ZXMOTO Takes on the MXGP World Championship, as Fantic Bids Farewell

Historic debut for ZXMOTO in MXGP: team and riders unveiled at EICMA 2026, as Fantic bows out of the World Championship for 2027.

There will definitely be a Chinese brand in the 2027 Motocross World Championship. ZXMOTO has chosen EICMA 2026 to officially announce its plans, unveiling the team and riders for its MXGP debut. The new outfit is called ZXMOTO JM Racing Factory, confirming the rumors: a new challenge for the team led by Jacky Martens, which through 2026 served as the factory team for Lombardy-Veneto-based Fantic. Fantic is leaving the World Championship for the 2027 season... Back to ZXMOTO: its two MX450s will be entrusted to Norwegian Kevin Horgmo, who has been in the premier class since 2024, and Spaniard Oriol Oliver, set to begin his second year in the category.

Following JHL Moto’s wildcard appearance—the first-ever Chinese brand to enter MXGP—the time has come for a full-time debut. It looked as though there would be two debuting brands from the Asian country, with KOVE also expected to line up before its plans changed (as we reported in the article below). We’ve covered this at length in the past, and now ZXMOTO is ready to take on its new challenge in earnest: its entry into the premier class of the Motocross World Championship is confirmed, as are both riders and the team structure.

As mentioned, the team is JM Racing, which competed in the MXGP World Championship this year with Fantic, fielding Alberto Forato and Brent van Doninck. It was a difficult season, marked by injuries, absences and replacements brought in during the campaign, with results unfortunately below expectations. Jacky Mertens and the team are now taking their chances with the Chinese brand, while the Italian brand they worked with...

Just yesterday, manager Davide Guarnieri confirmed at the Talk Fantic Factory Racing 2027 event held at EICMA that there will be no Fantic entry in MXGP in 2027: the partnership with JM Racing has ended, and there is too little time to put together a technical and organizational package capable of competing at the required level. The Lombardy-Veneto-based manufacturer is therefore stepping back, though it has spoken of “see you again” rather than a definitive farewell. Its sights are already set on the future, with plans to build a new program that will bring Fantic back to both MXGP and MX2, beginning in the short term with the growth and development of young riders in the EMX classes. Today, Fantic also confirmed the news in a statement, which we reproduce in full below.

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