Kay de Wolf celebrated his first premier class podium with a spectacular comeback ride at the 2026 MXGP of Sardegna, whilst Liam Everts secured back-to-back MX2 podium finishes as Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing delivered a strong performance in the punishing deep sands of Riola Sardo.
The sixth running of the Sardinian Grand Prix once again lived up to its reputation as one of the most physically demanding rounds of the season. Set close to sea level on the 1750m Riola Sardo circuit, the deep beach sand created relentlessly rough conditions, with gusting winds and ever-changing lines testing both fitness and precision.
Everts carried his momentum from Switzerland into the weekend, qualifying fourth before delivering two composed motos. In race one, he settled into the lead group and worked his way into third with a decisive late pass on Janis Reisulis, controlling the position to the chequered flag.
Race two proved more challenging. A compromised start left the Belgian outside the top ten, but he quickly carved his way forward through the field. With calculated aggression and smart line choices, Everts climbed to fourth by mid-race. After briefly dropping to fifth in a late battle, he reclaimed fourth with two laps remaining and held firm under pressure to secure third overall for the second consecutive Grand Prix. The result promotes him to third in the MX2 World Championship standings.
De Wolf, continuing his impressive transition into MXGP, showed both speed and his trademark sand style across the weekend. After qualifying seventh, he delivered a strong ride in moto one, progressing to fourth by the chequered flag and narrowly missing the podium.
Moto two, however, was exceptional. An incident at the start left him down in 24th, but the Dutchman responded with a sensational charge through the field. Within a handful of laps he had broken into the top ten, and by mid-race he was already battling inside the top six. Maintaining relentless pace and composure, de Wolf continued his charge in the closing stages. A decisive pass on Romain Febvre elevated him into podium contention, and he secured third at the finish.
His remarkable recovery earned third overall with a 4-3 scorecard, marking his maiden MXGP podium and moving him up to ninth in the championship standings.
“That one means a lot. Sardegna is one of the toughest tracks we go to and in that second moto it was very tough at the start,” said de Wolf. “I think I was almost last, but in the sand you can always find different lines, and I just kept believing I could come back. To take my first MXGP podium like that, in these conditions, is pretty special.”
Everts added: “It was a really tough weekend physically, the sand here just drains you, so I’m happy to come away with another podium. Two podiums in a row and moving up to third in the championship is really positive, especially on a track like this.”
Lucas Coenen dominated both MXGP motos to take the overall victory ahead of Jeffrey Herlings, whilst Simon Langenfelder edged Sacha Coenen on countback for the MX2 overall win.
The team now heads to mainland Italy for the MXGP of Trentino in Pietramurata on April 19.
Photo: Husqvarna Motorcycles Media
Photo: Husqvarna Motorcycles Media
