The penultimate round of the 2026 FIM Motocross World Championship headed to the Shanghai International Off-Road Circuit in Shanghai, China, September 12-13, where high humidity and a technical track provided another demanding test for the world’s best. While Jeffrey Herlings already clinched the MXGP Championship the week before, the fight for MX2 supremacy remains wide open heading into the final round in Australia. Herlings once again delivered a statement ride in the MXGP division with Camden McLellan taking top honors for the fourth time this season.
MXGP
With his sixth world title already secured, Herlings showed no signs of easing up. The Honda HRC Petronas rider won the qualifying race, topped the morning warmup session, and immediately found himself at the front of race one. He quickly passed his teammate Tom Vialle and took control of the moto, eventually winning by more than eight seconds. Herlings followed up with an even better performance in race two, leading from start to finish despite consistent pressure from Romain Febvre. Herlings crossed the line for his 124th career GP victory and his 235th race win, extending his run to 38 consecutive sessions without being beaten.
“Both races I had a bit of an issue with the humidity, with the sweating and the goggles fogging up,” Herlings said. “That is why I pulled away at the beginning and then I was struggling a bit. Normally I never have a problem with it; it is just because it is extremely humid here in China. I managed to do enough in both races, mainly the second one, to win. Romain [Febvre] rode really good, I think it is one of his best races all year.”
Febvre secured another podium finish, finishing second overall. The French rider battled both Honda HRC machines throughout the day, first against fellow countryman Tom Vialle and later with Herlings. Febvre’s pair of second-place results earned him the runner-up spot for the weekend and kept him second in the championship standings, thanks to his consistent run of podium finishes.
Vialle grabbed the final spot on the overall podium in third overall. The Honda HRC Petronas rider started up front in both motos and kept the race leaders in sight en route to 3-3 results. Third overall sees another podium for the MXGP rookie and moves him one point ahead of Andrea Adamo in the battle for fourth in the championship.
Calvin Vlaanderen finished fourth overall, with Pauls Jonass rounding out the top five.
Lucas Coenen also announced he’d be missing the final two rounds of MXGP in hopes of being 100 percent for the upcoming FIM Motocross of Nations. This effectively marks the end of his MXGP career, as he’ll move to the United States full-time in 2027.
MX2
Camden McLellan captured his fourth overall win of the season for the Triumph Factory Racing team. The South African rider took top honors in race one after moving past defending champion Simon Laengenfelder and points leader Guillem Farres late in the race. After capturing the win with just a one-second margin at the line, McLellan ran up front again in race two with the same cast of characters putting up a fight. He finished second but still took the overall win with 1-2 scores. This win prevented Farres from clinching the title one round early and keeps McLellan still within mathematical reach of the championship with one round remaining.
Farres took second, making it another Triumph 1-2 on the overall podium. A close third in race one saw the Spanish rider trail the leaders but gain ground on his rival Sacha Coenen. He backed that up by grabbing the win in moto two, and a 3-1 scorecard boosted him to second overall. Farres increased his championship lead to 48 points and mathematically eliminated Coenen from the title fight. He could potentially secure the MX2 World Championship as early as next Saturday’s qualifying race.
Liam Everts extended his run of podiums with another third-place finish. After taking fifth in Saturday’s qualifying race, Everts immediately came out swinging on Sunday by topping the warm-up and finishing a close third in moto one. He maintained second place late into race two before a small mistake on lap 15 allowed McLellan to sneak by. Everts remained in the lead group, and a 3-3 scorecard earned his fourth consecutive podium finish.
Simon Laengenfelder took second in race one but finished fourth overall, with Janis Reisulis completing the top five.
The FIM Motocross World Championship now heads to Darwin, Australia, for the final round.CN
VIDEO | 2026 MXGP of China Highlights
2026 FIM MXGP Round 18 Results
MXGP (Top 5)
- Jeffrey Herlings (Hon) 1-1
- Romain Febvre (Kaw) 2-2
- Tom Vialle (Hon) 3-3
- Calvin Vlaanderen (Duc) 6-4
- Pauls Jonass (Kaw) 5-5
MX2 (Top 5)
- Camden McLellan (Tri) 1-2
- Guillem Farres (Tri) 3-1
- Liam Everts (Hus) 3-3
- Simon Laengenfelder (KTM) 2-8
- Janis Reisulis (Yam) 7-4
