Red Bull KTM Factory Racing secured a solid haul of results at the penultimate round of the 2026 FIM Motocross World Championship, with Simon Längenfelder claiming fourth overall in MX2 at the Grand Prix of China in Shanghai.
The modern International off-road circuit in Shanghai hosted round 18 of 19 in stuffy, overcast conditions, providing rough and loamy terrain surrounded by newly built permanent infrastructure. With just one round remaining, the Red Bull KTM riders are locked in tight championship battles heading into next weekend’s Australian finale.
Längenfelder delivered the standout performance for the team aboard his KTM 250 SX-F, leading the opening MX2 moto and fighting for the win until the chequered flag. The German crossed the line second, just 1.5 seconds from his sixth victory of the season. A holeshot in race two looked promising, but stomach cramps hampered his rhythm at the front and he dropped to ninth for fourth overall on the day.
“It was a difficult one. A difficult second moto; the rest was quite OK and the starts were always on-point this weekend,” said Längenfelder. “I almost led the whole first race but Cam was pushing. I was quite happy with P2 because I could change my lines and I had a good feeling on the track and on the bike. The second race I had some stomach problems and a lot of pain.”
Teammate Sacha Coenen grabbed second in Saturday’s MX2 Qualification Heat but struggled on Sunday. After fifth in the opening moto, the Belgian was running up front in race two before an early crash ended his day prematurely. He classified 17th in the moto for 11th overall, still recovering from illness during the week.
In MXGP, 2026 debutant Andrea Adamo posted seventh overall with 9-6 finishes aboard his KTM 450 SX-F. A tip-off in the first moto cost him positions, while a first-turn incident involving Jan Pancar held him up in race two. The Italian sits fifth in the championship, just one point from fourth place heading into Darwin.
The final round at Hidden Valley Motorsports Complex in Darwin, Australia offers 60 points and crucial championship implications. Längenfelder sits fourth in MX2, 43 points behind second, while Coenen is third and 36 points off the runner-up spot. Both riders still have mathematical chances to secure the silver medal.
Camden Mc Lellan won the Chinese Grand Prix ahead of Guillem Farres and Liam Everts, whilst Jeffrey Herlings dominated MXGP with a 1-1 scorecard.
Photo: Red Bull KTM Media
