Energy giant PETRONAS goes all-in on Honda HRC and its MXGP/MX2 stars

The Honda HRC team has been unveiled, with the arrival of PETRONAS proving significant: big expectations for the new championship.

The major Malaysian giant is betting everything on Honda and its aces for the 2026 Motocross season. That’s the message from the announcement of the team’s new main sponsor, marking a change from the past: PETRONAS made major headlines for its MotoGP partnership with Yamaha, even lending its name to the satellite team. Now here comes the Honda HRC PETRONAS team: the important Malaysian state oil company has been announced as sponsor of the Golden Wing’s MXGP squad. Another heavyweight “new entry” after the lineup revealed for 2026—Jeffrey Herlings above all, judging by the incredible trophy haul he’s amassed so far. But in MXGP keep an eye on Tom Vialle and Ruben Fernandez too, while in MX2 our Valerio Lata will be under the spotlight. A quartet aiming to add another chapter to the team’s incredible tradition.

Jeffrey Herlings, the most successful rider in the history of Grand Prix motocross, won’t just be looking to extend that record, but also to add another five world titles. Having joined the Honda HRC PETRONAS team with a contract signed on January 1, the Dutchman has been testing and racing extensively since then, and will now use a couple of pre-season events to sharpen race pace ahead of the opening round in Bariloche, Argentina, on March 7–8.

Lining up alongside him will be another new signing, two-time MX2 champion Tom Vialle, returning to Europe after a highly successful stint in the United States, where he also captured two Supercross titles. The Frenchman will race a 450cc for the first time in his career and, like Herlings, will also be riding a Honda for the first time.

The pair will be joined by the returning Ruben Fernandez, who finished fourth in the 2025 MXGP World Championship. Number 70 was consistent all season, with flashes of speed that put him on the podium on several occasions. Now the Spaniard’s goal is to show that speed more often and fight regularly for the top positions.

The only Honda representative in the MX2 class is Italian rider Valerio Lata, now in his second year in the category and expected to feel much more confident heading into 2026. He wrapped up in Australia with his first podium with the team and, now that he knows what it takes, he has worked hard throughout the pre-season to try to replicate it consistently this year.

The riders now have a few more weeks and some pre-season races to contest before heading to South America, but they are all eager and truly excited to line up for Honda HRC PETRONAS in the 2026 Motocross World Championship.