Lucas Coenen and Simon Laengenfelder delivered commanding performances at the Grand Prix of Sardinia, round four of the 2026 FIM Motocross World Championship. Racing in the challenging sand of Riola Sardo, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing swept both premier and MX2 class victories, extending their championship leads in both categories.
Belgian sensation Lucas Coenen claimed his second overall MXGP victory of the season with a flawless 1-1 performance aboard the KTM 450 SX-F. The 19-year-old has now won five of eight motos contested this season and holds a commanding 14-point advantage atop the championship standings.
Despite recovering from a crash during Saturday’s qualification heat to start fifth, Coenen quickly found his rhythm on Sunday. He experimented with alternative lines through the deep Sardinian sand to charge to the front in moto one. A late fall in the second moto created drama, but Coenen held his nerve to secure the double moto sweep.
“I made a gap in the second moto but it grabs you so quick! I went on my ear, and it took a lot of energy out of me,” Coenen said. “I said to myself ‘I cannot lose this one’. I’m so pumped and we worked so good with the team. I’m really happy with the double race win.”
In MX2, reigning world champion Simon Laengenfelder earned his third overall victory of 2026 and second consecutive win with 2-1 moto results. The German red plate holder showcased exceptional bike setup in the sand, running comfortably in second during the opening moto before capitalising on teammate Sacha Coenen’s first-lap crash in moto two to take the win and overall.
“I must say I’m really proud of what I could do today and the team also,” Laengenfelder commented. “We put in some serious hours to get my bike figured out for the sand and it seemed like it worked. I’m super-happy to win back-to-back.”
Sacha Coenen continued his perfect record in qualification heats with his fourth consecutive Saturday win before dominating the opening MX2 moto. The young Belgian grabbed the holeshot and checked out for his maiden moto victory of the season. Despite another holeshot and leading moto two, a high-speed crash on the opening lap forced a recovery ride to second place. The podium result elevated Sacha to second in the championship standings, 23 points behind Laengenfelder.
Andrea Adamo tackled Riola Sardo for the first time aboard the KTM 450 SX-F, finishing sixth in moto one before a mistake in race two dropped him to 18th for 11th overall. The Italian remains eighth in the championship.
The overcast and windy conditions at Riola Sardo—a venue that has hosted MXGP annually since 2021—provided a stern test with deep, rippled sand demanding precision and fitness. Jeffrey Herlings finished second overall in MXGP with 2-2 scores, while Liam Everts completed the MX2 podium in third.
In the EMX250 European Championship, rookie Aron Katona reached the podium for the first time with third overall (7-2), whilst KTM machinery locked out the EMX125 podium with Max Ernecker and Emil Ziemer finishing first and second respectively.
The MXGP paddock now heads to mainland Italy for the Grand Prix of Trentino at Pietramurata in Arco di Trento, where the compact hard-pack circuit will provide a stark contrast to Sardinia’s sand.
