Red Bull KTM inched closer to the finale of the 2026 FIM Motocross World Championship with a decent catch of results at the Grand Prix of China and the penultimate round of the series. Simon Längenfelder achieved 4th with the KTM 250 SX-F at the modern and impressive International off-road circuit in Shanghai.
Highlights and key moments from the Shanghai International off-road circuit:
MXGP arrived at round 18 of 19 in 2026 and to a stuffy and overcast climate in Shanghai for the fourth running of the Chinese Grand Prix. Andrea Adamo had goals of moving into the top four of the MXGP standings while both Sacha Coenen and Simon Längenfelder were pushing for medal positions in the MX2 championship table. The circuit, surrounded by newly built permanent infrastructure and a large investment for the future of the sport in the country, provided rough and loamy terrain in a flat setting.
On Saturday Coenen grabbed the best result from the MXGP and MX2 Qualification Heats with 2nd place. Längenfelder also tallied points in 4th as Adamo clocked 5th in MXGP. The team moved to Sunday’s motos with optimism.
Adamo made a top five start in the first moto on Sunday but a small tip-off cost him time and positions. He reached the flag in 9th. For the second race the Italian got out of the gate well but was held up when Jan Pancar crashed in front of him. Andrea pulled the KTM 450 SX-F back to 6th for 7th overall.
Längenfelder created the early running in the first MX2 moto and fought for the lead right up until the line. The German was 2nd and just 1.5 seconds from a sixth win of the year. 22 points laid the first stone for another podium bid and his potential looked bright with a holeshot at the start of the second moto. Simon struggled with stomach cramps and could not keep a rhythm at the front. He took 9th for 4th overall.
Sacha Coenen was also among the leaders in the first moto but couldn’t quite hold his pace for the full distance and scored a 5th. At the second attempt he was again up front but an early crash brought his day to a premature close. He classified 17th for 11th.
Next weekend’s Australian Grand Prix, at the Hidden Valley Motorsports Complex in Darwin, will offer the final 60-point catchment of the championship campaign. Adamo is P5 and just 1 point from the top four while both Sacha and Simon still have the mathematical possibility to secure 2nd in the MX2 championship. Coenen is currently P3 and needs 36 points more than Camden Mc Lellan while Längenfelder is P4 and is 43 adrift.
Andrea Adamo, 9th and 6th for 7th overall in MXGP: “A tough weekend. I never felt comfortable on the track. We didn’t get the best results but I was more worried about the feeling and the speed. It made things more difficult. We have another chance next weekend in Australia and we’ll try to get back stronger and fix a few things on the bike for me.”
Simon Längenfelder, 2nd and 9th for 4th overall in MX2: “It was a difficult one. A difficult second moto; the rest was quite OK and the starts were always on-point this weekend. I almost led the whole first race but Cam was pushing. I was quite happy with P2 because I could change my lines and I had a good feeling on the track and on the bike. The second race I had some stomach problems and a lot of pain. Unfortunate that was from lap one onwards. Quite sad. It could have been a nice podium. The last round of the year now – it’s been flying by – and to Australia where I have some good memories. We’ll get this stomach problem sorted and go again.”
Sacha Coenen, 5th and DNF for 11th overall in MX2: “A difficult one, like last weekend. It started quite good and I made some really good passes in the Qualifying Heat to finish 2nd, close to first. Sunday was completely different. I didn’t feel too bad and ten minutes before the end of the first moto I wanted to make a big push but made a mistake and three riders passed me. I was feeing a bit ‘second-hand’ because I was sick last week and I’m still not really healthy. I tried the second moto and don’t really know what happened but went sideways on the take-off and lost control. I couldn’t do anything and crashed on my right side. I am fine and I’m healthy. We’ll try to have a good weekend in Australia. Not so much luck at the moment but it is part of our sport. Two more motos to go.”
Results MXGP China 2026
1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED), Honda, 1-1
2. Romain Febvre (FRA) Kawasaki, 2-2
3. Tom Vialle (FRA), Honda, 3-3
7. Andrea Adamo (ITA), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 9-6
Standings MXGP 2026 after 18 of 19 rounds
1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED), Honda, 915 points
2. Romain Febvre (FRA), Kawasaki, 752
3. Tim Gajser (SLO), Yamaha, 659
5. Andrea Adamo (ITA), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 592
6. Lucas Coenen (BEL), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 566
9. Kay de Wolf (NED) Husqvarna, 428
Results MX2 China 2026
1. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA). Triumph, 1-2
2. Guillem Farres (ESP), Triumph, 4-1
3. Liam Everts (BEL), Husqvarna 3-3
4. Simon Längenfelder (GER), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 2-9
11. Sacha Coenen (BEL) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 5-DNF
Standings MX2 2026 after 18 of 19 rounds
1. Guillem Farres (ESP), Triumph, 859 points
2. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA), Triumph, 811
3. Sacha Coenen (BEL) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 775
4. Simon Längenfelder (GER), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 768
5. Liam Everts (BEL), Husqvarna, 742