Vialle and Gajser excluded from the restart: the unclear rule stirring debate in MXGP

Wednesday, 27 May 2026 at 07:31

Tom Vialle and Tim Gajser out of the restart of Race 2 in France: the reasons touch on an unclear part of the regulations.

The world regulations apparently are full of "grey areas," details that aren’t very clear. We’ve seen examples in MotoGP, the latest in Catalunya, but there’s also something in Motocross that sparked debate. Tom Vialle and Tim Gajser were excluded from the restart in France after the red-flag incident at the start of Race 2, but for different reasons: the former is simply listed as not restarted, the latter is recorded as not admitted due to an unauthorized bike change. A nebulous regulatory distinction that created no small amount of confusion and fueled much discussion after the GP at Lacapelle Marival.

Two major absences

As reported by mcnews.com, engines were already running and everything was set to restart MXGP Race 2. Tom Vialle was already out of the race, while Tim Gajser was ready at the gate when FIM officials approached him and asked him to leave. The five-time world champion had changed bikes after the incident with Vialle but apparently returned too late. Hence the official classification distinguishing the two absences at the restart, while also highlighting a regulatory distinction that was never clarified. Not a mechanical retirement nor a disqualification, but something concerning the second bike available to riders—an exclusion that left many puzzled.

Beyond the championship angle: both are leading contenders, and a zero in this circumstance will weigh heavily over the course of the season. The climb to the top of MXGP is already getting complicated: Tim Gajser is 4th, 63 points down, Tom Vialle is 5th with a 67-point gap. The Motocross season is certainly still very long, there will be plenty of chances to recover, but what Jeffrey Herlings and Lucas Coenen are showing is already “worrying” in the battle for the crown!