MX2 victory for Adamo after Grand Prix of Europe thriller as Lucas Coenen earns his first MXGP podium result

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing came through the third round of the 2025 MXGP season with three podium finishes including a 1-2 in the MX2 class for Andrea Adamo and Simon Laengenfelder and Lucas Coenen securing his first top three result in the MXGP division. The action took place on another weather-hit weekend at the renowned hard-packed and rutty St Jean D’Angely circuit in western France.

  • 3rd overall for Lucas Coenen with the KTM 450 SX-F after the premier class rookie grabs his first checkered flag of the campaign with victory in the Saturday Qualification Heat
  • Former world champion Andrea Adamo takes his first MX2 win of the season with the KTM 250 SX-F and a grandstand finale fight in the second moto at St Jean
  • Simon Laengenfelder goes 1-3 on the day for his first moto success of the term (and Red Bull KTM scoop both moto wins) and his second trophy from the three GPs this year
  • A second moto holeshot for Sacha Coenen but a crash keeps the exciting Belgian down in 7th overall as MXGP now travels into the sand of Riola Sardo for the Grand Prix of Sardinia on 5-6 April

The FIM World Championship transitioned from Spain to France for round three but could not escape the rainy weather with an overcast and showery St Jean D’Angely circuit providing a slick, bumpy and rutty hard-pack surface. Despite the grey climate, the fans packed the opposing hillside and cheered on the gates of the MXGP and MX2 classes for the first of two events based in France this season.

Lucas Coenen set an early marker in the weekend. The Belgian took the lead on the opening lap of the Saturday Qualification race and ran to victory for his first 10 points and MXGP Pole Position. Coenen started brightly again on Sunday where the weather was still unstable and the track was technical and demanding; rewarding riders who could nail the launch from the gate. Lucas rode to a decent 3rd place in the first moto for his highest Sunday race ranking yet and then he worked diligently from the top five in the second race to again take 3rd.

In MX2, the first moto went fantastically for the team and for Austrian machinery with Simon Laengenfelder claiming his first checkered flag of 2025 ahead of Andrea Adamo, followed by Liam Everts and the third Red Bull KTM racer, Sacha Coenen – the Belgian feeling sore after a fall while leading the Qualification race on Saturday – coming home in 4th. The track was drier and tackier but still heavily rutted for moto two. This did not slow the potential of Adamo who charged to P1 after enjoying a close duel with Thibault Benistant that went right to the line. The Italian celebrated his first view from the top of the rostrum since the summer of 2023. Laengenfelder made sure of his second podium of the championship with P3 and placed two Red Bull KTMs 1-2 in the overall standings. Coenen had the holeshot but a crash coming down the hill for the first time meant he had to pick-up and work his way back to 14th for 7th at the end of the day.

The Racestore KTM Factory Rookies team, a key component of the KTM MXGP Academy structure, were able to toast a strong first podium in the EMX125 championship. Teenager Hungarian Aron Katona was 3rd overall for his maiden trophy after winning the second moto with the KTM 125 SX. He placed ahead of Italian teammate Nicolo Alvisi in 4th.

MXGP will take a break for a week and then move back to southern Europe for the journey to Sardinia. The deep and rough sand of Riola Sardo will provide a different technical test on the first weekend of April.

Lucas Coenen, 3rd and 3rd for 3rd overall in MXGP: “What can I say? Speechless! That’s the first podium out the way. We had some difficult times lately but we’ve finally kicked off: 3-3 for 3. I wanted to make another pass in the second moto but it started raining and I just said “stay there and get the first podium. We now have two weeks off to rest and we’ll see what we can do in Sardinia. Thanks to the team and my physio, they worked so hard with me these last few weeks. I cannot thank them enough. We’re now looking forward to building confidence and see where we end up.”

Andrea Adamo, 2nd and 1st for 1st overall in MX2: “Amazing! It’s been a long time. I don’t know how many days or months. I’m happy to be back and to feel that fire and be competitive. That last lap was insane. It was not easy at all with these ruts because you can miss the corners. I’m really happy and I want to keep this momentum.”

Simon Laengenfelder, 1st and 3rd for 2nd overall in MX2: “In the second race I struggled a bit at the beginning to find all the good ruts, it was not that easy, but the riding was not too bad. It was very satisfying to win the first moto and to be on the podium again. I really like the track in Sardinia, so I’m looking forward to it already.”

Sacha Coenen, 4th and 14th for 7th overall in MX2: Not such a good weekend. I had a good flow in the quali moto but then had that crash coming down the hill. I felt fast in the first moto but just couldn’t pass. 4th was not so bad. I did the hard part in the second moto and had the holeshot but I don’t know what happened on the first downhill. I went over the bars and it was difficult to come back. Everybody was very fast. I did the best I could and we took some points.”

 

Results MXGP Europe 2025

 

1. Tim Gajser (SLO), Honda, 1-1

2. Romain Febvre (FRA), Kawasaki, 2-2

3. Lucas Coenen (BEL), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 3-3

4. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA), Ducati, 4-7

5. Pauls Jonass (LAT), Kawasaki, 6-6

 

Standings MXGP 2025 after 3 of 20 rounds

 

1. Tim Gajser (SLO), Honda, 167

2. Romain Febvre (FRA), Kawasaki, 138

3. Maxime Renaux (FRA), Yamaha, 121

4. Lucas Coenen (BEL), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 107

5. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED), Fantic, 107

 

Results MX2 Europe 2025

 

1. Andrea Adamo (ITA), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 2-1

2. Simon Laengenfelder (GER), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 1-3

3. Thibault Benistant (FRA), Yamaha, 5-2

4. Liam Everts (BEL), Husqvarna, 3-5

5. Kay de Wolf (NED), Husqvarna, 6-4

7. Sacha Coenen (BEL) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 4-14

 

Standings MX2 2025 after 3 of 20 rounds

 

1. Liam Everts (BEL), Husqvarna 135 points

2. Simon Laengenfelder (GER), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 132

3. Kay de Wolf (NED), Husqvarna, 130

4. Andrea Adamo (ITA), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 124

5. Thibault Benistant (FRA), Yamaha, 111

6. Sacha Coenen (BEL) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 101

 

KTM NEWS

DOUBLE VICTORY FOR RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING AT LOS ANGELES SMX PLAYOFF 2

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SMX World Championship Playoff 2, staged at Dignity Health Sports Park in Los Angeles, saw Red Bull KTM Factory Racing claim an emphatic double victory, with Jorge Prado and Julien Beaumer standing atop the podium in the 450SMX and 250SMX classes, respectively. Entering Playoff 2 as the 450SMX points leader, red-plate holder Prado powered his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION to P2 on the combined qualifying timesheets, before launching to the holeshot in Moto 1. In contention for the duration of the race, the four-time world champion ultimately claimed a hard-fought second position. Again starting inside the top-three in Moto 2, Prado held P2 for over half of the race before an untimely crash relegated him to fourth. Upon remounting and putting on an inspired charge forward, the Spaniard climbed back into P2, with his 2-2 scores earning him the overall victory as well as maintaining the red-plate – now 16 points clear of his closest competitor entering next weekend's SMX Final at Thunder Ridge Nature Arena in Missouri. Jorge Prado: “Well, we just keep improving! My jump out of the gate [in Moto 2] was good, I was right there with Hunter [Lawrence] and made an aggressive pass for the lead in the third corner. I then cased the quad and thought I was going over the bars, but the bike saved me – then cased it again three laps later! But man, I knew this race was going to be hard. We were all ripping. I rode it home safely after putting in a charge following my crash, but this is incredible. We’re in contention for the title – let's get it at the last round.” Equipped with the KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION, Beaumer posted the fastest 250SMX qualifying time around the high-speed track layout, recording a 51.096 lap-time that put him almost half a second clear of the field to take confidence into the double-moto race format. After scoring the holeshot in Moto 1, the 20-year-old delivered a convincing wire-to-wire performance for victory to continue his momentum, before another holeshot in Moto 2 and a third-place finish secured the overall. As a result of this weekend's double-points round, Beaumer has climbed to third in the 250SMX standings, sitting just 16 points from the lead with triple points on offer at next weekend’s title-deciding finale. Julien Beaumer: “I saw Levi [Kitchen] and Jo [Shimoda] and knew they didn’t have the greatest of first motos, so I didn’t want to risk too much [in Moto 2], obviously. The track was pretty tricky, and the sun made things harder as well, but I’m happy to come out with the overall. I said I needed to win these last two rounds, so it’s a good start!” Also starting well in 450SMX Moto 1 was Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Eli Tomac, battling for a podium spot on board his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION during the early stages. He would eventually claim sixth, while a 12th-place finish in Moto 2 earned him ninth overall. Sights now shift to next weekend's round, which will mark the conclusion of his decorated professional career. Eli Tomac: "I got a decent start in Moto 1 and I was somewhat in the mix before I lost two positions, but the riding was a lot better than the weekend before. In Moto 2, I was in a worse position off the start, and just didn't get a flow going. I was kind of happy with Moto 1 because it was an improvement, although I want to get a stronger result at my final race next weekend in Missouri." ‘The Cowboy’ Aaron Plessinger was also in action in Los Angeles, with the 30-year-old racing to a consistent P8 result in Moto 1. A 13th-place finish in Moto 2 saw Plessinger and his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION secure 11th overall for the second Playoff of the year. Aaron Plessinger: "I got a pretty good start in Moto 1 from the outside, and then started making passes to wind up in eighth place. Moto 2, I just didn't get off to the greatest start, having hugged the inside, and was pretty much last. I did what I could to make it back to 13th, but just didn't have it going in the second one. We made it out of LA in one piece, and now we'll look for a rebound in Missouri." Next Race: September 26 – Ridgedale, Missouri Results 450SMX Class – SMX Playoff 2 1. Jorge Prado (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) 2. Hunter Lawrence (Honda) 3. Ken Roczen (Suzuki) 6. RJ Hampshire (Husqvarna) 8. Malcolm Stewart (Husqvarna) 9. Eli Tomac (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) 11. Aaron Plessinger (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) Standings 450SMX Class 2026 after Playoff 2 1. Jorge Prado, 92 points 2. Haiden Deegan, 76 3. Hunter Lawrence, 76 8. RJ Hampshire, 51 9. Eli Tomac, 48 11. Aaron Plessinger, 44 12. Malcolm Stewart, 44 Results 250SMX Class – SMX Playoff 2 1. Julien Beaumer (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) 2. Ryder DiFrancesco (Husqvarna) 3. Levi Kitchen (Kawasaki) 11. Daxton Bennick (Husqvarna) Standings 250SMX Class 2026 after Playoff 2 1. Levi Kitchen, 87 points 2. Ryder DiFrancesco, 84 3. Julien Beaumer, 71 5. Daxton Bennick, 56

Sacha Coenen wraps 3rd place in 2026 MX2 after season-closing Australian GP

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The 2026 FIM Motocross World Championship closed with top five results for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing at Hidden Valley in Australia for the nineteenth and final round of the series. Andrea Adamo rode to 4th overall on the KTM 450 SX-F in MXGP while Sacha Coenen placed 5th in MX2 with the KTM 250 SX-F at the new facility in Darwin. Coenen bagged the bronze medal for 2026.

JORGE PRADO LEADS 450SMX STANDINGS AFTER COLUMBUS PLAYOFF PODIUM

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A weather-affected opening race of the 2026 SMX World Championship Playoffs at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus saw Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado earn a hard-fought third position on the overall podium, with that result elevating him into the 450SMX points lead. Following a pair of dry on-track sessions during Friday practice, heavy rain in the region interrupted proceedings early on this morning, as the track crew worked tirelessly to prepare the circuit for the afternoon’s race schedule at SMX Playoff 1. When the gates dropped for 450SMX Moto 1, Prado powered his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION to the holeshot, holding the lead through the opening moments of the race. The Spaniard prioritized consistency in the mud, successfully navigating the conditions to secure a third-place result. The four-time world champion executed another strong start in Moto 2, battling for the final podium position during the race, and eventually crossed the line in P4. That saw him claim third overall for the round, taking charge of the 450SMX red plate entering Los Angeles next weekend. Jorge Prado: "I mean, I really don’t know what to say! Like I said after Moto 1, my worst races came in the mud this year, and now I finish up here on the box, which is amazing for me. It’s a big improvement, so I am super-happy, and proud of my progress, and the work from the whole team – if you look back a year ago to where I am now, it’s a huge difference. Now we are leading the SMX series and I can’t be more happy than this." Also up front off the start of Moto 1, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Aaron Plessinger crashed soon afterward, but displayed strong pace aboard his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION as he fought his way through the field to 10th place. Sixth in Moto 2 marked a convincing outing for ‘The Cowboy’ in his home state of Ohio, taking seventh overall and climbing to eighth in the 450SMX standings. Aaron Plessinger: "I feel like Columbus was a pretty big missed opportunity for me, since we had lots of rain and lots of mud, which is usually my cup of tea. We got off to a really good start in Moto 1, but then Jorge [Prado] slid and kind of jumped into my wheel, but no blame on him – it was a racing incident. I ended up going down, and then it was a struggle from that point on, getting up to ninth and then going down again. Moto 2, I got off to a horrible start and went to the inside of turn one, which worked out, and then ended up battling Joey [Savatgy] for fifth pretty much the whole time. I just feel like I should've been better all around – there were a lot of moments that I should've capitalized on. We'll focus on Los Angeles now and look for a stronger round." The retiring Eli Tomac raced to 15-13 results in 450SMX across the shortened double-race format aboard his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION in SMX Playoff 1, with his sights now shifting toward next weekend’s second round of the post-season, where double points will be on offer. He's currently ninth in the championship, with only two race weekends remaining in his decorated career. Eli Tomac: "It was a long day in Columbus. The conditions were tough, and I had a hard time getting going today when it counted, but the positive is that we were able to salvage some points, and it was an enjoyable weekend outside of the weather today. I'm looking forward to LA next week and fighting back toward the front in these next two races coming up." Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 250SMX contender Julien Beaumer crashed out of a top-five position on the opening lap of Moto 1, before mounting a comeback ride in challenging conditions to finish 16th on his KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION. Another difficult outing in race two saw Beaumer finish 18th, placing him 10th in the standings heading into Playoff 2. Julien Beaumer: “It was a terrible day for me in the mud. We got a lot of rain – I felt great yesterday in the dry – but today was rough. It is what it is, we have double and triple points at the next two, so I need to execute across the next two rounds in what are hopefully some better conditions, and give myself a chance.” Next Race: September 19 – Los Angeles, California Results 450SMX Class – SMX Playoff 1 1. Haiden Deegan (Yamaha) 2. Ken Roczen (Suzuki) 3. Jorge Prado (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) 7. Aaron Plessinger (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) 11. Malcolm Stewart (Husqvarna) 14. Eli Tomac (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) 16. RJ Hampshire (Husqvarna) Standings 450SMX Class 2026 after Playoff 1 1. Jorge Prado, 42 points 2. Haiden Deegan, 40 3. Cooper Webb, 38 8. Aaron Plessinger, 22 9. Eli Tomac, 22 12. RJ Hampshire, 19 14. Malcolm Stewart, 16 Results 250SMX Class – SMX Playoff 1 1. Levi Kitchen (Kawasaki) 2. Daxton Bennick (Husqvarna) 3. Ryder DiFrancesco (Husqvarna) 18. Julien Beaumer (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) Standings 250SMX Class 2026 after Playoff 1 1. Levi Kitchen, 47 points 2. Ryder DiFrancesco, 42 3. Cole Davies, 37 4. Daxton Bennick, 34 10. Julien Beaumer, 21