The 2025 FIM Motocross World Championships fire back into action this weekend for round 12, the MXGP of Great Britain, at the sprawling Matterley Basin venue near the southern city of Winchester.
One of the favourite circuits for both riders and fans alike, Matterley is hosting its 14th MXGP event this weekend, and its first round in the summer months since 2021, and while British fans enjoyed the FIM Monster Energy Motocross of Nations at the venue last October, one of three such events here, the individual challenges in both MXGP and MX2 are just as enthralling and unpredictable at a high-paced circuit which has seen many close battles over the years.
The winner in that most recent summer event was a certain Antonio Cairoli, and the nine-time world champion will line up again this weekend, in his second race of the year for the Aruba.it Ducati Factory MX Team.
At the circuit where he clinched his seventh title in 2013, the Sicilian has won at Matterley more than anyone else, with six GP wins in total, one ahead of the tally of his former Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team-mate Jeffrey Herlings.
The Dutchman won here for the last time in 2020 as he looks for his third GP victory in a row.
Still leading the Championship table is French fighter Romain Febvre, who holds a 26-point advantage for Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP and needs to stop the leakage of points to his teenage chaser Lucas Coenen, who has finished second overall at each of the last four GPs for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing.
Former MX2 Matterley winner Glenn Coldenhoff holds third in the series for Fantic Factory Racing MXGP and is a big fan of the Hampshire circuit. Home hero Ben Watson, off the back of his best result for MRT Racing Team Beta, will once more try to break into the top ten or better for his local fans.
The pendulum of momentum in the MX2 class has swung in several directions over the last four GPs, and although the Latvian round was won by Sacha Coenen, it’s his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team-mate Simon Längenfelder who has taken his strongest position yet at the head of the series, with a 27-point advantage over 2023 World Champion Andrea Adamo.
Reigning World Champion Kay de Wolf won race two in Latvia to bring himself just 10 points adrift of Adamo in third for Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing, and has good memories of winning the MX2 class here at the Nations last year.
© Photo courtesy KTM
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STANDINGS AFTER ROUND 11:
MXGP – World Championship – Top 10 Classification:
1. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 530 points; 2. Lucas Coenen (BEL, KTM), 504 p.; 3. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, FAN), 362 p.; 4. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 347 p.; 5. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 338 p.; 6. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 305 p.; 7. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, FAN), 300 p.; 8. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM), 284 p.; 9. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 279 p.; 10. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, DUC), 253 p.
MX2 – World Championship Classification:
1. Simon Längenfelder (GER, KTM), 515 points; 2. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 488 p.; 3. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 478 p.; 4. Liam Everts (BEL, HUS), 419 p.; 5. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 389 p.; 6. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 378 p.; 7. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, TRI), 324 p.; 8. Valerio Lata (ITA, HON), 265 p.; 9. Cas Valk (NED, KTM), 253 p.; 10. Ferruccio Zanchi (ITA, HON), 220 p.