Lacapelle-Marival, in southern France will host the sixth round of the 2026 MXGP World Championship, after what has been a month-long break since Jeffrey Herlings won the fifth round in Trentino, Italy.

Jeffrey Herlings: While we’ve had a break from racing GPs, I’ve stayed busy racing in some national races around Europe. I’ve always said that I prefer racing, and that it’s more productive to me than training sessions so these few weeks have been good. The quality of my opposition has been strong and I’ve won most of the races so I feel fit and healthy and ready to restart this season. A big thanks to all the team who have worked hard to help me during this break, and now it’s back to the day-job.

That result, combined with solid finishes for Tom Vialle and Ruben Fernandez meant that the trio of MXGP Honda HRC PETRONAS riders headed into this mid-season break with good levels of confidence. Those level have since been boosted even further as all three riders won national races during the time away from the GPs in what has actually been a busy period for all the team members.

Tom Vialle: I’ve had a good break from the GPs, but it has definitely been weird to have so long off in the middle of the season. I had a quick trip to America, which was good and nice to catch up with some of my friends over there. Since then its been back to work and making sure I’m ready for Lacapelle this weekend. I have good memories having won here in 2021 and of course, it will be great to ride in front of all the French fans. I’ve done a couple of national races here and they’ve been a lot of fun, but this should really be an exciting weekend and one I’ve been looking forward to since I signed with Honda HRC PETRONAS.

Events in Spain, France, the Netherlands, and the UK meant that work never stopped, and the riders will arrive in France, ready to perform at the highest level. And while MX2 rider Valerio Lata didn’t enter the break with such conviction, winning races in his native Italy has now given him a boost and he’s ready to line-up with the fastest 250cc riders in the world and get his podium aspirations back on track.

Both Herlings and Vialle have won a GP at the Lacapelle-Marival track so they know what it takes to be victorious on what is a tight and technical hard-pack circuit, however given the quality of the opposition this year, any podium effort will require an immense effort from both the rider and his crew to make sure their Honda CRF’s are set-up perfectly.

With the weather forecast looking sunny and dry, this should be a great weekend for fans and riders alike, and the whole of the Honda HRC PETRONAS are ready to put on a great show for what should be a massive French crowd.

Rubén Fernández: If you look at my five GPs so far, my total weekend points tally has been pretty consistent, but I definitely feel like I’ve left some points on the table, so the goal is to increase that amount and fight nearer to the front of the field. I had a good result at a Spanish national, which are always fun races for me, so I just want to keep that momentum and try to get myself on the podium.

Valerio Lata: Before this break, I didn’t have the best result in Trentino, so really I’ve just been working hard for this month to make sure that in France this weekend, I am the best version of myself. I had a good result at the Italian national in Fermo so I just want to take that form and that enjoyment into the GPs now. I usually like French tracks so I’m hoping for a good race and just battling with the top guys.

Marcus Pereira de Freitas: While we haven’t a GP since Trentino on April 19th, all four riders have been busy in races around Europe, and that means the whole team have been busy helping them at those races and also preparing for the return to GP action. There have been plenty of victories amongst the four, so that has been good for the confidence and just making sure they arrive in France ready for what is a pretty intense period of GPs. This round is especially important for Tom, who is racing at home and will have a lot of support from the French crowd.