Herlings set for first 2025 MXGP appearance with round four in Sardinia on the agenda

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing is anticipating a full-strength premier class line-up for the Grand Prix of Sardinia at the Riola Sardo circuit this week with MXGP icon Jeffrey Herlings edging closer to race fitness.

The most successful Grand Prix winner of all-time has been recovering from a right knee reconstruction performed in October 2024 and climbed back on his works KTM 450 SX-F three weeks ago. Herlings has been logging laps and motos as well as making modifications to his 2025 set-up to turn his attention to the international stage.

The 30-year-old five-times world champion has missed Grands Prix in Argentina, Spain and France but will now rejoin the series for his fifteenth world championship year and eighth in the premier class. He’ll link-up with teammate Lucas Coenen in the MXGP gate at the deep and rough sandy track where he has scored two wins and one podium finish in the last four seasons.

KTM NEWS

CAREER-FIRST 250MX PODIUM FOR RED BULL KTM'S JULIEN BEAUMER AT HANGTOWN

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Red Bull KTM Factory Racing's Julien Beaumer earned the first AMA Pro Motocross Championship podium of his career at the Hangtown National on Saturday, combining 4-3 moto finishes to secure second overall and move into third position in the 2026 250MX standings. After opening the season with an impressive P5 overall at Fox Raceway on return from injury, Beaumer continued his momentum at Round 2 by qualifying seventh aboard his KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION and then charged to fourth in Moto 1. The 20-year-old was even stronger in Moto 2, climbing from outside the top 10 on the opening lap to finish in a hard-fought third position. His 4-3 scorecard resulted in P2 overall for the round and marked the first Pro Motocross podium of his young career. Beaumer now sits third in the championship standings after two rounds, continuing an impressive return to competition after being sidelined since the SMX Playoffs last September. Julien Beaumer: "I definitely didn't think it [this podium] would come so quick! Man, I feel like I am dreaming – it was a long nine months, and I think today shows the work that we put in, and that the decisions we've made while I was away were the right ones. I've been working hard and I couldn't be happier to do this for the team. They stuck behind me for the last nine months and believed in me, so to be up here for them is amazing – I can't thank them enough. They put an amazing bike underneath me, my bike was awesome all day, and I couldn't be happier to be on the podium." Equipped with the KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, Jorge Prado qualified third fastest with a 1:50.543 lap-time as he looked to build upon his runner-up finish achieved at Fox Raceway one week ago. The four-time world champion launched to a strong start in Moto 1 and held fourth place while closing on a podium during the latter stages of the race. However, a late issue resulted in a DNF, also leaving him with a difficult gate pick for Moto 2. After completing the opening laps outside the top 20 in the second moto, Prado charged through the field to finish in 13th position. He now sits seventh in the 450MX standings entering Round 3 in Colorado next weekend. Jorge Prado: "It was a rough day at Hangtown. The issue in Moto 1 while running fourth place really cost us, which was especially true knowing my gate pick was going to end up being on the far outside for Moto 2. That wasn't good for me, but we did what we could to salvage points, and all I can do is be my very best for the remainder of the rounds and see where we can end up overall." Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450MX teammate Aaron Plessinger was the eighth-fastest 450MX qualifier at Hangtown and featured in P4 at the start of Moto 1. An early off-track excursion sent him down the order, with ‘The Cowboy’ recovering to 12th place. After falling heavily before an early restart to Moto 2, Plessinger was sitting 10th at the conclusion of Lap 1, but was later forced out of the race prior to its halfway mark. He will look to reset for Thunder Valley's third round of the 2026 outdoor season. Aaron Plessinger: "Hangtown was not the greatest of days. I qualified pretty well and was actually feeling good on the bike, and then in Moto 1, I got off to a good start, but on Lap 1, coming down one of the hills, I stuffed the front-end into a hole. I went off the track and didn't get back on until around 40 riders went past me. I was in last and did some good laps to come back to 12th, but overall, the mistake on my part took away from the result. And then Moto 2, going around the first turn, I tucked the front, then a couple of people ran over me. Off the restart, I got another okay start, and then we had an issue that forced me to pull out of the race, unfortunately. We'll regroup now and get ready for Colorado." Red Bull KTM Factory Racing was without four-time 450MX champion Eli Tomac at Round 2 of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship, with the Colorado native remaining sidelined while recovering from injuries sustained at the season-opener. Next Race: June 13 – Thunder Valley, Colorado Results 450MX Class – Hangtown National 1. Jett Lawrence (Honda) 2. Hunter Lawrence (Honda) 3. Haiden Deegan (Yamaha) 6. RJ Hampshire (Husqvarna) 16. Aaron Plessinger (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) 17. Jorge Prado (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) 19. Dante Oliveira (KTM) Standings 450MX Class 2026 after 2 of 11 rounds 1. Hunter Lawrence, 94 points 2. Jett Lawrence, 88 3. Haiden Deegan, 75 4. RJ Hampshire, 63 7. Jorge Prado, 53 13. Aaron Plessinger, 37 17. Dante Oliveira, 18 22. Malcolm Stewart, 10 Results 250MX Class – Hangtown National 1. Levi Kitchen (Kawasaki) 2. Julien Beaumer (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) 3. Seth Hammaker (Kawasaki) 11. Ryder DiFrancesco (Husqvarna) 16. Daxton Bennick (Husqvarna) 19. Casey Cochran (Husqvarna) Standings 250MX Class 2026 after 2 of 11 rounds 1. Seth Hammaker, 85 points 2. Levi Kitchen, 78 3. Julien Beaumer, 71 10. Ryder DiFrancesco, 47 14. Daxton Bennick, 24 22. Casey Cochran, 12

Coenen Cruise Mode activated with Latvia MXGP rout

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The Coenen brothers aced the MXGP Grand Prix of Latvia for the third weekend in a row of FIM MXGP World Championship action. The series headed into the reddish shallow sandy soil of Kegums for round eight and the meeting was significant for Red Bull KTM’s all-out dominance as Lucas and Sacha Coenen won every outing in the MXGP and MX2 classes with their KTM 450 SX-F and KTM 250 SX-F.