Blue skies, sunshine, an incredible atmosphere, and blisteringly fast racing! You wouldn’t believe that the MXGP of South Africa was held in the height of the southern hemisphere winter as the eleventh round of the 2026 FIM World Motocross Championships set the Terra Topia MX track alight on the northern edge of Johannesburg. South Africa’s biggest city provided a stunning backdrop to the world class racing as the MXGP elite battled around one of the most popular new circuits in recent times!
With superb track preparation to combat the bright sunshine and mild breeze that worked to dry the circuit out, the venue was in perfect condition and buzzing with fans eager to end the 18-year wait that this country has had for a Motocross Grand Prix. The racing more than met their expectations, with the riders pushing their bikes as hard as they could to combat the drop in power due to the 1,400m (4,600 ft) altitude in this part of the world.
After taking second overall in each of the last two GPs, Lucas Coenen completed a perfect weekend for himself and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, sweeping both races after making great starts and hitting the front early each time! Jeffrey Herlings did all he could to chase the talented teenager down, and wasn’t far away in either race as he took second overall for Honda HRC Petronas, while Romain Febvre claimed two third places to take that spot overall. They are also the top three in the Championship as we head into a week’s break.
The MX2 World Championship is getting closer at the top as Triumph Racing Factory Team rider Guillem Farres scored a perfect Sunday for the second straight weekend! Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s reigning World Champion Simon Längenfelder put a halt to his podium drought with a solid second overall to strengthen his hold on third in the Championship, while star rookie Janis Reisulis took his second straight podium result for Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 with third overall.
With top five results also achieved by South African riders Calvin Vlaanderen for the Red Bull Ducati Factory MXGP Team and Camden McLellan for the Triumph Racing Factory Team, the crowd went home happy after the first MXGP event in the country for 18 years! With near-universal acclaim for the circuit and facilities, the future looks bright for MXGP in South Africa!
