With an all-new season of the MXGP World Championship taking off this weekend in Argentina, it’s shaping up to be one of the most intriguing on record when the gates drop for the opening round of 2026. In this Top 10 feature, MotoOnline shares our primary narratives to watch for at the opener at Bariloche.

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1. Yamaha switch of Gajser:
Five-time world champion Tim Gajser has shown early form as part of the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP team, taking a 1-1 performance at the Internazionali d’Italia Motocross in Mantova over the likes of Tom Vialle, Herlings, and Jago Geerts, to name a few. Read into these races and results as you like, although when the top riders do deliver victories against their competition, there has to be a small takeaway for both the rider and the team. We’ve got 19 rounds of world championship action this year, with Gajser onboard the YZ450F being a storyline that you’ll want to pay close attention to all year.

2. Herlings in form at Honda HRC Petronas:
Pre-season races are always important to take note of, as a lot of the GP’s top contenders compete at European events leading into the full MXGP series. This has been the case for Jeffrey Herlings and Honda HRC Petronas, with the duo taking their first win together at the Lierop international event in the Netherlands. What’s more, reigning champion Febvre was on track, with the pair splitting moto wins for Herlings to earn victory on a countback. ‘The Bullet’ has expressed that he doesn’t have a lot of chances left to challenge for world titles, explaining that he’ll need to hit the ground running in 2026 to make the most of the opportunity. Although they’re on an all-new package this year, carrying early form into Argentina has to be a confidence-booster.

3. Third MXGP crown targeted by Febvre:
Last year’s MXGP World Championship was a remarkable season for Kawasaki Racing Team’s Romain Febvre, who delivered a second premier class crown after a decade since earning his maiden title in 2015. The time in between was patchy, with the Frenchman having only found the overall podium on an additional two occasions in 2021 and 2023, further adding to the significance of last year’s return to the very top. He faced serious opposition from premier class rookie Lucas Coenen last year, while former champions Herlings and Gajser each missed extended time due to injury. This year sees all the main contenders healthy entering the opener, and a fascinating watch will be to see whether Febvre can successfully defend his title.

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4. Lucas Coenen eyes premier class title:
Last year’s revelation, Lucas Coenen, only has one position further to go in 2026, and thats an MXGP world championship. If it were to happen, it’d be pretty incredible – and with the Belgian’s desire to head Stateside, he’d indeed prefer to have accomplished top honours in Europe before making a transfer. He stood atop the podium a total of six times in 2025, as well as recording an additional eight podium finishes, with a climb to the P1 overall position all that is left to accomplish.

5. MX2 title defense:
Another rider set to defend a championship this year is Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Simon Laengenfelder, who claimed the 2025 MX2 crown after a season-long thriller against Kay de Wolf. The Dutchman has since departed the category as he makes an MXGP debut in 2026, leaving Laengenfelder as a pretty solid favourite, given last year’s third-placed finisher Andrea Adamo is also premier class-bound. Double MX2 titles would be a strong achievement for the 21-year-old, who is positioning himself as a rider to watch now and into the future.

6. Everts elevates to a title contender:
Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Liam Everts comes with a ton of hype – thanks in part to the rich Everts racing heritage – and in his fourth season in the MX2 division, it seems time for him to become a genuine championship challenger. The Belgian finished sixth in last year’s MX2 rankings, two places lower than the P4 he scored in both 2023 and 2024. He has five overall wins to his name so far, which shows that he can indeed run with the very best, but consistency will be key if he is to elevate to title-contender status this year.

7. Consistency required for Sacha Coenen:
Two seasons of MX2 competition have provided us with a highlight reel of Sacha Coenen, complete with a deep catalogue of holeshots, race-winning speed, and crashes on almost every obstacle motocross has to offer. The highly-rated 19-year-old must harness his ability this year, and channel the potential into more repeatable, solid race finishes. If he can do this, it’s undeniable that he will be a threat, so keep watch for the Belgian in 2026 to see what improvements he has made entering this year’s series and whether improved consistency can take him to the top of the quarter-litre points table by season’s end.

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8. MXGP newcomers:
A pair of riders to keep an eye on throughout the season is Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Adamo and Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Kay de Wolf. We’re starting to see a bit of a rookie versus veteran fight begin to emerge, with the above pairing combined with Lucas Coenen representing a shift in the tide when it comes to the 450 division. The more established riders will certainly have something to say about that, so watching the likes of Adamo and de Wolf up against the titans of the sport will be entertaining all season long.

9. Returning Vialle makes 450 debut:
The 25-year-old Frenchman Tom Vialle has a solid list of credentials to his name, including two MX2 world championships alongside consecutive 250SX East regional titles in the United States. All four championships were earned aboard a Red Bull KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, and what we have for this season is Vialle returning to Europe as well as piloting a Honda HRC Petronas CRF450R. Simply put, there is a lot of newness and change for Vialle in 2026, and it’ll be interesting to see how he adapts to his new environment and what a return to MXGP yields for the premier class newcomer.

10. Triumph and Ducati keep progressing:
The charge into the off-road market continues for both Triumph and Ducati, with the Triumph Factory Racing team fielding Camden McLellan and Guillem Farres on their TF 250-Xs this year after electing to delay its 450 entry for another term. The capable pairing delivered solid results last year, with McLellan listed in P5 overall and Farres achieving ninth, giving them a solid platform to build upon. As for Ducati, a three-rider roster on the Desmo450 MX sees Jeremy Seewer, Andrea Bonacorsi, and Calvin Vlaanderen spearhead the MXGP division as part of Louis Vosters’ Dutch-based operation. That’s a solid trio, who will no doubt feature towards the front of the field, meaning we’ll see a lot of Ducati red throughout the year. In addition, the all-new Desmo250 MX will make its world championship debut, as Simone Mancini fills in for the injured Ferruccio Zanchi at Beddini Racing Ducati Factory Team. There’s a lot to watch for across the two manufacturers, with 2026 an important chapter in their motocross history.