Herlings closes to 11 points as Farres takes MX2 lead at Foxhills

2026 MXGP World Championship
Round 12 – MXGP of Great Britain
Foxhills – Swindon

Two weeks after Lucas Coenen and Guillem Farres swept their respective classes at the South African Grand Prix at Terra Topia, the MXGP World Championship reconvened at Foxhills for a British round that dramatically altered both title contests.

Farres repeated his South African 1-1 performance to wrest the MX2 red plate from Sacha Coenen, turning a 14-point deficit into an 11-point advantage. Jeffrey Herlings also swept both Sunday motos, while an injury sustained by Lucas Coenen during Saturday’s qualifying race prevented the Belgian from scoring a single point across the weekend.

Herlings consequently reduced what had been a 68-point deficit at the beginning of the round to just 11 points, leaving the two major World Championship classes with identical margins between first and second as seven rounds remain.

The support categories produced two more changes at the top of their respective standings. Kiara Fontanesi swept the WMX races to move two points clear of Daniela Guillen, while Ricardo Bauer’s perfect EMX125 weekend put the Austrian 31 points ahead of his injured teammate Moritz Ernecker.

Foxhills was hosting a Motocross Grand Prix for the first time since 2000, and its enormous climbs and descents proved every bit as imposing as its reputation suggested. Sustained summer heat left the heavily watered surface deeply rutted, polished and increasingly unforgiving, while spectators packed the natural amphitheatres surrounding the historic Wiltshire venue.

MXGP

MXGP Qualifying Race

Tim Gajser narrowly topped time practice ahead of Jeffrey Herlings, but it was Tom Vialle who fired his Honda into the lead when the MXGP qualifying gate dropped.

Vialle led teammate Ruben Fernandez through the opening turns, while Romain Febvre rapidly moved into second. The major early incident involved championship leader Lucas Coenen and Maxime Renaux, with Coenen losing control after contact on the landing from a jump and crashing heavily off the side of the circuit.

Coenen returned to the pits soon afterwards and failed to score a qualifying point for the first time this season. More importantly, the Belgian hurt his left leg in the incident and was left with the outside gate for Sunday’s motos.

Herlings also found himself on the ground after contact with Febvre near the foot of one of the major climbs. The Dutchman remounted near the rear of the field but produced a typically forceful recovery, climbing all the way back to fourth before the chequered flag.

Fernandez passed Vialle at the top of the final uphill on lap six and controlled the remainder of the race to claim his first qualifying victory of the season. Febvre eventually found a way past Vialle for second, while Herlings displaced Gajser on the final lap to complete a Honda sweep of three of the first four positions.

The seven points earned by Herlings reduced Coenen’s championship advantage from 68 to 61 ahead of Sunday. Alberto Forato was ruled out of the Grand Prix after sustaining a suspected shoulder injury in another qualifying crash.

Herlings sweeps Foxhills

The British Grand Prix could scarcely have produced a more dramatic change in the MXGP championship picture. Lucas Coenen began the weekend 68 points ahead of Jeffrey Herlings, but the injury sustained by the Belgian during Saturday qualifying prevented him from scoring across either Sunday moto.

Herlings made an ideal start to Race One and led the field through the first corner, with Tim Gajser settling immediately into second. Gajser matched the Dutchman’s pace through much of the race and remained close enough to apply pressure, but Herlings refused to offer an opening and won by 3.121 seconds.

Romain Febvre followed only 7.806 seconds behind the winner in third. Ruben Fernandez was the next rider home, albeit more than half a minute behind the leading trio, while Andrea Adamo completed the top five ahead of Maxime Renaux.

Tom Vialle had been running in podium contention before a late mistake dropped him to 14th. The result did not reflect his underlying pace, with Vialle recording the fastest lap of the race.

Coenen had started from the outside of the gate and charged toward the top ten on the opening lap, but his injured left leg made it impossible to maintain the required intensity. He withdrew during the early stages and was classified 29th.

Herlings produced another perfect launch in Race Two and once again controlled the race from the front. Febvre emerged as his principal challenger and set the fastest lap as he closed during the final stages, but Herlings held on to win by 1.299 seconds.

Gajser had initially run second before a small fall dropped him behind Febvre. The Slovenian recovered to finish third, with Fernandez again fourth and Adamo recording his second fifth-place result of the day.

Vialle rebounded to sixth ahead of Jeremy Seewer and Kevin Horgmo. Jan Pancar took 11th after finishing seventh in the opener, while Renaux recovered to 12th after becoming involved in a multi-rider incident on the opening lap.

Coenen attempted to contest the second moto but was again forced to retire in the opening laps. He left Foxhills without adding to the 566 points with which he had arrived.

Herlings’ 1-1 result secured his sixth Grand Prix victory of the season and the maximum 50 Sunday points. Combined with the seven points earned in qualifying, he gained 57 points on Coenen across the weekend and reduced the championship gap from 68 points to just 11.

Febvre’s 3-2 finishes earned second overall, with his superior Race Two result breaking a 42-point tie with Gajser. Fernandez finished fourth overall after going 4-4 and collected 46 points across the full weekend, including his qualifying victory.

Adamo took fifth overall with two fifth-place finishes, while Fernandez moved three points ahead of the Italian into sixth in the championship. Gajser remains fourth on 452 points, with Renaux fifth on 392.

Coenen retains the red plate on 566 points, but Herlings is now directly behind him on 555. Febvre remains within mathematical reach on 494, 72 points behind the leader, as the championship heads to Loket with seven rounds still to run.

Jeffrey Herlings – P1 (1-1)

It was a perfect day, winning both races and leading both races from the start. Getting the holeshots in both races made my life a lot easier, because even though I was able to pass a lot of guys in the qualification race, I think today it was harder, so I was able to choose the right lines and control the race. The championship is now a lot closer, but obviously I hope that Lucas recovers from his injury, because I know what it feels like to be leading a series and suffer an injury. I hope he can get better and we can battle like we have at some of the previous rounds and provide some good racing for the fans.

Romain Febvre – P2 (3-2)

“I’m feeling good at moment and we are building every weekend. The track was a little different each day; yesterday the dirt was deeper but it packed hard today so it was good for the race. The starts are coming now so I can run at the front with the other guys from the word go; there were some options for different lines today but it was still difficult to pass because we had similar speed. I still didn’t take a moto on race day yet but I’m trying to stay consistent, I’m feeling strong phyiscally, I’m getting closer to the win every week and I’m excited for the next races as I really like both Loket and Lommel.”

Tim Gajser – P3 (2-3)

“It’s good to be back on the podium. Yesterday was a difficult day, but today I felt much better right from the start. My speed was there all day and I was able to stay close to the front and put Jeffrey Herlings under pressure. In the first moto, I got a good start and finished second. The second moto was quite similar. I got another good start in second and was pushing hard while trying to stay close to Jeffrey, but I made a small mistake and lost a bit of ground. Even so, it was a positive day, and it’s great to be back on the podium. We’ll keep working and aim to be even stronger at the next round.”

Rubén Fernández – P4 (4-4)

“Overall, I am happy with the weekend because won the qualification race and that is always a massive boost. Then in the two motos, I wasn’t able to stick with the top three, but I was comfortably the next best, so I have to be happy with that, even if I would have liked to have stood on the podium. It was actually my best weekend points tally of the year, which is very encouraging and I’m healthy and motivated to keep this going in Loket next weekend.”

Andrea Adamo – P5 (5-5)

“A good weekend for me. I had two solid results. I’m happy with the speed. I crashed in the Quali race and I thought the chance to be in the top five had gone but I managed to take a good start and work my way up. I could follow the guys in front. It wasn’t easy but it’s necessary: to be as close as possible, to learn as much and possible and to avoid mistakes. Another good GP, and now we’ll go back to Belgium and train for a couple of days before Loket.”

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MX2

MX2 Qualifying Race

Guillem Farres and Camden McLellan set the pace in their Triumph team’s special British Racing Green colours, with Farres topping time practice by more than a second from Liam Everts and Simon Längenfelder.

Sacha Coenen was cleared to compete only six days after undergoing surgery to plate the collarbone he broke while racing at Southwick in the United States. The MX2 championship leader showed little hesitation when the gate dropped, taking another trademark holeshot despite the injury.

Farres passed Coenen before the end of the opening lap and quickly opened a margin at the front. Längenfelder, meanwhile, recovered from a start outside the top ten and worked his way through a tightly packed group containing McLellan, Everts and Coenen.

The reigning champion reached second on lap eight but appeared unlikely to catch Farres until the Spaniard lost the front in a left-hand rut on the final lap. Farres was briefly trapped beneath the Triumph, allowing Längenfelder to sweep through and take his second consecutive qualifying victory.

Farres recovered quickly enough to fend off McLellan on the final climb and salvage second, with Coenen resisting Everts for fourth. Janis Reisulis finished sixth ahead of Julius Mikula, Valerio Lata, Ferruccio Zanchi and Karlis Reisulis.

The result reduced Coenen’s championship lead over Farres to 12 points before the two Sunday motos.

Farres completes second straight sweep to claim MX2 points lead

Guillem Farres carried his speed from Saturday into the opening MX2 moto and established himself at the front, while Simon Längenfelder displaced Liam Everts from second near the top of one of Foxhills’ steep climbs.

Längenfelder gradually reduced Farres’ advantage and remained a threat until the chequered flag, but the Spaniard controlled the final laps and secured victory by 1.268 seconds. Farres also recorded the fastest lap of the race.

Everts held third comfortably, while Camden McLellan completed the top four for Triumph. Janis Reisulis took fifth ahead of Julius Mikula and Valerio Lata, with Karlis Reisulis, Jens Walvoort and Sacha Coenen completing the top ten.

Coenen had struggled away from the gate and then lost further ground in a small fall. Considering the Belgian had undergone collarbone surgery only six days earlier, reaching the finish and collecting 11 points was an achievement in itself, but it allowed Farres to take control of the championship contest.

Längenfelder grabbed the Race Two holeshot but tipped over at low speed during the opening stages, handing the lead to Farres. The German remounted in second and kept Farres under pressure, although passing opportunities became increasingly difficult as the ruts hardened and the preferred lines narrowed.

Farres held firm to complete another perfect Sunday, winning by 5.835 seconds. McLellan finished only 1.390 seconds behind Längenfelder in third, with Everts another 2.167 seconds back after recovering from a front-end washout and repassing Coenen.

Coenen managed fifth despite the pain from his recently repaired collarbone. Karlis Reisulis took sixth ahead of Mikula, while Janis Reisulis recovered to eighth after an early fall. Lata and Maxime Grau rounded out the top ten.

Farres’ second successive 1-1 result gave the Triumph rider four consecutive moto victories and back-to-back Grand Prix wins. Längenfelder’s 2-2 card secured second overall, while McLellan claimed the final podium position on countback from Everts after the pair finished level on 38 points.

Coenen’s 10-5 results left him eighth overall, although his qualifying points increased his complete weekend haul to 34. The result was enough to limit the championship damage but not enough to retain the red plate.

Coenen had led Farres by 14 points following South Africa. Farres now heads the standings on 563 points, 11 ahead of Coenen and 42 clear of Längenfelder. That represents a 25-point swing between the leading pair across the Foxhills weekend.

McLellan remains fourth on 501 points, with Everts fifth on 477. Janis Reisulis holds sixth on 434 after finishing sixth overall in Britain, while Karlis Reisulis remains eighth on 336.

Guillem Farres – P1 (1-1)

“Sunday at Foxhills was a really good day. In the first moto, I got the holeshot and led every lap for the win. The second moto was another good race. I started second, moved into the lead quite early after the rider in front had a small crash, and then Simon Längenfelder and I put on a good battle with a few passes between us. In the end, I was able to come out on top and win the race. I have total confidence in the bike and I’ve not made any changes to it for quite some time. It’s of course really special to win at Triumph’s home Grand Prix too for my third win in a row, and hopefully we can keep this momentum going over the next few rounds.”

Simon Laengenfelder – P2 (2-2)

“I’m starting to feel good again and I think it is coming from attention all the little details. Getting out of a ‘hole’ is never easy but it seems I am almost back to my winning ways. They did a great job with the preparation of the track here. We had many lines and it was very tricky and technical and I really enjoy that. A stupid crash in the second moto, I must say, but I was able to keep him [Guillem Farres] on his toes. It’s great to take home another trophy.”

Camden McLellan – P3 (4-3)

“Foxhills is done, and overall it was a pretty positive weekend. There were some good things to take away, especially with the starts, and my riding wasn’t too bad either. The second moto was particularly strong, so now we need to understand what changed between the first and second motos and carry that momentum into the remaining races this season.”

Liam Everts – P4 (3-4)

“It was a positive weekend overall. The speed was there from the beginning and I felt comfortable on what is one of the toughest tracks on the calendar. In the first race I managed things well for third, and in the second I was pushing hard before I made a small mistake that probably cost me a podium. That’s frustrating, but it’s part of racing. The important thing is that the pace is there and we’re moving in the right direction. A big thank you to the whole team because the bike was working really well all weekend. We’ll take the positives and look to fight for the podium again at Loket.”

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WMX

Fontanesi takes WMX lead with commanding double

Kiara Fontanesi delivered a faultless weekend in the third round of the Women’s Motocross World Championship, taking both holeshots and leading every lap to secure the 25th overall victory of her career.

Fontanesi led Daniela Guillen, Lucy Barker and Courtney Duncan through the opening stages of Race One. Barker initially delighted the home crowd by circulating third, but was soon displaced by Duncan, reigning champion Lotte van Drunen and Shana van der Vlist.

Duncan gradually reeled in Guillen and completed the pass for second on lap six. The New Zealander then closed on Fontanesi over the final laps, but the Italian responded by setting the fastest lap on the final tour and held on by 1.113 seconds.

Guillen finished third ahead of Van Drunen, Van der Vlist, Malou Jakobsen and Amandine Verstappen, while Barker slipped to ninth after her promising start.

Fontanesi launched into the lead again in Race Two, with Barker initially second ahead of Duncan. Guillen was far more aggressive than she had been in the opener and passed Duncan before taking second from Barker during lap two.

Guillen subsequently set the fastest lap of the race, but Fontanesi maintained a margin of more than six seconds and eventually won by 9.105 seconds. Duncan secured third, Barker recovered strongly to finish fourth and Van der Vlist completed the top five.

Van Drunen had been buried near 20th following a poor start but fought her way back to seventh. Her 4-7 results placed her fifth overall, while Barker’s 9-4 card earned sixth at her home round.

Fontanesi’s perfect 50-point result elevated her to the championship lead on 141 points. Guillen and Duncan each scored 42 points at Foxhills, with Guillen taking second overall through her stronger Race Two result.

Guillen now trails Fontanesi by just two points, while Duncan sits third on 100 points, 41 behind the leader. Van der Vlist, Jakobsen, Barker and Van Drunen are separated by only four points in the battle from fourth through seventh.

Courtney Duncan

“The first moto yesterday was definitely a step in the right direction. The speed was there, the fitness too. I was a bit of my old self again; I just need to get off the start. The improvement was just down to plain and simple hard work and I loved the track with the hills and the off-cambers; it was real old school motocross. It would have been nice to have won or been second but I’m stoked to be back on the box and can be proud of the improvements we have made during the last six weeks; I’m not quite back to where I was but I’m well-and-truly on my way and my thanks to all those who have helped me get here.”

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EMX125

Bauer sweeps Foxhills and takes EMX125 red plate

Ricardo Bauer took complete control of the eighth round of the EMX125 European Championship, winning both races and emerging from Foxhills with a 31-point championship lead.

Bertram Thorius grabbed the opening holeshot aboard the Fantic, while Bauer was shuffled back to fourth during the first sequence of corners. The Austrian wasted little time recovering, however, and swept around the outside of Thorius to take the lead before the opening lap was complete.

Thorius remained close enough to keep Bauer honest but could not mount a serious counterattack, eventually finishing 4.460 seconds behind. Emil Ziemer prevailed from a busy contest for third involving Sleny Goyer, Liam Bruneau and David Cracco.

Levi Townley had qualified second fastest but was hampered by a goggle problem in the opening race and slipped to eighth after running as high as fifth.

Lucas Leok launched into the lead at the beginning of Race Two, only for Bauer to pick off both Leok and Thorius during the opening lap. Ryan Oppliger moved into second and spent much of the race within striking distance of Bauer, while Townley charged forward from sixth.

Townley passed Gennaro Utech and Bruneau before joining Bauer and Oppliger in a three-rider fight for the win. Oppliger resisted until the final lap, when he ran too deep on a downhill and left the circuit while fighting to remain upright. Townley seized second and closed to within 0.636 seconds of Bauer at the flag.

Bauer’s first 1-1 result of the season gave him the maximum 50 points and his fifth and sixth race victories of the campaign. Thorius combined second and fifth for second overall, while Townley’s 8-2 card earned third on countback from Ziemer, with both riders scoring 35 points.

The championship picture was also reshaped by Sleny Goyer’s mechanical retirement from Race Two after finishing fourth in the opener. Bauer now leads on 319 points, 31 ahead of teammate Moritz Ernecker, who is expected to miss the remainder of the season after breaking his leg at the Junior Motocross World Championship. Goyer remains third but is now 61 points behind Bauer with two rounds remaining.

Continue below for full moto-by-moto results and updated championship standings.

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Next Up

Foxhills’ return to the Grand Prix calendar proved far more than an exercise in nostalgia. Its steep, heavily rutted terrain produced one of the most consequential weekends of the season, with three championships changing hands and the MXGP title fight compressed from what had appeared a comfortable advantage into an 11-point contest.

The MXGP and MX2 paddocks now travel directly to Loket for the Grand Prix of the Czech Republic on July 26, before tackling the deep sand of Lommel one week later. The EMX125 championship resumes in Sweden, while the WMX contenders will next meet in the Netherlands.

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MXGP Qualifying Race Results

MXGP Race One Results

MXGP Race Two Results

MXGP Round Points

MXGP Championship Standings

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MX2

MX2 Qualifying Race Results

MX2 Race One Results

MX2 Race Two Results

MX2 Round

MX2 Championship Standings