Image: Supplied.

SX Global has officially abandoned the 2026 World Supercross Championship (WSX) with immediate effect, ending the season after only a single round and leaving the future of the series reliant on a potential takeover that remains far from certain.

It has been confirmed that the remaining rounds of WSX this year won’t proceed, less than three weeks after the scheduled British Grand Prix in Birmingham was canceled amid an ongoing process to secure new investment.

It means August’s Canadian GP in Calgary – won by Rick Ware Racing duo Cooper Webb in SX1 and Max Anstie in SX2 – will stand as the sole event completed during what was initially announced as an ambitious six-round world championship season spanning five continents.

“World Supercross remains in advanced discussions with potential investors regarding the future of the series,” a statement issued by the championship confirmed. “While those discussions continue, the decision has been taken to conclude the current season.

“The decision has not been taken lightly. We continue to believe strongly in the series, its global potential and the opportunity to build on the foundations established to date. We remain optimistic that the ongoing discussions will reach a positive conclusion and provide a strong platform for the future of the championship.”

Planned events in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the Gold Coast in Australia and Christchurch, New Zealand, won’t proceed as part of the 2026 season, while this year’s South African event had remained without a confirmed date and venue from the outset.

Birmingham’s cancelation was the first major indication that the WSX championship’s immediate future was again in question, with SX Global revealing at the time that it was actively seeking substantial outside investment in a bid to stabilize the series.

The organization maintained that the investment process was progressing positively, describing the cancellation of the British GP as a short-term operational measure while discussions and due diligence continued. The subsequent decision to abandon the remainder of 2026 represents a considerably more significant development.

WSX entered this season under the ownership of BIA Sports Group, led by billionaire heir Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and Juan Sartori, which acquired SX Global ahead of the 2024 championship and embarked on a major reset of the international series.

It was at that time that Tom Burwell was appointed SX Global CEO and became central to its rebuild, describing the new direction as an opportunity to establish a more sustainable global championship following the turbulent opening years of World Supercross.

Burwell later took on broader responsibilities as CEO of BIA Sports Group and, earlier this year, became interim CEO of English football club Sunderland AFC – another major asset connected to Louis-Dreyfus.

Significantly, Sunderland announced this week that Burwell had departed his interim CEO position with immediate effect after five months, with Louis-Dreyfus assuming the role of executive chairman and taking responsibility for the club’s day-to-day operations.

Burwell’s wider status within BIA Sports Group and World Supercross hasn’t been formally clarified publicly at this time, although his departure from Sunderland comes amid the wider uncertainty surrounding the future ownership and financing of WSX.

WSX had entered 2026 with considerable momentum, initially announcing its largest schedule since the series was established in 2022. Instead, the fifth season of the championship has concluded after only its Calgary opener, leaving the future of the FIM-sanctioned series dependent upon the outcome of the investment process now underway.

Meanwhile, the championship’s licensed teams have remained notably quiet throughout the process, having navigated the uncertainty surrounding the series and its future largely behind closed doors. Further information on the future of World Supercross is expected if those investment discussions progress.

“World Supercross would like to thank its riders, teams, partners, venues, staff, fans and everyone who has supported the series throughout the 2026 season,” the statement concluded.