In what is a very tough MXGP class in 2026, former MX2 world champion, Maxime Renaux can be a little disappointed with his start to the season, with 4-7-8-2-4-6 results from the first six motos run in Argentina and Spain.

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A serious title contender, he hasn’t really been on the pace of the likes of series leader, Lucas Coenen, or the other men above him, Jeffrey Herlings, Tom Vialle, and Romain Febvre. I might add, three of those men (Herlings, Vialle and Febvre) have nine world motocross championships between them and are no joke. Obviously, series leader Coenen, is without question the man with the speed and he is known to win multiple GPs back to back.

Still, Renaux believes in his ability as does his team owner, Hans Corvers. Corvers, a former Grand Prix racer and long time sponsor or multiple teams can see the full potential of his French racer and for Renaux, that is very important.

Coming into the season, Renaux was full of confidence and went into the opening round in Argentina with a good memory. A victory in Argentina in 2025 and a love of travel, the Frenchman was excited for round one.

Entering Argentina

Renaux: I was feeling pretty good heading into the first round of the 2026 season. I had a strong winter and some good preseason races, so I’m coming in with confidence. I didn’t know much about the track yet, but I hoped they prepared it well—last year it was really nice. My goal was to start the season with a solid result and get off to the best possible start. I have a really good memory from last year in Argentina, winning the first GP and taking my first MXGP red plate. I was looking forward to creating another nice memory like that one in Argentina.

Performance in Argentina

Renaux: It wasn’t the easiest start to the season for me, as I never really felt comfortable with the track all weekend. I was riding a bit tight and couldn’t quite find the flow I was looking for. In the end, we just focused on salvaging some points. The championship is long, so the important thing is to keep the bigger picture in mind, take what we can from this round, and move forward to the next one.

Expectations of Spain

Renaux: New track on the calendar — I’ve seen some pictures. It looked sandy and fast, so I was looking forward to trying it. My weekend off was good; we did some work to build on what we learned in Argentina. The goal for the weekend was to replicate the good start from Argentina, find a strong feeling with the track and the bike, and get the most points out of the weekend.

Nearly A Podium

Renaux: It was a solid day here at the Spanish GP. Of course, I’m a bit disappointed to miss out on the podium, but we scored good points in the Qualifying Race, which is important for the championship. I feel like I still have more to give in the upcoming races. The goal now is to keep improving quickly and move in the right direction, because I believe I have what it takes to fight at the front.