Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Manuel Lettenbichler has claimed a commanding victory at the 2026 Red Bull Romaniacs to equal the all-time record of seven wins in the world’s toughest Hard Enduro Rally. Delivering a masterclass aboard his KTM 300 EXC, the German controlled the race from the opening offroad stage to the finish, eventually sealing the overall win in Romania by more than one hour.

The week began with the spectacular city-centre Prologue in Sibiu, where Lettenbichler topped qualifying before finishing third in the multi-lap final. Mani then hit the mountain stages in style, winning Offroad Day 1 by almost eight minutes to move into the overall lead. Another commanding victory on Offroad Day 2 extended the German's advantage to over 19 minutes. Despite narrowly missing out on the Offroad Day 3 win by less than one minute after an intense battle, Mani comfortably retained his race lead heading into the final day.

Lettenbichler sealed the victory in emphatic fashion on Offroad Day 4, dominating the final stage by 44 minutes. The result secured the overall win by one hour and three minutes, completing one of the most commanding performances in Red Bull Romaniacs history. The triumph marks Mani's seventh career victory at the event, equalling the all-time record, while also extending his remarkable run to four consecutive Red Bull Romaniacs wins.

Following another landmark success, Lettenbichler now turns his attention back to the 2026 FIM Hard Enduro World Championship, with round four, Forza Orza in Sweden, taking place on August 20-22.

Manuel Lettenbichler: “It’s honestly hard to put into words. Riding through the final grass fields, I was just thinking about how far my career has come. To win Red Bull Romaniacs for the seventh time is something I never expected, and it’s an unreal feeling. Every victory here takes so much hard work and preparation, so this one is really special. I really enjoyed the riding this week. There were some incredibly tough sections, but I was able to ride my own race, especially on the final day, and really enjoy it. Crossing the finish line is always an amazing feeling, and one of the best parts of Romaniacs is sharing the experience with so many riders from all over the world. Everyone goes through the same challenges out there, and that makes this event really unique.”

Yamaha riders Pol Tarrés and Kevin Gallas took on the formidable 2026 edition of the Red Bull Romaniacs Hard Enduro onboard their Ténéré 700s in the Adventure Ultimate class from 28th July – 1st August in Sibiu, Romania.

Showing impressive speed from the start to the end, Tárres showed determined efforts throughout the four days, finishing the event in second overall. Gallas kept a steady pace throughout the four days of competition and skillfully managed his Ténéré 700 over harsh terrain, ending the race in fourth place overall.

The Ténéré 700 once again showcased impressive durability across the four days of challenging riding across extreme terrain, with both Tarrés and Gallas pushing both themselves and their machines with maximum effort.

As AMA Pro Motocross visited the West Coast for the third time this season, the Washougal MX National delivered yet another dominant performance for Honda HRC Progressive, in near-ideal weather conditions. Hunter Lawrence captured his fifth premier-class overall victory of the season, while Jett Lawrence secured a solid runner-up finish with 1-2 moto scores. In the 250 class, Chance Hymas continued his positive trend, earning his second podium overall finish in a row.

The opening 450 moto saw Jett emerge from the first couple of corners in first place, while Hunter advanced from fourth to second during the opening lap. Jorge Prado settled into third, and the trio pulled away from the field in the early stages, before the Australian duo established a gap. The Honda HRC Progressive riders maintained their positions until the checkered flag, with Jett earning his seventh moto win of the season, and Hunter following in second.

Jett grabbed the moto 2 holeshot aboard his CRF450RWE, but Hunter took over the lead on the first lap. A brief off-circuit excursion resulted in Jett receiving a one-position penalty for accelerating as he reentered the track. He later had a small crash on the face of a jump but was able to remount before being overtaken. The defending champ mounted a late charge and closed the gap on his older brother before finishing just 1.7 seconds behind at the checkered flag. Hunter secured his fifth overall win of the season and extended his championship lead over Jett.

Meanwhile, Hymas delivered another impressive performance in the 250 class. After starting outside the top five in moto 1, the Idaho native navigated the opening turns well to emerge fourth. He quickly advanced to third, where he remained through the finish. He started inside the top three in moto 2 and battled near the front, briefly moving into second before Cole Davies reclaimed the position. Despite pressure from Carson Mumford, Hymas stayed focused and maintained his pace to secure another podium result, giving him a 3-3 finish (his first dual-moto-podium weekend of the season) and third overall.

Albert Arenas further extended his championship lead with a sixth consecutive podium finish in the FIM Supersport World Championship Race 2 at Donington Park, with another second place taking the Spaniard to an 82-point advantage heading into the summer break. 

Arenas’ consistency has been second to none this season, with the Race 2 podium marking his 13th podium of 2026. 

Aldi Satya Mahendra (AS BLU CRU Racing) took the holeshot under yet another day of glorious sunshine at Donington, launching off the grid in what is becoming a trademark strong start for the Indonesian rider, jumping from the third row in ninth to lead the pack into Redgate. 

Can Öncü (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate) also made a strong start, taking the lead by the end of the first lap to head the pack in the early stages of the race. Arenas (AS BLU CRU Racing) paced himself in the early stages, before a big battle with Öncü in the second half of the race. This tense fight would eventually allow Race 1 winner Tom Booth-Amost to break clear at the front. 

By the time Arenas had settled into second, it was a little too much to chase down the race leader but clinical as always, the Spaniard brought it home for a strong second place to further build his championship advantage. 

Roberto Garcia (GMT94 Yamaha) was strong in the closing stages, moving up to third ahead of the final lap only to be pipped for the final podium spot at the last corner, instead crossing the line fourth. Team-mate Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) also saw a late race resurgence to take fifth in a strong recovery ride. 

After his early race heroics, Aldi Mahendra took seventh, ahead of Öncü who again slipped down the order in the latter stages of the race. Yuki Okamoto (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) finished 20th. 

Arenas’ 82-point advantage puts him in a strong position to fight for the championship over the final four rounds, with the season now taking its summer break and resuming at Magny-Cours, France, in September. 

Honda HRC PETRONAS’ Jeffrey Herlings went one-one at the MXGP of Great Britain, to close up to within 11 points of the championship lead, in what was an impressive display of riding from the #84. Two holeshots made his life easier, but he still had to hold off a charging field to win his sixth GP of the year, and with seven more rounds to go, the momentum is firmly with the Dutchman.

After yesterday’s come-from-behind performance to finish fourth in qualification, two rocket starts on his Honda CRF450RW meant he led every lap of the day, enabling him to control the races and pick the fast lines around this historic Foxhills circuit, which provided an excellent racetrack for the riders and fans alike. Despite pressure from behind, the #84 kept his cool and took the maximum 50 points on offer, and while Loket isn’t necessarily his favourite venue, he’ll be heading to the Czech Republic next weekend with even more determination to battle for the championship-leading red-plate.

While he was unlucky to finish fourth overall, Ruben Fernandez had his best weekend of the year, scoring 46 points and winning the qualifying race yesterday. His four-four results showed that he was easily the next best guy on the track, but his starts didn’t allow him to battle for the podium spots. Still, it was great to see the #70 up there and he has had a big boost of confidence as we head into these last seven rounds.

Tom Vialle also can also consider his British GP a success, although his finishing positions don’t tell the whole story. The Frenchman was looking at a podium spot in race one, racing in third place until four laps from the end, when a mistake cost him that opportunity. He rebounded with a sixth in race two, showing good resilience, but he now knows he can run with the leaders and with his starting prowess also on display, Loket could see him return to the podium.

It was another tough weekend for Valerio Lata as his seven-nine results saw him finish ninth overall. He never really got to grips with the steep hills and hard-pack terrain, but will hope that Loket goes better despite their similarities.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Josep Garcia has been crowned the 2026 FIM EnduroGP World Champion after securing a dramatic victory on day two of the GP of France in Saint-Agrève. The Spaniard also successfully defended his Enduro1 crown, wrapping up both world titles one round early. Teammate Andrea Verona continued his consistent campaign with another overall podium on Saturday and remains firmly in contention to secure the 2026 Enduro2 World Championship heading into the final round.

Friday evening’s Super Test delivered a spectacular atmosphere as thousands of passionate French fans packed into Saint-Agrève. Garcia set the second-fastest time in the closely fought contest, while Verona opened his weekend with fifth place aboard his KTM 450 EXC-F.

Saturday’s opening day saw Garcia immediately establish himself among the frontrunners. With the pace at the front incredibly high throughout the day, the reigning champion pushed hard across every test and consistently matched the leaders. Despite narrowly missing out on the EnduroGP victory, Garcia claimed second overall while comfortably taking another Enduro1 class win, keeping his perfect class record intact and putting himself in the ideal position to fight for the championship on Sunday.

Knowing both world titles could be secured with a strong result on day two, Garcia delivered one of his finest rides of the season. Locked in a thrilling battle with Zach Pichon (TM MOTO) from the opening test, the pair traded fastest times throughout the day with neither rider able to establish a significant advantage. With everything on the line heading into the final test, Garcia responded under pressure, producing a stunning ride to claim the overall victory by just one second.

The result secured his third consecutive EnduroGP World Championship and fourth straight Enduro1 title, both with one round still remaining. Garcia has now stood on the overall EnduroGP podium at every race day this season, claiming eight victories, three second-place finishes, and one third, while completing a flawless 12-from-12 winning record in Enduro1. The championships also mark the eighth and ninth world titles of his remarkable career, moving him into joint third on the all-time list of EnduroGP World Champions.

Verona enjoyed another competitive weekend in France. On Saturday, the Italian remained in the fight at the front throughout the day, consistently matching the pace of the leading riders before ending proceedings in style by winning the final test. His efforts secured him third overall and second in Enduro2, collecting another valuable haul of championship points. Sunday proved more challenging as the demanding tests made finding a consistent rhythm difficult. Verona ultimately finished sixth overall and third in Enduro2, but retained second place in the overall EnduroGP standings while continuing to lead the Enduro2 championship heading into the season finale.

With Garcia’s championship ambitions now fulfilled, attention turns to the final round where the Spaniard will look to finish another dominant campaign on a high. Verona heads to Wales second in the overall EnduroGP standings and with the Enduro2 title still firmly in his hands, aiming to complete a successful first season in orange by securing the class championship.

The 2026 FIM EnduroGP World Championship concludes on August 7-9 at the GP of Wales in Rhayader.

Josep Garcia: “It’s an incredible feeling to leave France as both the 2026 EnduroGP and Enduro1 World Champion. Winning both titles with one round still to go is something I’m really proud of, and taking the overall victory today made it even more special. I feel like I’ve taken another big step forward this season, both with my riding and as a racer, and that’s down to all the hard work from everyone around me. I’m incredibly grateful to the whole team for everything they’ve done this year. Now it’s time to enjoy these titles and head to Wales looking to finish the season on a high.”

Honda HRC PETRONAS’ Jeffrey Herlings gave it everything he had to try and overcome the leader, but wasn’t able to make the necessary pass in either moto, coming up just short to go two-two for second overall at the MXGP of South Africa.

The revamped Terra Topia circuit in Johannesburg hosted the first GP in the country for 18 years, and the track was definitely one of the top venues that the riders have faced so far in 2026, but due to the speed and similar abilities of the top guys, making moves was difficult and as such, despite setting the fastest lap of the race, Herlings wasn’t able to win race one. Race two was much like the first, with Herlings unable to make any headway once moving into second place. It was a shame for the Dutchman after winning the previous two GPs, but there are still eight rounds remaining of this 2026 campaign to add to his win total.

Tom Vialle had an up and down weekend, but can definitely take some positives back to Europe after taking another holeshot, and running the pace of the top three in both of the races. A crash whilst in third, meant he was unable to finish race one, while the holeshot in race two again showed his starting prowess and the power of the Honda CRF450RW, despite being at nearly 1500m altitude. He did end up in sixth place, but that is an improvement on the previous rounds and he is getting back to speed and fitness that saw him win the MXGP of Switzerland earlier in the year.

It was a bruising affair for Ruben Fernandez, who fought hard in all three races over the weekend, to go seven-eight for sixth overall. He definitely would have liked to enjoy the event more, but it was still impressive to see the Spaniard battling hard for the duration, keeping some excellent riders behind him. With a weekend off, Fernandez will use the time wisely to rest and recuperate and prepare himself as best as possible for the challenge of Foxhills which is the ‘new’ host of the MXGP of Great Britain.

For Valerio Lata, it was another tough weekend in the MX2 class, as he struggled to match the pace of the top 250cc riders. The Italian never really got to see how the front-runners attacked the track as he didn’t get good starts, and with passing at a premium he had to settle for finishes around the top 10.

After three races in a row, the team now have a weekend off to prepare for eight rounds in 10 weekends, as the 2026 World Motocross Championships really ramps up the intensity for this final third of the season.

Adaptability and resilience. By responding to the constantly changing conditions, Honda HRC secured its fifth consecutive Suzuka 8 Hours victory today, and Honda’s 32nd triumph in one of the world’s most prestigious endurance races.

On Sunday, 5 July, a field of 50 teams lined up for the start of the 47th “Coca-Cola” Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race at the iconic 5.821 km Suzuka Circuit.

The race got underway at 11:30 am local time under overcast skies, with an air temperature of 23°C and the track still wet from the morning rain, and was heavily influenced by intermittent rain and several lengthy safety car periods. Honda HRC’s race strategy gradually shifted towards completing the race with Takumi Takahashi and Jonathan Rea, both able to rely on extensive experience in similar conditions. Somkiat Chantra had shown very competitive pace throughout the dry sessions but had not had the opportunity to gain experience in these mixed and wet conditions. Making his Suzuka 8 Hours debut, the Thai rider nevertheless made an important contribution to the team’s overall effort throughout the race week.

Takumi Takahashi started from Pole Position aboard the #30 CBR1000RR-R FIREBLADE SP. He made a good start and was passed by Naomichi Uramoto (AutoRace Ube Racing Team) at the first corner, before remaining in contention for the lead throughout the opening stages.

Honda HRC completed the first four hours with two pit stops, with Takahashi ending his first 33-lap stint in the lead before handing over to Jonathan Rea. Rea consolidated Honda HRC’s lead until the end of lap 66, when he handed the bike back to Takahashi.

Takahashi entered the pits at the end of lap 92 for Honda HRC’s third pit stop and Jonathan Rea rejoined the race still in first place with an advantage of around 22 seconds over Sylvain Guintoli (AutoRace Ube Racing Team). While the Honda HRC rider gradually extended his advantage over the French rider, Jack Miller (YAMAHA FACTORY RACING TEAM) moved into second place on lap 105. Lapping consistently in the 2’16 to 2’18 range, Miller began to reduce the gap to the leader, but Rea responded by increasing his pace to maintain an advantage of around 28 seconds, once again demonstrating all his experience in controlling the situation in the demanding conditions.

Miller made his fourth pit stop on lap 115, while Rea continued for three more laps before handing the #30 CBR1000RR-R FIREBLADE SP back to Takumi Takahashi at the end of lap 118. Takahashi began the sixth hour with around a 29-second advantage over Michael van der Mark (BMW MOTORRAD WORLD ENDURANCE TEAM). With the rain easing but the track still wet and conditions remaining very tricky, Takahashi also put all his experience and speed to good use, continuing to control Honda HRC’s advantage at the front.

Honda HRC’s fifth and penultimate pit stop came on lap 144, when Takahashi handed the bike over to Rea. Honda HRC’s advantage over second-placed Jack Miller at times dropped below 20 seconds, but Rea managed the gap, keeping it within a safe margin for Takahashi to begin the final stint.

Takahashi took over on lap 173 with 52 minutes remaining, holding an advantage of around 20 seconds over Andrea Locatelli. A few minutes later, heavy rain returned, while the fading daylight added a further challenge for the riders in the closing stages of the race. With 34 minutes remaining, the deployment of the safety car on lap 179 effectively settled the race, preserving Takahashi’s advantage over Locatelli. Honda HRC completed today’s 188 lap-race to secure its fifth consecutive Suzuka 8 Hours victory, taking the chequered flag as Suzuka’s grandstands were illuminated by thousands of multicoloured lights.

The victory marks Takumi Takahashi’s eighth Suzuka 8 Hours win, his fifth consecutive success in the event, and Jonathan Rea’s third victory at Suzuka.

Lucas Coenen won for the fifth time on his KTM 450 SX-F in the 2026 MXGP FIM Motocross World Championship at Terra Topia and a long overdue return for the series to South African soil. Red Bull KTM also celebrated more trophies in MX2 (their tenth podium appearance in eleven rounds) thanks to Simon Laengenfelder’s 2nd position.

Terra Topia, close to Johannesburg, made its debut in MXGP for the first South African Grand Prix since 2008. The paddock discovered an elevated, long, fast, wide, rough and rippled hardpacked course with decent line choice and hefty jumps. The weather was hot and sunny and the dipping sunset made visibility in sections tricky on Sunday afternoon.

On Saturday Red Bull KTM aced both MXGP and MX2 Qualification heats for the fourth time from eleven Grands Prix in 2026. Lucas Coenen and Simon Laengenfelder owned their respective classes for a maximum Saturday points haul as well as first picks in the gate for Sunday.

Lucas marked his seventh holeshot of the season in the first moto. The Belgian then built a small advantage and controlled the rest of the race. In the second moto he rushed into the lead on lap one and repeated his escape act. The 19-year-old was flawless and managed the 30 minute and 2 lap distance to again sweep the race order. Lucas’s success means an 11-point gain in the championship for a margin of 68 over Jeffrey Herlings.

Andrea Adamo placed 8th overall. The Italian posted scores of 9-7 in the two motos. He made a bright start to run top three in the second outing and then established his pace for a worthy top seven finish. The former MX2 world champ is solidly accumulating points and sits 6th in the standings for his rookie MXGP term. KTM have now moved to P1 in the MXGP Manufacturers table.

The MX2 World Champion returned to a podium ceremony for the first time since round four in Sardinia. Simon Laengenfelder rode to 3rd place in the first moto and then almost had the holeshot in the second. He completed a lonely race in a safe 2nd to confirm 3-2 on the day and P2 on the rostrum. The result delivered Simon’s fifth trophy of the campaign and keeps him firmly in contention to defend his title: he’s 3rd in the standings, 52 points from Sacha Coenen’s red plate. The Belgian was 4th in South Africa. He took a decent 2nd in the first moto but ran off track into the first corner of the second race and then also crashed on the opening lap and had to work his way back to P6. He missed the box by just one point but still leads the championship by 14 over the next nearest pursuer.

More milestones for MXGP in two weeks: the first British Grand Prix to take place at Foxhill circuit since 2000 will form round 12 of the 2026 campaign on July 18-19.

Honda HRC Progressive enjoyed a standout Independence Day at the legendary RedBud Motocross National, as Hunter Lawrence and Jo Shimoda both took over the coveted red plates that signify the championship leads. For the third time this season and the second time in a row, Hunter secured a premier-class overall victory, while Jett Lawrence added another moto win and an overall-podium finish, despite experiencing an uncharacteristic challenging day. In the 250 class, Shimoda earned his first moto victory of the season to take over the championship lead, while Chance Hymas continued to build momentum with his strongest result of the season so far. 

Heavy rainfall during the previous 24 hours left the track in an extremely challenging condition for the motos, with deep ruts developing throughout much of the course.

After starting third in moto 1, Hunter overtook Jorge Prado and then caught and passed Jett for the lead in the closing laps. While Hunter was navigating one of the deepest ruts, dirt and debris became lodged in his bike’s chain guide and rear-sprocket area.

This caused the rear wheel to momentarily lock, resulting in an unfortunate tip-over that allowed Jett to regain the lead, and Hunter was forced to settle for second. In moto 2, Hunter started sixth but quickly worked his way through the riders ahead of him. With just over three laps remaining, he passed Prado for the lead and pulled away to a convincing 12-second victory, securing the overall win. Meanwhile, a pair of early tip-overs dropped Jett outside the top 10 in moto 2, but the defending champ responded with a determined charge back to fifth, securing third overall. 

After avoiding a first-turn incident in the first 250 moto, Shimoda steadily worked his way forward, putting in a signature late surge before finishing third. A stronger moto-2 start put him in immediate contention, and he methodically closed on the leaders before making the moto-winning pass on Cole Davies. Shimoda then pulled away to a convincing 12-second victory, earning the moto win and second overall. Hymas recorded an 8-6 moto tally as he builds consistency and works toward podium contention.