Unstoppable Laengenfelder: double win and MX2 lead, Ducati in the points with Mancini

Champion’s roar: Simon Laengenfelder is untouchable, double victory and the MX2 overall lead. Race report and standings.

The champion delivers a double without giving much away to his rivals. Simon Laengenfelder kicks off his 2026 MX2 season in style: after putting the troublesome qualifying race behind him, the KTM ace signs off a routine triumph in both motos of this Argentine round, on a sand track that had plenty of water poured on it both yesterday and before the races to make the surface “softer.” Double celebration for Triumph, with both McLellan and Farres on the podium, while polesitter Sacha Coenen finishes 2nd in Race 1 and retires after a crash in Race 2... A mixed GP for Lata as well, ultimately 12th overall, and a very solid debut for Mancini, who scores points in both motos with the Desmo250 MX. Here’s how it went today.

Holeshot for rookie Janis Reisulis (sharp off the line yesterday too), great launch by Laengenfelder into 2nd, with Karlis Reisulis third. And polesitter Coenen? He’s immediately on the edge of the top 10 behind our guys Lata and Mancini, while others who were up front yesterday, like Valin and Everts, are well outside it—Everts among those tangled up in the first-corner pile-up. That’s the start; lap by lap the picture changes: Laengenfelder takes over the lead, Coenen charges hard and by lap 11 he’s right on his teammate’s tail. But it won’t be enough; there’s no contest out front: Laengenfelder, after a qualifying race to forget, stamps his authority like a champion and wins this first moto, with a KTM one-two completed by Coenen.

As always, it’s a frantic start: the Reisulis brothers on the attack, same for Laengenfelder and Everts, and it’s the latter who slots into the race lead. But here comes an unexpected twist: on lap two Coenen crashes! He gets going again, but retires shortly after—his KTM is seriously damaged... Also to note is Lata’s retirement, also due to a crash. Up front, Everts escapes, Karlis Reisulis is 2nd (he grabbed the holeshot), and behind them it’s a fierce duel between Laengenfelder and Farres, who’s forced off track and loses a lot of positions. It doesn’t end there: the reigning champion is on a tear, steadily reeling them in, and by lap 9 he’s on the race leader’s rear wheel, then makes the pass the next lap. From that moment it’s a solo by KTM’s German, who with a double triumph flies into the MX2 overall lead.