The 2026 FIM Motocross World Championship ended under the Australian sun with history written across the MX2 and MXGP classes.
At the Hidden Valley Motorsports Complex near Darwin, Guillem Farres officially became MX2 World Champion, while South Africa’s Camden McLellan claimed his second consecutive Grand Prix victory. In MXGP, reigning champion Jeffrey Herlings signed off his season with another perfect 1-1 weekend.
But the biggest story was Triumph Racing Factory Team.
In only their third season back in World Championship Motocross, Triumph secured the MX2 World Championship, the manufacturers’ crown and a championship 1-2 through Farres and McLellan.
Farres Gets the Job Done
Farres arrived in Australia with one objective: finish the job.
The Spaniard did exactly that in the opening MX2 race.
McLellan launched into the lead after taking only the second Fox Holeshot Award of his career, with Farres settling into second. Liam Everts stayed close, but the Triumph teammates controlled the front of the race.
McLellan won the opening moto, with Farres second and Everts third.
That was enough for Farres to secure the championship before the final race had even started.
For a rider competing in only his second full Grand Prix season, the achievement marked a rapid rise to the top of the MX2 class.
“Going into the season we had a great winter, we worked a lot on and off the bike and we got some improvements,” .
Farres said
The championship also marked a historic milestone for Triumph, becoming the first British manufacturer to win a World Championship title since BSA’s Jeff Smith claimed the 500cc crown in 1965.
McLellan Finishes With a Statement
While Farres had the title, McLellan still had unfinished business.
The South African entered the final weekend determined to end the season strongly, and he delivered.
After winning Race 1, McLellan followed it with second place in Race 2 for a 47-point overall victory. The result gave him back-to-back Grand Prix wins for the first time in his career and his fifth GP victory overall.
More importantly, McLellan finished the season as MX2 World Championship runner-up, completing a Triumph 1-2.
The result carries particular weight after a season in which McLellan spent much of the year chasing Farres.
“I was very motivated this weekend to make a statement going into the off season, and I think I did a good job all weekend,” .
McLellan said
He also credited the work behind the scenes, pointing to the major step Triumph made with its motorcycle from 2025 to 2026.
For the South African, the silver medal now becomes the platform for another MX2 campaign in 2027.
Everts Ends the Season on Top
Liam Everts ensured the final MX2 race remained wide open.
The Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing rider fought through to take the second moto victory, finishing 11 seconds ahead of McLellan.
Janis Reisulis completed the overall podium with a 4-3 scorecard, earning his third podium of the season and finishing as the championship’s top rookie.
Everts finished fourth in the final championship standings, while Sacha Coenen secured third overall.
Farres finished fourth on the day, but by then the number-one plate was already his.
Herlings Signs Off Another Dominant Season
In MXGP, Jeffrey Herlings once again looked like a rider determined to leave no doubt about his championship credentials.
After his incredible run of 40 consecutive sessions or races at the top was finally interrupted in Saturday’s Qualifying Race, Herlings responded with another perfect Sunday.
The Honda HRC Petronas rider won both races, taking his 125th career Grand Prix victory and 237th GP race win.
It was also Herlings’ first GP victory in Australia, meaning he has now won in every country where he has competed.
Romain Febvre finished second in both motos for second overall, while Tom Vialle secured third overall and ended his rookie MXGP season fourth in the championship.
Herlings’ season ended with 13 GP wins, 16 podiums and another World Championship.
Yet the champion’s own assessment showed how much his approach has evolved.
“I was faster in 2018, but I am smarter in 2026,” .
Herlings said
That balance between speed and calculated risk has defined his championship campaign.
A New Chapter for MXGP
With the 2026 season complete, attention now shifts toward 2027.
Farres will move into MXGP as the new MX2 champion, while McLellan returns to MX2 as one of the leading riders in the class. Triumph will enter the off-season with a championship-winning platform and an unprecedented 1-2 finish.
For Herlings, the challenge is different: defending the crown.
Before that, however, much of the Grand Prix field will return to action at the Monster Energy Motocross of Nations in Ernée, France, bringing the 2026 motocross calendar to its traditional international finale.
The Australian sunshine may have closed the World Championship season, but the next generation of MXGP contenders has already given the sport plenty to watch in 2027.