Explosive Tom Vialle: Honda’s MXGP super rookie ignites the 2026 World Championship

Did you expect it? Tom Vialle, a sensational rookie at the start of MXGP 2026 and already a serious contender at the top.

Ready, set... Victory! That’s how we could sum up the three MXGP weekends of Tom Vialle, already a major revelation and a formidable opponent in this 2026 Motocross World Championship, who on his third ‘attempt’ clinched his first GP win. Let’s not forget that the Honda HRC Petronas rider is making his debut on the 450s, and also with the Golden Wing after years with KTM. Yet it seems his feeling with the CRF450RW is already almost perfect, in addition to the undisputed talent of the French rider, a two-time MX2 world champion and two-time AMA Supercross 250 champion. In Switzerland comes the first roar and, we can bet, it certainly won’t be the last!

The qualifying race was by far the worst of the year for Tom Vialle, only 18th. But the most valuable points always come in the races and the French ace certainly didn’t hold back. In the first moto he literally dominated, keeping the lead from start to finish despite the difficult Frauenfeld track due to adverse weather conditions. In Race 2 he had to fight a bit more, as after the start he found himself outside the top 20. Yet he produced a stunning comeback up to 6th place that even surprised Vialle himself, who hadn’t even realized he had won the Swiss GP until he stepped onto the podium!

A victory that puts him just seven points behind championship leader Lucas Coenen, after three completely different rounds in which he showcased his ability to manage every situation: in short, he’s establishing himself as a serious contender anytime, anywhere! "I didn’t realize I had won when I crossed the finish line," admitted Tom Vialle at the end of the Swiss GP. "It’s amazing to have won the GP, my first in the MXGP class and my first with this new team, and I hope it’s the first of many. It was a very tricky track, different from what I’m used to, but I kept fighting until the end."