With Maxime Renaux and Kay De Wolf arriving at the all new Cozar circuit in Spain this weekend, both carrying the red plate, we can only get excited for what is ahead. Maybe a little less in the MX2 class, but for the MXGP class, it seems anything is possible and that makes for a lot of anticipation.

Of course, while the names Tim Gajser and Jeffrey Herlings dominated the sport for so long, the last two years of Jorge Prado championship winning performances was something we had to get used to. At times, we all waited for Herlings and Gajser to put some hurt on the Spaniard and while both did, at times in the year, Prado came out a winner in the end.

Now, as we come into round two of the 2025 MXGP championship in Spain this coming weekend, we have to ask the question, is Maxime Renaux finally ready to do a Prado and show guys like Gajser, Febvre and Herlings (when he returned) that he is the boss?

The Frenchman, like Prado is a former MX2 World champion and is without question, a rider with immense talent, and he showed that again in Cordoba, Argentina eight days ago. Winning a GP in exciting fashion though doesn’t mean you are a championship contender, and its going to take a few rounds before we know more about the 2025 version of Maxime Renaux.

In his 2022 debut year in MXGP, Renaux showed amazing talent, finishing second to Gajser in round two in Italy with 3-2, then second again to Gajser in round three in Argentina (Gajser going 2-1 and Renaux 1-2). Renaux then picked up his first 450 overall win in Spain, before crashing out two rounds later and ruining his chance at the title. Mind you, despite those solid rounds from Renaux, Gajser had around 70 points in the Frenchman when he missed two rounds.

Renaux started last year also in great form, starting with sixth overall in round one and then going 4th, 1st, 2nd, but followed that with 10th overall in Portugal, before crashing out of the Saturday qualifier in Spain and ending his championship hopes. He did come back for the final five rounds, but with a troublesome foot, faltered in Sweden, Holland, Italy and England, but did get a 3-2 score in Turkey.

Tim Gajser has shown in the past, that his cool and calm race craft has brought him a lot of success, and we all remember a Tim Gajser that could spread himself across a track better than anyone when he came to scary accidents, but in recent years (outside of his unfortunate pre-season race in 2023), he has looked much smoother and in control of the situation. Experience is a wonderful thing.

Of course, his 2023 series was a mess, after that pre-season crash in Trentino saw him miss the opening 11 rounds and the rounds he did race, he didn’t really get firing until the final three rounds, where he went 2-1-9-2-1-1. In 2024, he could have so easily been crowned a six-time World champion, but a big mistake in China saw him lose the red plate with one round remaining and suffer yet another high-pressure disappointment in Spain two weeks later.

Still though, Gajser is the most experience of the group and while Romain Febvre has a year longer in MXGP than the Slovenian, Gajser has been in high pressure situations and has four World MXGP championships to that single win in 2015 by the Frenchman.

I would say that Febvre is always a bit of a question mark in the sport. Despite being close to the speed of both Gajser and Herlings over the years, his single World title a decade ago just doesn’t seem enough, you get the feeling he deserves so much more. Unfortunately, in a sport that injuries are a major part of an athlete’s career, Febvre has suffered from crashes and time off.

There is no doubt, he has the speed and the skills, but maybe, he also needs a little luck. As tough as they come, the Kawasaki factory rider has 21 Grand Prix victories (20 from the MXGP class) and is the third highest GP winner in the 450 class behind Herlings and Gajser, who have 46 and 44 each.

I don’t think anyone other than his opposition and their teams would be disappointed if Febvre added another World title to his name, because as I have said, he deserves it, as he has been so close in 2021 in that three way battle with Herlings and Gajser and has time and time again show ridiculous speed. He just needs to keep off the ground and anything is possible.

So, while we talk about the BIG THREE, I have a feeling it might turn into the big four in Spain, as Lucas Coenen continued to recover from his off-season injuries and comes into Cozar next weekend with more bike time and more confidence.

How can you not love this kid, just 18 years of age and so talented. In the pre-season races in Italy, he showed blazing, Herlings like speed and I hope we get a lot of that in 2025, before he heads off to USA (as the rumours say). I wouldn’t be surprised to see him take it to the big three next weekend and I sure hope I am correct, because that would lighten up the 2025 MXGP championship and we are all for that, right?

Pascal Haudiquert image