News 2026 MXGP of China: Herlings' Dominance Continues, McLellan Keeps Things Exciting in MX2

The eighteenth and penultimate round of the 2026 FIM Motocross World Championship took place at the Shanghai International Off-Road Circuit for the Chinese Grand Prix. Amid stifling heat and extreme humidity, the riders were pushed to their limits. While the MXGP title has already been clinched by Jeffrey Herlings, the MX2 class delivered a nail-biting spectacle where the suspense for the world championship remains intact ahead of the final round in Australia.

MXGP: 124th Career Victory for “The Bullet”

Nothing seems capable of stopping Jeffrey Herlings’ momentum. The Dutch rider from the Honda HRC Petronas team posted another flawless performance by winning both Sunday races. Including practice and qualifying sessions, Herlings has extended his unbeaten streak to 38 consecutive sessions at the top of the timesheets. This impressive consistency has earned him his 12th Grand Prix win of the season, bringing his personal record to 124 GP victories and 235 race wins.

Race 1: Herlings Holds Strong Despite Febvre’s Charge

Right from the start of the first race, Tom Vialle (Honda HRC Petronas) showcased his agility at the start by securing his 10th Fox Holeshot of the season. But Jeffrey Herlings gave him no respite: slipping inside as early as the second turn, the Dutchman took the lead before setting the fastest lap of the race (Acerbis Fastest Lap).

Behind him, Romain Febvre (Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP) faced a turbulent start to the race after a mistake in the third turn dropped him to fifth place. The rider from the Vosges quickly began a sharp comeback, successively passing Jeremy Seewer (Venrooy KTM), Jan Pancar (TEM JP253 KTM), and Andrea Adamo (Red Bull KTM). On the 14th lap, Febvre capitalized on a mistake by Tom Vialle in a hairpin turn to take second place. Herlings ultimately won the race, finishing 8 seconds ahead of Febvre and Vialle. Jan Pancar, meanwhile, secured a solid 4th-place finish, his best result in MXGP in over a year.

Race 2: Febvre Comes Close to a Major Upset

The second race began with a nail-biting holeshot duel between the two Honda teammates, with Herlings edging out Vialle by a few millimeters. Romain Febvre quickly settled in right behind them. Riding more aggressively, the Kawasaki rider found an opening past Vialle on the 8th lap to set off in pursuit of the leader.

In the final laps, Febvre stepped up the pace, closing the gap to less than a second behind Herlings. Just as he was putting maximum pressure on the world champion, the Frenchman had a massive scare on a jump, losing his balance in a rut on the landing. After catching up to his bike at the last moment, Febvre opted to secure second place, earning the 101st podium finish of his career. Tom Vialle finished third in the race and overall, allowing him to take a one-point lead over Andrea Adamo in the battle for fourth place in the championship and the title of best rookie.

The Story of the First Chinese Manufacturer in MXGP

This Chinese GP also marked a symbolic milestone. As we mentioned last week during the official announcement of Kove and ZXMoto’s entry into the world championship starting in 2027, local manufacturers are gaining momentum. This weekend, German rider Brian Hsu made history by racing the very first Chinese machine in the premier MXGP class: a 350cc bike from the JHL Factory Racing team, finishing 12th overall (11-12).

Statements from MXGP riders:

Jeffrey Herlings (1st): I struggled a bit with the humidity in both heats; I was sweating a lot and my goggles kept fogging up. That’s why I pushed hard at the start to open up a gap. Romain rode very well; it was one of his best races this year. The Honda HRC Petronas team is doing a fantastic job with the starts and the bike. I can’t wait to get to Australia.

Romain Febvre (2nd): On the last lap, I wasn’t far behind Jeffrey, but on a jump, I hit a rut and the bike went sideways. I hadn’t made a single mistake all weekend—that one really scared me, so I decided to play it safe. It’s easier when you start up front with the leaders. I felt good despite the heat.

Tom Vialle (3rd): I bit my tongue pretty hard during a minor crash in the warm-up; I had to get stitches. It was hard to eat today; I ran out of energy in the second race after 15 minutes. Still, it’s nice to be on the podium.

Stat Focus: The Legend Jeffrey Herlings in Numbers

• 124 Grand Prix wins: The all-time record in the history of the MXGP/MX2 World Championship.
• 235 race wins: A staggering total at the highest level.
• 12th Grand Prix win of the 2026 season.
• 38 consecutive sessions in the lead: Combining practice, qualifying, and Sunday races, Herlings hasn’t left the top of the timesheets for several rounds now.

MX2: Camden McLellan Delays Guillem Farres’ Title Celebration

In MX2, the world title could have been decided this Sunday. But Camden McLellan (Triumph Racing Factory Team) had other plans. The South African delivered a heroic performance to claim his fourth GP victory of the season.

Race 1: McLellan’s Fantastic Comeback

Simon Längenfelder (Red Bull KTM) took the holeshot ahead of Sacha Coenen. While Julius Mikula crashed heavily on the first lap (narrowly avoiding taking McLellan down with him), Guillem Farres moved into third place.

For more than 20 minutes, the positions remained unchanged before the final showdown. With 10 minutes remaining, Farres and McLellan overtook Sacha Coenen. Building on that momentum, McLellan passed his own teammate Farres on the 14th lap, before closing in on Längenfelder with three laps to go to take the lead. On the final lap, Farres made a mistake in the last turn, handing third place to Liam Everts (Husqvarna). McLellan claimed the win in commanding fashion.

Race 2: Farres Takes a Step Toward the Title

At the start of the second race, Längenfelder claimed his second holeshot of the day ahead of Farres, Everts, and McLellan. A dramatic turn of events occurred on the very first lap: Sacha Coenen crashed hard in the wave section and retired, definitively dashing the KTM team’s title hopes and ensuring that a Triumph rider would be crowned champion in 2026.

Guillem Farres quickly took the lead by pinning Längenfelder against the barriers. Längenfelder then plummeted down the standings—whether due to overheating or a technical issue—sliding all the way to 8th place. McLellan once again gave it his all to fight his way back to the front of the pack. In a nail-biting final lap, Farres, McLellan, and Everts were bunched together within less than two seconds! Farres held on to win by one second over his teammate.

In the overall GP standings, McLellan took the title (1-2) ahead of Farres (4-1) and Everts (3-3). Triumph thus secured its fourth 1-2 finish of the season and its 10th GP victory. In the championship standings, Farres maintains a comfortable 48-point lead over McLellan and could be crowned champion as early as Saturday’s qualifying race at the final round in Australia.

MX2 Rider Quotes:

Camden McLellan (1st): The plan was to keep the title race going until Australia. I’m very happy with my riding because I’m far from 100%. I didn’t get the best starts, but I was able to find good lines to make up ground. In the second race, I gave it everything I had at the end, but I was just a tiny bit short on time.

Guillem Farres (2nd): This is a difficult track for me. In the first race, I got off to a bad start and crashed before the finish. In the second race, I wanted to pass Simon quickly so I could ride at my own pace without taking any risks. With a 48-point lead, I’m in a good position heading into the final.

Liam Everts (3rd): It’s always a mental challenge to come here, where I nearly ended my career two years ago. I felt good this Sunday. Two third-place finishes and a podium—that’s very positive heading into the end of the season.

Behind the Scenes in the Paddock: Medical Center, Transfers, and the 2027 Season

Off the track, the Shanghai paddock was the scene of numerous discussions regarding the end of the season and the transfer market:

• Season End Confirmed for Tim Gajser and Andrea Bonacorsi: Absent from the race in China, five-time world champion Tim Gajser (Yamaha) and Andrea Bonacorsi will not return to racing for the final round in Australia. Gajser, still hampered by recurring injuries this season, prefers to focus on his recovery to prepare for 2027.
• KTM/Husqvarna injury list: Lucas Coenen and Kay de Wolf were also absent this weekend. Tom Vialle’s excellent result allowed him to overtake Coenen in the overall standings and move into 4th place in the MXGP.
• 2027 Transfers: Rumors are intensifying regarding the restructuring of factory teams. The confirmed arrival of Chinese manufacturers (Kove, ZXMoto, JHL) is reshuffling the deck for satellite riders and piquing the curiosity of riders looking for a change.

Results and Standings for the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix

MXGP Overall Standings (Shanghai)

1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, Honda) 50 pts
2. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki) 44 pts
3. Tom Vialle (FRA, Honda) 40 pts
4. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Ducati) 33 pts
5. Pauls Jonass (LAT, Kawasaki) 32 pts
6. Jan Pancar (SLO, KTM) 32 pts
7. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM) 27 pts
8. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, KTM) 27 pts
9. Jago Geerts (BEL, Beta) 25 pts
10. Dylan Walsh (NZL, KTM) 22 pts

Provisional MXGP World Championship Standings

Position	No.	Rider	Team	Make	Points	Wins	Podiums
1	84	Jeffrey Herlings	KNMV	Honda	915	29	44
2	1	Romain Febvre	FFM	Kawasaki	752	1	26
3	243	Tim Gajser	AMZS	Yamaha	659	3	20
4	16	Tom Vialle	FFM	Honda	593	2	18
5	80	Andrea Adamo	FMI	KTM	592	0	6
6	5	Lucas Coenen	FMB	KTM	566	18	27
7	70	Ruben Fernández	RFME	Honda	523	1	4
8	959	Maxime Renaux	FFM	Yamaha	449	0	3
9	74	Kay De Wolf	KNMV	Husqvarna	428	0	11
10	41	Pauls Jonass	LAMSF	Kawasaki	400	0	2

MX2 Overall Standings (Shanghai)

1. Camden McLellan (RSA, Triumph) 47 pts
2. Guillem Farres (ESP, Triumph) 43 pts
3. Liam Everts (BEL, Husqvarna) 40 pts
4. Simon Längenfelder (GER, KTM) 35 pts
5. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha) 32 pts
6. Kay Karssemakers (NED, Kawasaki) 31 pts
7. Byron Dennis (AUS, KTM) 27 pts
8. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha) 25 pts
9. Ferruccio Zanchi (ITA, Ducati) 23 pts
10. Maxime Grau (FRA, Honda) 23 pts

Provisional MX2 World Championship Standings

Position	No.	Rider	Team	Make	Points	Wins	Podiums
1	99	Guillem Farres	RFME	Triumph	864	17	35
2	8	Camden Mc Lellan	KNMV	Triumph	811	8	31
3	19	Sacha Coenen	FMB	KTM	775	14	27
4	1	Simon Langenfelder	DMSB	KTM	767	9	30
5	26	Liam Everts	FMB	Husqvarna	742	3	20
6	772	Janis Martin Reisulis	LAMSF	Yamaha	644	0	6
7	47	Karlis Alberts Reisulis	LAMSF	Yamaha	528	0	2
8	18	Valerio Lata	IMF	Honda	414	0	2
9	20	Julius Mikula	ACCR	KTM	401	0	0
10	33	Kay Karssemakers	KNMV	Kawasaki	355	0	0

See you next weekend for the final round of the 2026 season at the MXGP of Australia in Darwin, where the MX2 title will be decided once and for all!

Information and photo credits: mxgp.com