the points lead and momentum in the MXGP and MX2 championships, respectively, alongside convincing Pro Motocross cameos in America. A broken collarbone at Southwick impacted Sacha’s MX2 charge, with the 19-year-old since salvaging valuable points while racing through injury. Lucas, meanwhile, saw his title hopes dealt a major blow following a qualifying crash and hip injury at the MXGP of Great Britain. He continues to recover after missing the previous two GPs entirely, while Sacha is returning to form. A 1-1 performance at Uddevalla saw him reduce the deficit to MX2 leader Guillem Farres to just 24 points. With 240 points still available across the final four rounds, Sacha remains firmly in the mix to claim a career-first MX2 championship.

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Q: Can Guillem Farres claim a maiden MX2 title with Triumph?

A: He certainly can! What the Triumph Factory Racing rider needs to be mindful of, however, is maintaining both confidence and momentum, with the next round in the Netherlands crucial to regaining the upper hand over Coenen. Farres salvaged a pivotal fourth overall – and escaped injury – in what was a bruising MXGP of Sweden, representing a strong result given the circumstances and how differently the weekend could have unfolded. This is his final opportunity to claim the MX2 world championship before he ages out of the class next season, and to progress from one podium finish last year to world champion this season would be a significant step for both he and the team. Given his form so far, though, it remains well within reach.

Q: Form check on the primary MXGP rookies – Kay de Wolf, Andrea Adamo, and Tom Vialle?

A: Their form has been relatively typical, with all three riders showing strong speed and each achieving podium results, while consistency has seen Adamo emerge as the highest-ranked of the trio in sixth. Vialle and de Wolf may have demonstrated greater outright speed than the Italian at times, but both have missed rounds through injury. Vialle sits seventh overall with four podiums and one victory, while de Wolf is ninth in the standings with three podium results. Overall, it reads positively and provides an insight into what the future of the MXGP class could look like once its established veterans eventually call time on their decorated careers.

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Q: What is the rating of both Romain Febvre’s and Simon Laengenfelder’s title defense in 2026?

A: It has been average, really, with Febvre second in the MXGP standings and Laengenfelder fourth overall in MX2. Neither result is disastrous by any means, but both have fallen short of last year’s success, which each rider would have been hoping to replicate in 2026. Febvre is yet to claim a moto win – let alone an overall – this season, largely overshadowed by the Herlings/Coenen combination at the front of the field. Laengenfelder, meanwhile, opened the year with 1-2-1-1 results across the opening four rounds before struggling to replicate that form as the season progressed. So, while it certainly hasn’t been a complete disaster for either rider, it’s fair to assume that both – along with their teams – would have been targeting more from the 2026 season.

Q: Almost one season in the books with Tim Gajser and Monster Energy Yamaha, what are the takeaways after 15 rounds?

A: Five-time world champion Tim Gajser was one of the major movers during the 2025 off-season, departing Honda HRC for Monster Energy Yamaha in one of the biggest shake-ups in the paddock. His switch was rivalled in scale by Jeffrey Herlings’ move to Honda, and comparatively, Herlings’ transition to Gajser’s former team has proven substantially more successful. ‘Tiga’ has claimed two moto wins this season but is yet to score an overall victory, leaving him a distant third in the world championship standings. While he made a complete overhaul heading into 2026, it’s fair to assume that both Gajser and the team would have been targeting more at this point in the season.