The 2025 MXGP season kicks off this coming weekend, at the Infinito race track in Cordoba, Argentina and while everyone is excited to see who comes out on top in round one, the focus is of course, who gets through the opening rounds and can build as the season moves towards the final round in Australia in September.

With defending champion, Jorge Prado now racing (recovering from injury) in America, the regular contenders have not changed. Tim Gajser of the HRC factory team will no doubt arrive in Argentina as a heavy favourite to win his sixth World title this year and join the legendary Joel Roberts as the third most successful World championship winner in the sports history.

With the recent news of another five-time World champion, Jeffrey Herlings now likely to miss three or four rounds due to his ACL injury from 2024, that make the job for the Slovenian that much easier.

Gajser who has gone 1-1-2-1 in the two pre-season races he has contested, only beaten by MXGP rookie, Lucas Coenen after crashing in the final lap of a moto, while leading. The HRC man looks very, very good and it is hard to see anyone beating him, as we enter the opening round.

“You always want to win,” Gajser said. “You know, it is never easier mentally to lose, especially when you lose by just a couple of points (as was the case in 2024). It was nine or 10 points between Jorge and me. It was a difficult one and I felt I was riding really good last year, a bit more control, I was not riding over my limits. I was always in the comfort zone, let’s say, not always pushing, so I always settles for second or third, if I saw I had to push too much and I never risked too much to go for the win. I felt I rode more mature, more with experience, but in the end, it was not enough. Sometimes, you have to risk maybe a little bit more and go over your limit. I learnt again something, this year.”

As for joining Joel Robert with six World titles, the always friendly and happy Slovenian isn’t bothered who he joins in any list, but is thankful others enjoy the historical factor of our sport.

“I mean, I didn’t know that and its nice to know that. I mean, of course, it is nice to be with these legends, in such a high company. Definitely we are working hard and as you said, I am not into the statistics, but we are working hard, and we want to arrive in Argentina ready. Every GP I will try and win and give my best, but with the experience I have, we look at the big picture and the goal is always to fight for the championship. It is an honour to be in this type of company.”

There is however a long list of title candidates and 2015 World MXGP champion, Romain Febvre, who has had a consistent pre-season, with third overall at the Hawkstone Park International, second overall in a French international a week later and last weekend, the Kawasaki factory rider went 1-1 for victory in the deep sand of Lierop, in The Netherlands.

On those occasions, Febvre finished behind Fantic factory rider, Glenn Coldenhoff and Monster Energy Yamaha factory rider, Maxime Renaux. Now reaching 34 years of age in 2025, the veteran Frenchman feels that his experience is a good thing but is honest enough to focus on some things that age doesn’t give an advantage.

“With the age and the experience,” Febvre said. “It is easier to manage your season and also your fitness, because you know where you have to push and what you have to do. Also, what you shouldn’t do, or don’t need to do. So, for that it is easier, but I do feel, and I think everyone feels this, is when you get older, you need to keep that speed. The level of the speed, its harder to get when you are older, so you need to work on that, to keep that speed. As you get older, you think more, but you really need to work on keeping the speed. So, to keep that speed on one lap and maintain it. Also, the overall speed, I also have to work on that.”

Maybe not a title contender in 2025, but without question, a rider many will be watching, is MXGP rookie, Lucas Coenen. The Belgian teenager has already beaten Gajser in a 450 moto and while he did look at times a little wild in his two Italian international races, it is clear, he has Herlings like speed and if he can stay on the bike, he will entertain us a lot in 2025. Unfortunately, he also crashed last week and has injuries to his arms but will try and race Argentina. Not a great start to his MXGP career.

Coenen has mentioned in the past, that this year is for preparing for USA in 2026 and all he wants to do is learn his trade, against some of the best riders in the World. He does however have an insatiable hunger for victories and that could either help him or hurt him.

“Just training,” Coenen said. “Putting hours on the bike and having fun on that 450. It is really fast, that bike is no joke, but for me, its just to get to know the bike, because the 450 is not a 250 and some people think its easier to ride a 450 with more power, but to handle the bike with that power, its more difficult. So much power and you can feel its heavier when you ride it. Everything is rolling and we are just trying to get the best out of it. I am just looking forward to Argentina. I want to do my best and when I do my best, we will see what it is going to be. I am already sure about myself, and I am not going to be ridiculous, and I am just going to do my thing, take it step by step, race by race and we are going to see where we end up. I am feeling good on the bike and physically I am also good. I am just looking forward to having a good season with the team and riding in a new class. It is going to be fun.”

And Herlings, the man who for many years made headlines wherever he raced and whenever he comes back, we will all be waiting and hoping this, possibly his final year in the sport is at least in some ways, a successful one. Some GP wins, more headlines, but most of all, a healthy end to what has been one of the all-time great motocross careers.

When news dropped that he was out of the first round in Argentina, we all took a deep breath, and hoped he could still be a contender in 2025, but when new broke that he might miss three or four rounds, a deep sorry swept through the motocross World in Europe. Can he come back and win, lets hope so.

“It’s not entirely certain yet,” Herlings mentioned. “But I’ll probably miss the first three or four races in MXGP. Then you have to be realistic and know that the world title is simply gone. For many people this comes as a shock, but we didn’t announce it earlier because we hoped that the recovery would go faster. Of course it’s bitter, but I’ve known for three months. That's just part of the sport, otherwise I should have gone to play draughts or miniature golf. My father and brother got an artificial knee at a young age, and I don't want that. I can actually do everything again, except cross-country. According to the doctor, the cruciate ligaments are not yet strong enough. I can start very tough -as usual- earlier, but I'm taking that risk now. I would like to go for the world title one more time in 2026, but if there is no new contract, this will be my last year.”

Of course, there are other names who will shine in 2025, most likely Maxime Renaux will be put some serious pressure on the likes of Gajser and Febvre, having finished second overall at the Hawkstone International with 1-2 results and then winning in France a week later with 1-1 scores and on both occasions, coming from behind to beat Febvre in both motos. The former MX2 World champion just needs to stay on the bike, because until now, he has struggled to finish a season in the MXGP class.

Outside of the names I have mention, it is possible to see some guys winning a GP or moto, but seriously contending for a World title, for me, its Gajser, Febvre, Coenen and Renaux who will be regular podium men, and score the most points. Pauls Jonass as the new Kawasaki factory rider, Jago Geerts and Calvin Vlaanderen of the Monster Energy Yamaha team or maybe even new Ducati signing, Jeremy Seewer have the potential to be podium guys, but winning the title, which seems out of their reach for now.

Of course, it isn’t just the 450 boys that are going got GP wins and championship and without question, the Nestaan Husqvarna factory rider Kay De Wolf, is the big favourite to defend his MX2 title this year.

The Dutchman, who was the first Husqvarna rider to win a World title since Alessio Chiodi back in the 1990’s fought off a fierce battle with team-mate, Lucas Coenen in 2024, however with Coenen now in the MXGP class, it makes the 2025 job of De Wolf a little easier.

However, KTM have come out firing in the pre-season, with former World MX2 champion Andrea Adamo winning a pre-season race in Italy and Simon Langenfelder doing the same. Also to shine in the pre-season races was Sasha Coenen, also a KTM man, and new MX2 rider, Mattis Valin, of the Kawasaki factory effort.

When you add names like Liam Everts, who has signed with the Nestaan Husqvarna factory team, he will travel to Argentina for the opening round as he recovers from a broken back in China last year, so his results there will be interesting, or Thibault Benistant, both who have won GPs in the class before, Everts five and Benistant three.

Interestingly, due to the age rule, only six riders in the class have GP wins, those being De Wolf (8), Everts (5), Benistant (3), Langenfelder (3), Adamo (2) and Sasha Coenen (2) have GP wins.

Experience in the MX2 class is an important element of success and that is why it is hard to go past De Wolf, who is one of the few riders in the class to be able to put together a complete season, without missing rounds.

Everts missed the opening round in 2024 due to a thumb injury and it seemed he was out again for the opening in 2025, but he is in. Benistant missed 10 rounds in 2024, four in 2023, three in 2022 and two in 2021, so he needs to be consistent, or never challenge for the title. Adamo and Langenfelder have been pretty consistent when it comes to not missing rounds but have failed to race a complete season at some point in their MX2 career.